Slowwww....

I am a bit slower than your average Ms Joe on catching the latest trend.... if I buy something cool it was generally 'cool' the season before last.

I have just bought myself THE kitchen accessory of winter 2008, the slow cooker. Better late than never, or better slow than ... dead - is that the cliche I am looking for?

Yesterday I got it out of the box and fired it up. I cooked a beef curry and for the first time in a long, long time I shopped for the recipe and followed the steps I was supposed to.  While browning the meat I set off the smoke detectors and they in turn set off the two year old. When things calmed down and all was in the pot I watched with satisfaction as it bubbled away quietly all day.

Here it is under one of our favourite wedding presents, a rather quirky print by Tasmanian artist Tom Samek.

Tom Samek was born in Prague but has lived in Tasmania for rather a long time. Chances are if you are Tasmanian or know a Tasmanian you have seen one of his works on a wall. We have five and have vowed not to get any more. I love his offbeat humour and what he has to say about the sometimes ropey politics of a small place. Don't get me started on Australian politics this week... I'd never stop.

I digress. Back to the slow cooked curry.

Delicious? No. Absolutely bloody awful. So bloody awful that my other half admitted (after kindly eating it for dinner) that we should toss and not freeze the leftovers as had been my cunning plan.

Disappointed? YES. YES. YEEEESSSS.

I am not giving up - 2010 is not the year of giving up - but I may need your help.
This is my favourite, simple, slow cooked casserole dish and if you have time I'd love to hear yours.

Ann's slow, simple Osso Bucco (Hey if you can't name a dish after yourself on your own blog when can you? And yes Osso Bucco Proper uses white wine and a load of other things - this one came from a magazine clipping and lord knows where from - sorry!)

2 slices of osso bucco (sliced veal shank really)
2 x 400g tins of crushed tomatoes
1 cup of good-ish red wine
4 cups of hot veg stock (or beef if you like)
2 sliced cloves of garlic
salt, pepper and thyme and then lots of time....

You don't need to brown the meat. Just chuck it all in the pot. Slow cook for a couple of hours until the meat is falling apart. Then tip the sauce (minus the meat) in a pan and boil it off on the stove top until the sauce thickens. Shred the meat into the thick sauce and serve with pasta and parmesan.

It will work perfectly in my slow cooker. If not it has always worked bloody well in this....

And I am very sorry for all the 'bloody' swearing in this. I am cross. I hate it when my food is not even worth freezing.