The Gourmet Slow Cooker Simple and Sophisticated Meals from around the WorldBy Lynn Alley"Although the slow cooker has experienced a renaissance over the past several years, the discriminating cook is still hard-pressed to find slow cooker recipes worthy

Bought this lovely recipe book as a Christmas gift for my daughter! I love it - full of interesting goodies for the slow cooker! Practical and down to earth - not at all "too exotic" for everyday meals!

I like the photos and the concept of this gourmet slow cooker book; however, after trying a few recipes I gave up because they simply did not taste good. With one exception that is - the chicken tarragon was delicious. Unless you're looking for a pretty coffee table cookbook, save your money.

Simply not worth the cost; suggest you look elsewhere. Do not be a fool---as I was.

I have a bookcase full of outstanding cookbooks. This is one of them. My crockpot is pedestrian--when it dies I will replace it with All-Clad--I never thought I would become a slow cooker enthusiast. But this book has changed my perspective. Yes, there is prep work--this is not a mushroom soup/quartered onion/garlic powder/round steak kind of recipe collection--gratefully. It is classy, stylish, even elegant food-- entrees that you would proudly serve to dinner party guests. Some of my favorites: Chicken Tarragon (worth the price of the book), Pork Stew in Tomatillo Sauce (everyone kept "wow-ing"), Apricot Chicken (simply fabulous), Neopolitan Lamb Stew (realllllly delicious), Chicken Cacciatore (often repeated, unbeatable), Doublin Coddle--great winter comfort food), Artichoke Risotto (amazing--who would have thought?), and, beyond my Indian-food loving dreams, Chicken Curry--do grind your own spices--and use a large package of chicken thighs--simply ambrosia. I've never bombed with this book.

So, I guess the bottom line here is: if you want a kid-pleasing Hamburger Helper kind of crock, pass it by. But if you are a dedicated cook who wants to create really memorable meals with little hovering over the pot, and don't mind the Iron Chef flurry up front, this is your book. Thank you Lynn Alley. I'm a fan.

P.S. I've learned that when time is crunched to start the recipe on "high" for an hour, then turn it down to "low" to finish. I often add a bit less liquid than called for (rarely, though) so I don't end up with a slightly watery finish--guess it depends on the slow cooker. I've learned that leaving the finished dish on "warm" for the last hour doesn't harm anything--in fact, it improves it. Rely on instinct.

I am not the very best cook in the world however, I do know how to read and follow instructions! Now having said that, I tried 2 very basic recipes from this book and both of them went down the drain literally and that has never happened to me before. One was way, way too hot and the other was much too sweet. I was even thinking of writing to the publisher when Amazon sent this email for the review so save your money and look on the web for recipes!!