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Slow Cooker
Slow Cooker . There are several slow cookers out there , but the 800-pound gorilla in this category is Crockpot . I cook stews and soups . It ' s so simple . Just dump all the ingredients into it , give it a stir and turn it on . When you walk in after work , your food is ready . There are two downsides to using the slow cooker though .
The first downside is that you have to prep all your ingredients the night before - that is , cut up all you veggies ( e . g . your mirepoix base , your proteins , etc .), then you have to wake up a little earlier the next day to throw all the ingredients into your slow cooker . The easiest solution to this inconvenience is to swing by Trader Joe ' s and pick up pre-made mirepoix and mixed spices in those handy grinders . You could cook your stews overnight , but then at around three ante-meridian , you are roused from a sound sleep by the delicious aroma of boeuf bourguignon .
The second downside is that you end up with a copious amount of what you ' ve made . Of course , you can just adjust down the ingredient portions to yield less . Or you could make your stew so kick ass like Billy Blanks ' Tae Bo that you don ' t mind eating it several nights in a row .
62 THE CONE - ISSUE # 9 - SPRING 2016