The household magic crockpot is a versatile and convenient kitchen appliance that has become a staple in many homes. This seemingly simple pot has the ability to transform ordinary ingredients into delicious meals with minimal effort. The crockpot, also known as a slow cooker, is designed to cook food at a low temperature over an extended period. This slow and gentle cooking process allows flavors to develop and ingredients to become tender and succulent. The result is often a rich and flavorful dish that is bursting with taste. One of the main advantages of using a crockpot is the convenience it offers.
One of the main advantages of using a crockpot is the convenience it offers. It allows you to simply throw in the ingredients, set the temperature and cooking time, and leave it to work its magic. This means you can go about your day without having to constantly monitor the cooking process.
The 7 Magical Ingredients to Add to Any Slow Cooker
Let's pretend we all live in some dark parallel universe where we get to own only one thing. Gold bullion, love letters, passports—everything has to go except your one thing, and there is a mean-spirited enforcer wearing a cloak and carrying a machete who enforces the rule.
In two seconds, I would be headless. I could not choose between my brown mascara and my slow cooker.
Thanks to my upsettingly light-colored eyelashes, leaving the house without a thick coat of brown mascara means that I look as if I have no lashes at all. This has led to total allegiance on my part. I wear mascara camping. I wear mascara to open the door for the UPS man, whose only delivery to our house is industrial-size boxes of diapers.
On the other hand, life without my slow cooker is also not possible. First off, my children would starve to death—and not quietly either, but loudly, pointing their withered fingers in my direction as they moaned to their father, "It's all her fault that we're wasting away. her and her mascara."
This is all to say that I am unable to provide sufficient calories to myself or my family without my slow cooker. I love my cooker, a $50 model meant to look like a black kettle, and we go back a long way—from those first failed attempts at brisket (known forever in our family lore as the Night Mom Made a Hunk of Saddle for Supper) to my recent triumphs with black bean soup and Moroccan chicken.
The truth is, I work, and even when I wasn't working, I still got distracted by, oh, surprises like my toddler eating a chair (okay, just the cushions) while I tried to cook spaghetti sauce. Last weekend, I tried to go back to the old-fashioned stove to make pinto beans, which I was then going to transform into refried beans, but I forgot about the beans, went out for a coffee, stopped to talk to a neighbor and came back to find black smoke funneling through my apartment. It was like the tornado in The Wizard of Oz, with great boiling, bean-smelling clouds.
So, it was right back to the slow cooker, into which you dump all the ingredients and walk away for eight hours, no toil or bubble or trouble.
And yet. I have to admit one thing. Nobody wants to admit it, but it's true: Slow-cooked dishes are convenient and fortifying and liberating and smell better than any other kind of food on earth—but they're not as delicious as regular stove-cooked dishes. They are tasty. They are yummy even. But an A-plus dish on the stove will be a B dish in the cooker—flavors dim and dwindle, meat loses a bit of its heft and texture, potatoes and other carbs over-soften.
There are, however, a number of techniques you can use to elevate that B dish to a B-plus (which for me is just fine; I live a B-plus life). Most of them have been featured relentlessly in cookbooks and food magazines—for example, always browning your meats, placing your vegetables on the bottom, using a timer to keep the cooker from overcooking, not adding too much liquid. Further, in my experience, you can also use a few specific foods to add an extra bolt of flavor to your dishes—what I like to think of as a punch in the taste buds—which will ratchet that same dish up to an A-minus. I called a few experts to confirm my hopelessly amateur theories, and together, we came up with a list of magical mystery ingredients for real-life slow-cooker cooks.
Branch Out
Dried herbs lose their flavor after a few hours of slow cooking and leave the dish bland or muddy tasting. Meanwhile, fresh leafy versions like basil and cilantro just fall apart. You can always add the herbs last, at the end of the day, but that requires energy—not to mention thinking skills. For herbs that function essentially like more-sophisticated onions—toss in, walk away, retain taste—Michele Scicolone, author of The Italian Slow Cooker and The French Slow Cooker, recommends "the woodies: rosemary, sage and thyme."
Mellow Yellow
Garlic is one of those flavors that really become richer rather than fade in the slow cooker. "So many stove dishes have that strong raw-garlic taste," says Scicolone. "But that's not how Italians cook. The truth is, most of us don't cook our garlic sufficiently." A slow cooker, on the other hand, controls the timing, allowing garlic to "deepen and mellow." (My trick: cutting garlic into long vertical strips, which helps it hold up under long cooking times versus the traditional mincing.)
Spicier Spices
Slow cookers were made for chili—if only because of their vat shape, which harkens back to cowboy soup pots. Travis Rea of Williams-Sonoma suggests using chili powder, black pepper, paprika, cinnamon, cumin, cardamom and coriander, "many of which can taste harsh and bitter when uncooked but become sublime when cooked over time."
Boxed Tomatoes
Most of us use canned tomatoes for spaghetti sauce (a perfect dish for a slow cooker). But in Italy, the world's Eden of tomatoes, Italians use boxed tomatoes that are vacuum sealed, similar to the small boxes of milk people toss into lunch bags. The difference is—no exaggeration—heart-stopping. Sauces taste chunkier, livelier, meatier—more like tomatoes you might find in your garden. (My favorite brand is Pomì, and I order by the case.)
All Dried Up
Canned beans are already mush, so when you add them to a slow cooker, you get double mush. Dried beans, on the other hand, cook to firm perfection. (Note: The key to beans is almost always texture.) Plus, dried beans are easier to prepare. You don't have to open anything or even presoak. You rip the bag and dump. (I never wash and sort my beans. Then again, I never sort my socks either.)
The Secret Oddity
Anchovies lose their fishiness and add complexity and depth with slow cooking. "They are an amazing flavor booster," says Rea. Meanwhile, Scicolone relies on mustard. "It adds zing and holds up really well," she says. "I add it to everything, stews especially."
My Secret Oddity
The skinless, boneless chicken thigh, whose existence I have contemplated (how do they get the bone out?) over the cutting board to no end or perhaps even purpose. As the chicken cooks, there's no limp, dimpled, icky skin to fall off the bone, unlike with drumsticks, and the dark meat stays moist and rich and won't dry out, unlike breasts.
Any of these ingredients can be swapped out or added to the ones you regularly use in your slow-cooker recipes. (Hint: Check out these don't-miss dishes this fall Cooking With a Crock-Pot) When you taste the difference, you just might be tempted to give up your version of brown mascara—because if we're picking a new reality, we might as well pick one in which we all just eat and enjoy life and forget this nonsense about how we look.
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Thanks to my upsettingly light-colored eyelashes, leaving the house without a thick coat of brown mascara means that I look as if I have no lashes at all. This has led to total allegiance on my part. I wear mascara camping. I wear mascara to open the door for the UPS man, whose only delivery to our house is industrial-size boxes of diapers.
It is ideal for busy individuals or those who want to spend less time in the kitchen. Another significant benefit of using a crockpot is its ability to tenderize tough cuts of meat. The long, slow cooking process breaks down the collagen in the meat, making it incredibly tender and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. This is particularly useful for cheaper cuts of meat that would benefit from the extra cooking time and low heat. Furthermore, a crockpot is a versatile kitchen appliance that can be used to cook a wide range of dishes. From stews and soups to roasts and curries, the possibilities are endless. It can even be used to make desserts like puddings and cakes. This versatility makes it an essential tool for any aspiring home cook. In addition to its cooking abilities, the crockpot also saves energy compared to a traditional oven or stovetop. The low heat and extended cooking time require less electricity or gas, making it an eco-friendly option for those conscious of their energy consumption. Overall, the household magic crockpot is a valuable addition to any kitchen. Its ability to transform simple ingredients into delicious meals with minimal effort is a game-changer for busy individuals or those who simply want to spend less time cooking. With its versatility, convenience, and energy-saving features, it is no surprise that the crockpot has become a beloved and essential kitchen appliance in countless homes..
Reviews for "Unlock the Secrets of Household Enchantment with Crockpot Simmer Pots"
1. Samantha - 2 stars - I was really excited to try the Household Magic Crockpot, but I was ultimately disappointed. The cooking times were never accurate, and I always had to cook things for longer than the recipe called for. The temperature control was also not very consistent, resulting in some dishes being overcooked and others undercooked. Additionally, I found that the crockpot didn't heat evenly, so certain areas of the food would be burnt while others were still raw. Overall, I don't think I will be using this crockpot again in the future.
2. Brian - 1 star - I really regret purchasing the Household Magic Crockpot. The quality of this product is terrible. After just a few uses, the coating on the inside started to chip, despite using only wooden or silicone utensils. The lid also didn't fit snugly, causing steam to escape and resulting in a longer cooking time. The crockpot was also difficult to clean, even with soaking and scrubbing. I expected more from a brand like Household Magic, and I will definitely be looking for a better crockpot in the future.
3. Emily - 2 stars - The Household Magic Crockpot was a disappointment for me. I found that the food in the crockpot would often be overcooked and dried out, even when using the lowest setting. The timer on the crockpot was also not very accurate, which made meal planning difficult. Additionally, the inner pot of the crockpot felt cheap and flimsy, and I was always worried it would crack or break. Overall, I was not satisfied with this crockpot and would not recommend it to others.