cover image Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Recipes for Entertaining

Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Recipes for Entertaining

Beth Hensperger, Julie Kaufmann. Harvard Common Press, $19.95 (466pp) ISBN 978-1-55832-312-4

Though this unintimidating volume (following Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook) includes many recipes that actually do sound like classic dishes from your mother's or grandmother's recipe file (Hot Buttered Rum, Scalloped Potatoes and Beef Burgundy), many-like Tequila and Pineapple Barbecue Sauce, Pumpkin-Sage Risotto, Chipotle and Orange Pork Ribs, and Lemon Cornmeal Cake in Fragrant Fig Leaves reflect a more modern aesthetic. All recipes are accessible and straightforward enough for a wide range of slow cooker users; many are adapted from other cookbooks and even the Williams-Sonoma catalog. The first two chapters, ""Appetizer Dips, Savory Fondues, and Party Nuts"" and ""The Electric Punch Bowl,"" include such party-friendly recipes as Caramel Brie, Buttery Rosemary Pecan Halves, and Mulled Cider with Cardamom and Saffron. Subsequent chapters feature recipes appropriate for everyday meals: Red Bean Stew and Rice, Paniolo Beef Stew, and Tapioca Pudding. While at-home chefs seeking special occasion dishes will find some suitable ideas, this book can serve as a reliable resource whether or not there's a party going on.