Louisa Enright's Blog

Books, Documentaries, Reviews:  December 18, 2014

THE HEALTHY SLOW COOKER

Daughter-in-law Corinne has cooked several meals for me now out of Judith Finlayson’s book, THE HEALTHY SLOW COOKER.

Each meal has been delicious.

So, I ordered this book when I got home from Charleston, SC, after Thanksgiving.

Now, I do not have a slow cooker at present.  My last one cooked way too hot–a familiar critique if you start reading the “reviews” of slow cookers.  I threw it out after it seemed to burn the bone broths I was trying to make using a slow cooker.  Bryan and Corinne have a large-size Faberware that was given to them for their wedding, ten years ago now.  Faberware seems to have disappeared.  And, it also seems that all of our appliances have taken such down turns in quality that even if I could find a Faberware one now, there would be no guarantee that it bore any resemblance to a product made ten years ago now.

I can’t find a slow cooker I’m willing to buy.  I did find a 10-quart one with a crockery insert, but at least one reviewer surfaced the fact that slow-cooker crockery inserts contain lead.  Apparently there is a web site that can reveal how much lead, etc., but…

Cuisinart is ranked currently as the “best” slow cooker of the moment, but I’m never buying another Cuisinart product after having their expensive toaster fail and being grossly disappointed in their food processor, which is an expensive piece of junk.  This week, the shaft that the grating disc sits atop bent while grating carrots:

Look at the metal curling out of the stem.  Anyone with half a brain can tell you that this piece of equipment is not going to stand up to grating carrots, turnips, potatoes, etc.  I ordered a new shaft, and the motor seems ok, but…   A PIECE OF JUNK and SHAME ON CUISINART.

Some slow cookers have aluminum inserts.  Aluminum is toxic and should not be used around food.  (Substitute parchment paper for aluminum if you need to top something in the oven.)

Some slow cookers have teflon lining, which is also toxic.

So, I am going to cook the slow cooker recipes in my Creuset pot with a lid–in the oven.  The whole thing will cook faster anyway.

I tried the black bean and squash chili (with hamburger) this week, and it is DELICIOUS.  (I’m allergic to hot peppers of any sort, so substituted cumin, tumeric, coriander, and a bit of cinnamon for the hot peppers.)  I covered the whole thing with a layer of grated cheese at the last minute and let it melt.  Delicious.