Gourmet slow cooker - Simple sophisticated meal from around the world ...

In this volume, Alley (Lost Arts: A Celebration of Culinary Traditions) provides a montage of surprising and intriguing recipes-everything from White Truffle Risotto to Chocolate Chip Cookies-all of which are made in a slow cooker. Chapters are divided by country, and include France, Great Britain, India, Italy, Mexico and the U.S. According to Alley, signature meals, side dishes and even desserts from each of these countries, such as Chicken Mole from Mexico, Eggplant and Pea Curry from India, Pork with Prunes from France and Anise Biscotti from Italy, can be made simply in one pot. Alley includes drink recommendations with each recipe. These are generally wine pairings (with Provencal Beef Stew, "a Cotes de Provence rose or medium-bodied red table wine would do well") but the author refrains from going over the top to underscore the sophistication angle. For chocolate chip cookies, she writes, "milk is the only proper accompaniment."

The slow cooker can be so much more than a repository for nacho cheese dip—use it to raise the standards of your everyday dining from the mundane to the gourmet. THE GOURMET SLOW COOKER brings an upscale approach to this new-old phenomenon, using fresh ingredients in imaginative recipes that you can create all during a day’s work. Focusing on traditional one-pot meals from various cultures, recipes such as Apricot Chicken from India, Molé Poblano from Mexico, Neopolitan Truffle Risotto from Italy, and Boston Baked Beans from the United States are delicious meals truly fit to serve guests.

This is an inspired recipe collection from the four corners of the world. Recipes are arranged by geography.

Chapters and Recipes:

* United States: Boston Baked Beans, Chicken & Dumplings, Swiss Steak, Red Beans & Rice, Potato, Cheddar & Chive Soup, Lumpy Mashed Potatoes, Tamale Pie, American Apple Pie Soup, Chocolate Chip Cookies

* Mexico: Chicken Mole, Refried Beans, Stuffed Chile Casserole with Red & Green Salsas, Pork Stew in Tomatillo Sauce, Chicken in Peanut and Chile Sauce, Spiced Meatballs in Chipotle Sauce

* Great Britain: Beef & Guinness Stew, Irish Cheese Pudding, Oatmeal Soup, Scotch Broth, Dublin Coddle, Irish Champ

* France: Beef Burgundy, Provencal Beef Stew, Chicken Piperade, Provencal Chicken Stew, Tarragon Chicken, Pork with Prunes, French Split Pea Soup

* Italy: Polenta, sausage & Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce, Italian Pot Roast, Tuscan White Bean Soup, White Truffle Risotto, Artichoke Risotto, Neapolitan Lamb Stew, Chicken Cacciatore, Bread Pudding, Anise Biscotti

* Greece: Moussaka, Lamb Shanks in Tomato Sauce, Chicken with Lemon-Egg Sauce, Bean Soup, Baked Eggplant, Rice Pudding, Walnut Cake

* India: Eggplant & Pea Curry, Chicken Curry, Apricot Chicken, Dal, Lamb Stew with Spinach, Beef Biryani, Chicken in Saffron-Tomato Cream Sauce, Keema Stuffed Peppers
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Chicken & Dumplings

Recipes for chicken and dumplings were brought to America by French, German British and eastern European immigrants, just to name a few. And variations can be found among the Pennsylvania Dutch and in the Deep South, the Midwest, and New England. This particular recipe is my mother’s, passed down from her mother, the daughter of Irish immigrants.
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 frying or stewing chicken, cut into serving pieces and skinned
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 yellow onion, halved and sliced
1 celery stalk, sliced
2 cups chicken stock
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 sprigs marjoram
freshly ground black pepper
1 cup fresh or frozen peas

Dumplings

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking power
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup milk
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Serves 4-6

Combine the flour and salt in a resealable plastic bag. Add the chicken to the bag several pieces at a time, and shake to coat completely.
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Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the chicken and cook, turning once, for 5-7 minutes, until browned on both sides. Using tongs, transfer to paper towels to drain, then place in the slow cooker.
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Add the onion and celery to the remaining flour in the bag and shake to coat. Set the saute pan over medium-high heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the onion and celery and saute, stirring frequently, for 10-15 minutes, until browned. Gradually add the stock, stirring to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook for 10-15 minutes, until the sauce is somewhat thickened. Stir in the carrots, marjoram, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour over the chicken in the slow cooker.
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Cover and cook on low heat for 3 1/2 hours, then on high for 30 minutes before dropping in the dumplings.
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To prepare the dumplings, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Stir to blend. Bring the butter and milk to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat. Drizzle into the dry ingredients and mix well. This will be a fairly dry dough.
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Using a large spoon or your hands, form the dough into 6 loose ovals or rounds, about 2 inches in diameter. Add the peas to the slow cooker and mix well. Place the dumplings on top of the stew.
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Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in a dumpling comes out clean. Remove and discard the marjoram.
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Spoon the stew into shallow bowls, dividing the chicken and dumplings evenly. Garnish with the parsley and serve immediately.
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To Drink:
A great fit would be the medium-bodies Ca’del Solo Big House White from imaginative winemaker Randall Grahm, owner of Bonny Doon Vineyards in Santa Cruz, California. The wine is named for the vineyards it fruit comes from, close to one of California’s state prisons. It’s a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Blanc and Viognier.
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