This picture is the base for my pepper bacon fresh corn chowder. It's a rainy day and I am happily in the kitchen.
Love beef and today I scored big with this new way of using the crock pot (my now favorite cooking vessel.) I read on line one should not put liquid in the slow cooker when cooking meat; simply put in the meat and in my case today chuck roasts (2). I actually did put in a cup or so of Bordeaux at the bottom not quite trusting what I read, but true to form the meat did do the work and created just enough liquid to compliment the wine and the Crockery Gourmet that I nearly always use in my slow cooker. The chuck was tender and when I put chunks of it in with Amish noodles, the crowd went wild. (Not really, but they did eat most of the presentation in one meal.) I used the beef packet since I was dealing, today, with chuck. If you have not used the seasoning called Crockery Gourmet, I urge you to give the choices a go. They have them for pork, chicken, or beef and they are all delicious. As the day progressed I added more Bordeaux, nearly half a bottle and the sauce turned that delectable deep brown like the gravy in New Orleans kitchens. Perfection. Note: you can find the Crockery Gourmet packets in the markets, but I buy mine in bulk on Amazon and I do have to replenish pretty often. I am a serious abuser of this seasoning. True to the instructions not to add liquid (or not much) the meat was more tender and that's the point.
It has rained two straight days and that makes me want to bake or cook or both. I love having the kitchen door open with the dogs resting in the doorway and the plants soaking up the rain's goodness. Today I made chicken salad and blueberry bread.
