Friday, February 6, 2009

get this cookbook...NOW



my friend ryan recently started posting stories and pictures of experiences with recipes out of this cookbook. he and his wife, holly (who, incidentally, is an amazing artist, and did i mention ryan is an amazing musician?), recently moved to portland, and i'm truly convinced that everything cool happens there. i swear. all the great blogs, food, writing, clothing, style, EVERYTHING comes from there. too bad it's way too far from family to move there...

ryan is a very gifted songwriter (check out their music: the cobalt season), so i'm sure it was no effort whatsoever to make these recipes sound so tempting. and that he did, for me at least. so i ordered the cookbook on amazon (and it was surprisingly affordable, as cookbooks go), and already i've made 2 recipes, both of which have been delicious.

i love the way the author gives a brief history of the one-pot meal. it's very inspiring, as in, it inspires me to take time out from kids and working and get in the kitchen and just "be" with the vegetables, crock pot, meat. i know that sounds so weird. a friend of mine asked me last night if cooking was therapeutic for me, and i have to say yes. even though i can't escape the zoo around me when i am in the kitchen (e.g., dog begging for scraps, baby pulling out all of the recycling, older 2 fighting and asking for snacks simultaneously), it is very soothing in the midst of all of that to cut onions on a wooden board, feel the smoothness of a wooden spoon, appreciate the artistry of a wine label (as i'm having a glass...).

and it's even more soothing to do all of the prep work early in the day, smell yumminess wafting from the kitchen, and know that when dinnertime comes all i have to do is set the table and sit down to eat.

so i have found that most slow cooker recipes just are lame. really. but this cookbook is chock full of great meals, so be inspired with me and give this book a try.  or get it from your library and give it a trial run first. ;)

2 comments:

Karin said...

Hey...I've seen this cookbook and it's great! When I worked at Crate and Barrel I used to read all of the great cookbooks on the shelves when it was slow. Can you believe I have my slow cooker here, even though plugging it in for 8 hours at a time is a gamble,because one electricity outtage and the process is ruined. But, we are actually using it today to make some chili for my neice's b'day party. Hey...send a recipe or two out there if they are that good!

Charlotte said...

you've convinced me to give it another try. i haven't used my slow cooker in years...

i look forward to reading more of your posts!