Posted on: Wednesday, December 8, 2004
QUICK BITES
Celebrate the slow cooker
Advertiser Staff
Fond of that '70s kitchen appliance? Put it in writing
They're looking for the best short poem or essay (500 words or fewer) describing a memorable slow-cooking experience, or touting the importance of family dinner time and how the slow cooker helps.
The contest is open through Feb. 18. Enter at www.BettyCrocker.com/ode. First prize is a day's pampering in a local spa, a slow cooker, recipe booklet and a year's supply of Betty Crocker Slow Cooker Helper. Focus is on simple, country food
Stories and features grow out of reader questions and concerns; they did 12 months of market testing to develop column ideas such as "When Things Go Wrong ... " Introductory subscription: $24.95 (six issues). Information: www.cookscountry.com. Or write America's Test Kitchen, 17 Station St., Brookline, MA 02445.
Eighty two percent of U.S. households are said to own a slow cooker, the 1970s appliance that's making a comeback. Betty Crocker, which has a line of heat-and-eat products for the slow cooker, has organized a writing competition to celebrate this homely appliance: The Ode to Slow Cooking Contest.
Speaking of slow cookers, a story rating the appliance is one of the features in the inaugural issue of Cook's Country, a bi-monthly magazine from the editors of Cook's Illustrated magazine. This one is focused on simple, down-home country food (fried chicken, cheesy mashed potatoes, ice cream cupcakes and pot roast in a slow cooker are featured in the charter issue).
