Now that it’s starting to get cold, it’s time to get the crockpot out.
I love my crockpot. I went without one for more than a few years, because the French just don’t seem to get the concept of slowcooked electronic goodness, and thus don’t sell crockpots just anywhere. You have to know where to look, as with the procurring of so many other things here in France.
The first crockpot I had in France came to me via the friend of a friend of mine via the US Army.
My friend lives in the same region as me, but her friend, also American, lived in Holland and was married to a man who was half American, half Dutch. He had a brother serving in the American Army, living on an Army base in Germany. The friend based in Holland was coming to visit the friend living in Grenoble (still with me so far?) and passing through Germany on the way (Europe’s a small place). So we both placed orders for crockpots, and Dr Pepper and Cheetos and all sorts of yummy things.
When that crockpot died a year or so later, I had to go without. Until I found a catalog that, believe it or not, actually believes that there are enough people in France who want to buy one, to sell them.*
I am once again with a crockpot, and, as I started out saying at the beginning of this post, it’s crockpot weather.
My favorite thing to make is roast chicken. I also like to make beef stew, and of course, pot roast. (There’s what claims to be a mouthwatering recipe for pot roast on You’ve Got Supper which I’m going to try next week.) One of the best crock-pot recipes is for chili and I’m going to try spaghetti sauce next.
What’s your favorite crockpot recipe?
*Les Trois Suisses, in case anyone’s interested.
**If you haven’t already heard of it, A Year of Slow Cooking is the best source of crockpot recipes.
{ 5 comments }
I made a really good beef dish last night, using a recipe from the new issue of Cooking Light (which I'll pass on to you Sunday!). It was Beef Daube Provençal–served with egg noodles. Yum.
I am a big fan of homemade soups and stews, which are perfect for the crockpot–though I am often lacking for time and I don't make them as often as I'd like to.
Two things I can make in my sleep, though are slow cooker chili and slow cooker pasta sauce. There are a number of simple recipes for both, and the long cooking time really improves the flavor. These dishes also freeze well. When the refrigerator looks bare after a long day's work, it is nice to remember that you have you have some of them in the freezer.
I am learning to love my crockpot. I haven't felt well lately, which means it's been sitting unused for about a week. But I've already made three tasty dinners in it — one of which I used to make on the stove but is SO much simpler in a slow cooker. Just wanted to point out that, while I am definitely psyched to read A Year of Slow Cooking (my mom's sending me a copy), I also found a lot of recipes on Slow and Simple (.com) and AllRecipes.com
.-= Abigail´s last blog ..Sometimes it's just dumb luck =-.
I LOVE my crockpot! Especially in the fall/winter, but I also use it occasionally in the summertime when it's too hot to cook on the stove. Two of my favourite recipes are my vegetarian chili and pulled pork, which I then put into sandwiches. Mmm!
.-= Jb´s last blog ..New Ideas to Make More Money =-.
I love using the crockpot. I had always been intimidated by them until my mom showed me just how easy they can be to cook with. While I don't cook with one very often, I'm no longer intimidated and actually look forward to the opportunity to cook with one.