Slow cooking is nothing new to Mediterranean housewives; they’ve been practicing it for centuries. But for today’s busy cook a pan bubbling away on the open-fire to cook the dinner is impossible.

The new book Slow Cooking from around the Mediterranean by Carolyn Humphries is a delightful education for both the novice and the more experienced in slow-cooking. This Mediterranean cookbook contains an eclectic mix of delicious recipes from around the sun-scorched countries of the Mediterranean Sea.

With the saying slow cooking is the new Fast Food! Just come home to eat it. Humphries shows you just how to enjoy more time doing what you want, and the dinner? Well after a little preparation it just does itself. Doesn’t it?

The book begins with an introduction on Mediterranean food, and some invaluable advice on slow-cooking and some useful advice for the “L” plate user – that’s me.

Sections on how to look after your slow cooker, cooking times and useful notes on recipes are all inspire confidence that Humphries really knows her way around her slow cooker and has done a lot of cooking and experimenting with it.

Some of the mouth-watering recipes of slow-cooked modern Mediterranean Cuisine include
• Soups
• Starters and Snacks
• Meat-based Meals
• Poultry-based Meals
• Fish-based Meals
• Vegetarian-based Meals
• Side dishes
• Desserts.

Yes desserts! Not just hearty puddings but an incredible mixture of caramel creams, tortes and incredibly – meringues.

A whole three-course meal can be prepared in a slow-cooker? No I wouldn’t have believed in either but Humphries shows you how, and I’m learning fast.

How does this menu sound?

Starters –
Chicken Liver Pate with Button Mushrooms
Hearty fish soup with red pepper and garlic roulade

Main Dishes –

Chicken Paella with Chorizo and Peppers
Slow-cooked sardines with basil, onion and tomatoes

Side dishes –

Creamy Saffron Rice with Parmesan
Creamy potatoes with garlic and a herb crumb crust

Desserts -

Hazelnut meringues with raspberries
Brandied Coffee and Ricotta Pudding

Tempted?

Get your the slow-cooker from the back of the cupboard, a copy of this book and spice up those dinners while saving time and energy. Slow cookers are also an environmentally friendly way to cook as they use a fraction of the electricity used by a conventional oven.

The book is nicely presented and is one of a growing series of slow-cooking books. Published by Foulsham Books with the ISBN 978-0-572-03323-1 and is a reasonably priced £7.99/$14.95