Slow Cookers

[Frozzie]

i had a look at one just now cusinart looked hte same as maddys but it said it was aluminium bowl for heat distribution?? maybe its another model but it was 6,5L programmable etc

[Meagan]

I would have thought aluminum wouldn't be great either :?

[Frozzie]

as far as I know its not sorry forgot to say that too...alzeihmers has been linked to aluminium..I never use it!

[fundj&e]

I am try DD cooker for a while before i go out and buy one. I have heard that if lift the lid to stir it’s worth 1 hour of cooking time.  is that true?

[Yvette]

I usually stir mine a few times after a few hours and it still cooks fine so not sure if this is true Fundj I would say no

[leesmac78]

I just cannot see the attraction of a slow cooker nowadays as I am used to Thermie doing everything for me at lightning speed.  It feels as if I would be regressing rather than progressing.  No, seriously it is a marvelous invention and my darling Ed swears by it.  I just think Thermie is far cuter and heaps more fun.

xxx

 

[Frozzie]

thermie cant do EVERYTHING...alot yes but slow cooking meat etc where it just falls off the bone just isnt a thermie dish...still havent had time to have a good search for what Im after...too busy planning for a weekend in a country house with a group of friends....love catching up with friends from all over...cant wait yay!! 

[andiesenji]

thermie cant do EVERYTHING...alot yes but slow cooking meat etc where it just falls off the bone just isnt a thermie dish...still havent had time to have a good search for what Im after...too busy planning for a weekend in a country house with a group of friends....love catching up with friends from all over...cant wait yay!! 

I so agree!  There is just nothing like a long, slow braise at a fairly low temp to really tenderize and develop the flavor in an inexpensive hunk of meat.
The prolonged exposure to heat, in a tightly closed (often sealed with dough) vessel, at a temperature less than 300° F. (149° C.), causes the collagen (connective tissue, ligaments and etc.,) to dissolve and the protein strands to relax and release the juices into the meat itself.
(Higher heat drives the liquids out of the meat entirely, thus defeating the object of getting a juicy result.)

I took some French cooking classes from a French chef back in the late '60s and we prepared beef cuts from the shoulder (chuck) and round, in a big heavy roaster with the top sealed on with plain bread dough.  It was a revelation to me.

[judydawn]

...too busy planning for a weekend in a country house with a group of friends....love catching up with friends from all over...cant wait yay!! 

 Sounds like fun Frozzie.

[Frozzie]

It is jd...we do it a few Times a year to be able to catch up with friends we dont see very often...its always a really Nice weekend and we change destination each time...this Time im taking thermie (mainly for cocktails)    there is also a friend of a friend who is mexican coming and Will be cooking mexican (mmmmm) so that Will be interesting and Nice to meet her!

[achookwoman]

Frozzie,  have fun with your friends.

[Frozzie]

thanks chookie 

[cookie1]

I hope your weekend went well Frozzie.

[Frozzie]

It did cookie...had a great time and I met the mexican friend of a close friend of mine and she showed us how to make Gorditas, solas i think they were called (recipes on their way lol), chicken mole and some divine chilli sauces...we had lots of fun...cant beat making new friends, free cooking class and lots of fun! Oh and I love how they pronounce the names of the dishes...sounds so much better than how we said it...she did tell me I was a natural lol and that also for pronunciation we were all very good, practically no accent at all    There were four of us in the kitchen...only hick was one of our friends doesnt speak english but understands it pretty much but we were mostly speaking in english so sometimes she got a bit lost but it all worked out and everyone had fun!

Oh and I learnt there are so many different chillis out there haha..I knew a few existed but they put different chillis in each sauce but she is going to send me what you can substitute etc.  I told her she should create a blog with her recipes and also the story behind them and what you use them for example the solas (think thats what they were called ..its all downstairs) anyway you only eat them at festivals usually church festivals where she comes from etc and I loved how she was telling me her aunts all get in and help her grandmother cooking etc..was a really interesting to talk to her and spend time with her and of course all our friends this weekend 

and you cookie are you all settled back in at home?

[andiesenji]

It's possible the items are sopes (so-pez) little corn patties, much thicker than tortillas that are used under a staggering array of fillings to make little appetizers.

If you can't find masa harina - you can take regular cornmeal and process it in the TMX - just as you would granulated sugar to make a finer flour-like substance.

Here's a good recipe that other folks have found very helpful.
My Mexican neighbor showed me how to make them years ago.   I don't make them as cup-like as shown in the first photo. 

Years ago, before I got a real tortilla press, I just mashed the balls of dough flat with a small cast-iron skillet.