experience.)
If you set an off time for the switch, remember to ensure there is enough time to cook your items as the slow cooker will stop cooking at the off time set on the timer switch regardless of how cooked the food is (again speaking from experience, unfortunately).
These switches do not work with all models of slow cookers,such as those with electronic control pads and settings. Check your model and the instruction booklet it comes with.
Other items that I use often include:
IMMERSION BLENDER
For blending super-smooth soups in the slow cooker. If you don’t have an immersion blender (also known as a stick blender or a handheld blender), you’ll have to blend in batches in your blender, very carefully.
FOOD PROCESSOR
Used for making nut meal, blending tofu and liquids, and, if you wish, chopping vegetables.
SPICE GRINDER
Not only for grinding spices! I also use mine to grind small quantities of nuts and seeds. If you don’t have one, use a mini food processor, coffee grinder, or blender. A pastry brush makes it easy to get out the last few bits of ground spice.
SKILLET AND SAUCEPAN
Used for stovetop sautéing and ingredient preparation if your slow cooker insert is not stovetop safe. If you buy only one, make it a 10-inch skillet, which should serve all your needs. If you’d rather use a saucepan (which is also used in several recipes), use a medium-size one.
KNIVES
A good quality 8- to 10-inch chef’s knife is really all you need, but a smaller paring knife (for fine fruit and vegetable work) and a serrated knife (for bread and acidic items) are handy, too. For some recipes a mandoline is handy for making perfectly even vegetable slices.
MICROPLANE GRATER
Very handy if you’d rather not mince garlic and ginger by hand. This rasp-shape tool is also great for zesting citrus. If you don’t have one, a box grater does the trick.
BOWLS AND MEASURING EQUIPMENT
Have a variety of different-size bowls for different mixing uses. Always choose a bowl to use that is one size larger than the one you think you’ll need; it’ll make mixing much easier. You’ll also need standard measuring equipment—spoons and cups.
WOODEN SPOONS, WHISKS, AND SPATULAS
You’ll need these, or something similar, to mix items together. Note that flexible silicon spatulas are better than wooden spoons for removing the last traces of mixes from bowls.
STEAMER BASKET
Where required I use a small, metal, collapsible vegetable steamer basket insert, found in many supermarkets or department stores (and even dollar stores) at minimal cost.
Additional items are required for making some of the dishes in To Serve With: baking sheets and pans, roasting pans, and muffin or mini loaf tins, all easily found in supermarkets, department stores, and kitchenware stores.
Ingredients
In this section we’re going to look at the common and not-so-common ingredients I use in the recipes, including substitutes for hard-to-find (or disliked) items.
Produce
Unless otherwise stated all produce used is of medium size. I don’t specify that the produce should be organic and as local as possible, but as you most likely know from newspapers, magazines, and television, these have the best flavor and a low carbon footprint. Do what you can.
GARLIC
Peeling garlic is easy. If you are planning on making Poached Garlic ( page 54 ) anytime soon, you’ll want to know how.
First remove the papery outer skin from the head of garlic and separate the cloves from each other and from the hard base. If you are strong enough (and have large enough hands), you can push down on the whole head and rock back and forth to both break up the head and loosen the skins.
Place the garlic clove to be peeled on a hard board. Place the flat of your chef’s knife on top of the clove, hold your knife still, and press down with the heel of your other hand. The goal is to crack the garlic just slightly, which lets its skin slip off easily. At first you may end up with
If you set an off time for the switch, remember to ensure there is enough time to cook your items as the slow cooker will stop cooking at the off time set on the timer switch regardless of how cooked the food is (again speaking from experience, unfortunately).
These switches do not work with all models of slow cookers,such as those with electronic control pads and settings. Check your model and the instruction booklet it comes with.
Other items that I use often include:
IMMERSION BLENDER
For blending super-smooth soups in the slow cooker. If you don’t have an immersion blender (also known as a stick blender or a handheld blender), you’ll have to blend in batches in your blender, very carefully.
FOOD PROCESSOR
Used for making nut meal, blending tofu and liquids, and, if you wish, chopping vegetables.
SPICE GRINDER
Not only for grinding spices! I also use mine to grind small quantities of nuts and seeds. If you don’t have one, use a mini food processor, coffee grinder, or blender. A pastry brush makes it easy to get out the last few bits of ground spice.
SKILLET AND SAUCEPAN
Used for stovetop sautéing and ingredient preparation if your slow cooker insert is not stovetop safe. If you buy only one, make it a 10-inch skillet, which should serve all your needs. If you’d rather use a saucepan (which is also used in several recipes), use a medium-size one.
KNIVES
A good quality 8- to 10-inch chef’s knife is really all you need, but a smaller paring knife (for fine fruit and vegetable work) and a serrated knife (for bread and acidic items) are handy, too. For some recipes a mandoline is handy for making perfectly even vegetable slices.
MICROPLANE GRATER
Very handy if you’d rather not mince garlic and ginger by hand. This rasp-shape tool is also great for zesting citrus. If you don’t have one, a box grater does the trick.
BOWLS AND MEASURING EQUIPMENT
Have a variety of different-size bowls for different mixing uses. Always choose a bowl to use that is one size larger than the one you think you’ll need; it’ll make mixing much easier. You’ll also need standard measuring equipment—spoons and cups.
WOODEN SPOONS, WHISKS, AND SPATULAS
You’ll need these, or something similar, to mix items together. Note that flexible silicon spatulas are better than wooden spoons for removing the last traces of mixes from bowls.
STEAMER BASKET
Where required I use a small, metal, collapsible vegetable steamer basket insert, found in many supermarkets or department stores (and even dollar stores) at minimal cost.
Additional items are required for making some of the dishes in To Serve With: baking sheets and pans, roasting pans, and muffin or mini loaf tins, all easily found in supermarkets, department stores, and kitchenware stores.
Ingredients
In this section we’re going to look at the common and not-so-common ingredients I use in the recipes, including substitutes for hard-to-find (or disliked) items.
Produce
Unless otherwise stated all produce used is of medium size. I don’t specify that the produce should be organic and as local as possible, but as you most likely know from newspapers, magazines, and television, these have the best flavor and a low carbon footprint. Do what you can.
GARLIC
Peeling garlic is easy. If you are planning on making Poached Garlic ( page 54 ) anytime soon, you’ll want to know how.
First remove the papery outer skin from the head of garlic and separate the cloves from each other and from the hard base. If you are strong enough (and have large enough hands), you can push down on the whole head and rock back and forth to both break up the head and loosen the skins.
Place the garlic clove to be peeled on a hard board. Place the flat of your chef’s knife on top of the clove, hold your knife still, and press down with the heel of your other hand. The goal is to crack the garlic just slightly, which lets its skin slip off easily. At first you may end up with
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