If you are pushed for time, and all you want is to be able to chop a few ingredients and toss them in the slow cooker then this is not the book for you. Admittedly the slow cooker is marketed as a time saving device, however the object of cooking (for me personally)is to actually enjoy the final product, and this book enables you to do just that; get the maximum use and enjoyment out of an appliance that is capable of so much more.
The book itself is superbly laid out, with an introduction to slow cooker history, followed by informative sections on useful equipment,and cuts of meat/vegetables and how to prepare them - essential if you are a novice. There is a wide range of recipes here, with varying degree of difficulty and preparation time, all accompanied by photographs of the finished product. Another plus point is the inclusion of the fat/calorific content etc. of each dish, great for dieters and the more health conscious. Considering the content, this book is excellent value for money.
All the recipes I have tried are clearly explained, and have been so far a complete success. The slow cooker cookbook contains some delicious meat/soup dishes, all of which require easily obtainable ingredients. But the real delight for me was the revelation that it also makes divine pâtés, desserts (steamed puddings to die for) and layered terrines which are simple to make, yet look extremely impressive.
Overall I found this book a godsend, and I'm sure you will too if you are prepared to spend a little extra time - and I mean that literally, the recipes are still in the "no fuss" category. It is informative, the results are fantastic, and consequently my slow cooker is no longer gathering dust, as it inevitably would be if I were still tossing in the same old ingredients! If you want to get maximum use out of your appliance, experiment with a new range of mouth watering dishes, then look no further!