Spicy Reading : Crock Tales: The Handbook of the Slow-Cook Revolution

A bride’s confusion over what to do with a wedding gift led to one of the greatest successes in cookbook history.

The gift was a Crock-Pot.

At the time, in the mid ‘70s, the appliance was still a novelty. The new slow-cookers were designed to save time for busy people. And as the numbers of traditional homemakers diminished, the market for the new cooking tool expanded. Ingredients go into the pot in the morning and simmer unattended all day, making it possible to come home from work to an instant dinner. But aside from the manufacturer’s instructions, there was little information to help the bride use her new appliance.

That gave the bridegroom, Howard Fisher, an idea. His family owned HP Books in Tucson, Ariz. Why not publish a cookbook featuring the new appliance?

The job of developing the recipes and writing the book went to Mable Hoffman, a Southern California home economist and food stylist. In 1975, “Crockery Cookery” hit the stands, and the nation’s budding crockery cooks responded en masse.

The book quickly rose to the top of the New York Times bestseller list, remained there for weeks, slipped briefly downward, then regained the number one spot. In all, it spent 58 weeks on the bestseller list, 13 of those in first place.

“There were times when we were selling 10,000 books per hour,” says Helen Fisher, who founded HP Books in 1972 with her husband, Bill. “It put HP on the map, absolutely.” In the first three weeks, the business doubled, then it quadrupled, then quadrupled again. Fisher says that between 5 and 6 million copies have been sold. (The Fishers sold the company in 1979 and in 1987 started Fisher Books.)

Since its debut, times have changed. New ingredients have become popular; people eat less fat and less meat and consume more ethnic-inspired dishes. But crockery cookers are still in demand.

So the Fishers decided there was room for a sequel. Hoffman again set to work and the result is “Crockery Favorites” (Fisher Books: $9.95).

The original book concentrated on basic recipes. The new book moves on to Mandarin-style pasta flavored with hoisin sauce, potato shiitake soup, a “taste-of-Thai” chicken salad, pork roast with fennel and sage and other such dishes. A number of recipes use turkey, now popular with those avoiding high-fat meats. Balsamic vinegar, virtually unknown when the first book came out, flavors some dishes. Green peppercorns, fresh rosemary, baby carrots, tofu and cellophane noodles appear in others.

But it’s not all trendy food. Hoffman has also included a classic spaghetti sauce, a New England boiled dinner, traditional baked beans, persimmon pudding and other comfortably familiar recipes.

To help in planning meals, Hoffman has grouped the dishes according to how long they cook. Times range from less than six hours to more than 10. Additional chapters delve into entertaining, ethnic flavors, using the cooker in combination with other appliances and dishes to cook a day in advance.

Hoffman, who collaborated on this book with her husband, Gar, says that at the height of the “Crockery Cookery” fervor, she was hailed by strangers as “the Crock-Pot lady.”

“I’m amazed the book has lasted so long,” she says.

Here are two of Hoffman’s new recipes for the popular slow cookers.

CASSOULET, THE CROCKERY WAY

1 pound dried Great Northern beans, rinsed

1 large onion, chopped

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

2 whole cloves

1 bay leaf

1 sprig fresh thyme

1/4 pound salt pork, diced

1 pound boneless lamb, cut into 1-inch cubes

1/2 pound hot Italian sausage, crumbled

2 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

3 cups beef broth or bouillon

1 cup dry red wine

Combine beans, onion, pepper, garlic and parsley in slow cooker pot. Wrap cloves, bay leaf and thyme in cheesecloth or place in metal tea container. Add to pot. Add salt pork, lamb, sausage and tomatoes. Pour beef broth and wine over all. Cover and cook on LOW 9 to 10 hours. Remove spice bag and discard. Makes 6 to 7 servings.

Each serving contains about:

431 calories; 848 mg sodium; 81 mg cholesterol; 24 grams fat; 18 grams carbohydrates; 29 grams protein; 2.2 grams fiber; 51% calories from fat.

TURKEY MARSALA WITH VEGETABLES

3 large carrots, peeled and cut julienne

2 leeks, washed and cut julienne

1/2 turkey breast (about 3 pounds), skinned

2 tablespoons melted margarine or butter

12 mushrooms, sliced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

3/4 cup chicken broth or bouillon

1/2 cup Marsala or dry Sherry

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons water

Place carrots and leeks in slow cooker. Brush turkey breast with melted margarine. Arrange turkey, then mushrooms over vegetables. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and parsley. Pour broth and Marsala over all. Cover and cook on LOW 6 to 7 hours. Remove turkey and vegetables with slotted spoon. Cover and keep warm.

Turn pot on HIGH. Dissolve cornstarch in water. Stir into juices in pot. Cover and cook on HIGH 15 to 20 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Slice turkey and arrange in center of platter with vegetables around edges. Serve with liquid from pot as sauce. Makes 5 or 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

219 calories; 473 mg sodium; 61 mg cholesterol; 7 grams fat; 12 grams carbohydrates; 23 grams protein; 1.1 grams fiber; 29% calories from fat.