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Olive oil: I am referring to golden olive oil, which is refined and has a less pronounced flavor than extra-virgin olive oil. It’s a good starting point when you don’t want the stronger flavor of extra-virgin olive oil.

Canned and dried beans

Canned tomatoes: The Andy Rooney effect, as I call it, has happened to standard cans of tomatoes. (Andy is always complaining when manufacturers change the weight of the can of coffee and other items that he uses.) The range of size in tomato cans is 15 to 18 ounces for small and 28 to 32 ounces for large. Just when you think the manufacturers have it standardized, it changes—again. Since slow cooking is casual in terms of ingredients, I’ve stated in each recipe the range of ounces for the cans that should be used.

Tomato paste in a tube

Broths: chicken, beef, and vegetable. I’m fond of College Inn and Swanson’s, as well as Superior Touch “Better than Bouillon” soup bases that can be reconstituted.

Pastas: assorted small sizes. I prefer imported Italian pastas; they are made from hard Durham wheat and hold up well in the low and slow cooking. Barrilla is a favorite at our house.

Rice: white, wild, jasmine, arborio, and basmati.

Balsamic vinegar

Soy sauce

Sesame oil, toasted Asian

Miso paste

Fish sauce

Rice vinegar

Rice wine (mirin)

Hoisin sauce

Mustards: Dijon, ballpark yellow, and whole grain

Tabasco sauce

Chipotle chiles in adobo

Canned roasted green chiles

Prepared salsa

Dried fruits, such as apricots, figs, golden raisins, and plums.

SPICE PANTRY

Allspice (both whole and ground)

Basil

Bay leaves (Bay leaves can be dangerous when left in a dish for serving because they are stiff and one can choke on them unwittingly. Make sure to remove any bay leaves before serving.)

Cayenne pepper

Celery seeds

Chile powders (ancho, chipotle, and all-purpose chili mix)

Chinese five-spice powder

Cinnamon (ground and whole sticks)

Cloves (whole and ground)

Coriander (ground)

Cumin (ground)

Curry powder

Dill weed

Fennel seeds

Garam masala

Herbes de Provence

Jerk seasoning

Marjoram

Mustard seeds and powdered mustard

Nutmeg (whole for grating fresh)

Oregano (Greek and Mexican—if you can only get one, Greek is my favorite)

Paprika

Peppercorns (black, white, and assorted)

Rosemary

Saffron

Sage

Thyme

Turmeric

Chapter 1

Souper Bowls—Soups and Chilies

The slow cooker is made for slow-cooked soups and chilies. A bowl of comfort can be prepped and then tossed into the slow cooker for a day of slow simmering. Warming bowls of soup can be the balm that soothes your family after a hectic day. Serve the soups in hollowed-out bread bowls or with biscuits, crusty breads, or cornbread, and you’ll have your family singing the hallelujah chorus. The best part is that you put the ingredients in the slow cooker in the morning, and at the end of the day you will come home to a pot of delicious homemade soup.

Chilies are also terrific to make in the slow cooker. Sauté the ingredients ahead of time to allow the dried spices to bloom, then stir it all together in the slow cooker to simmer for hours. You’ll come home to a pot full of spicy goodness to soothe and satisfy after a long day.

Totally Awesome Veggie Stock

Vegetable stock, rich in flavor, can be frozen for use in soups, stews, or vegetarian chilies. A slow cooker takes the mundane task of making stock and makes it simple by allowing you to pile everything into the cooker and let it slowly simmer for hours. You just need to strain the goodness into refrigerator or freezer containers for later use.

¼ cup olive oil

2 large sweet onions, such as Vidalia, coarsely chopped

4 large carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks

4 stalks celery with leaves, cut into 2-inch pieces

4 medium parsnips, cut into 1-inch chunks

8 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 bunch Swiss chard, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 3