October brings falling leaves, the ends of the garden harvest, and cooler days. If you are like many of us on the library staff, it is also time to break out our crockpots and slow cookers. Warm and hearty soups and chili dishes are a favorite in my house. I’ve had my crockpot for 27 years and it is well used and well loved. I can’t recall when the knob on top of the lid broke, but it seems like I’ve been prying it open with a butter knife for a very long time. Are you just as adamant about keeping kitchen tools you love? Until it stops working entirely, my crockpot has a spot in my kitchen.
I also have a slow cooker and an Instapot. I use the slow cooker, but the Instapot and it’s pressurized warnings just kind of freak me out. I will attempt to step outside my comfort zone this month and try a recipe in the Instapot. Check back on our library social media for updates. (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or YouTube)
What is the difference between a crock pot and slow cooker? Both cook your food in very similar ways using low temperatures and longer cooking times. The results are tender meats and vegetables. Tougher cuts of meat are actually recommended for slow cooking. A crockpot has a ceramic crock insert, whereas a slow cooker may or may not. An Instapot, does away with the low and the slow with similar results using pressure cooking.
We like to highlight cookbooks in our library displays and more recently as digital displays on our library website. We have several great crockpot, slow cooker, and Instapot cook books on our Andover shelves, with many more available to order through Clevnet and even more as e-books through Overdrive, Libby, and Hoopla.
If you are stopping in the library for a browsing appointment, check out our in-house display. You can search the Clevent catalog for titles from other libraries or find digital cook books. We are here to help if you want to pick up a cook book curbside or need assistance finding them in our catalog and accessing digital books. Let’s get slow-cooking in October! We’d love to see what you have cooking. Post your photos on social media using the hashtag #whatscookingAndoverPL