I picked up a cookbook from Half Price Books called, "Classic Turkish Cooking" by Ghillie Basan. It's a fascinating book that goes into the history of Turkish cuisine, how it was influenced by the various cultures and people that have occupied them or lived there, and how it's changed, yet stayed the same over the years, It talks about the various ingredients they use, and suggests substitutes for some of them that might be difficult to get. I found out about this book in a round about way, by getting a newsletter from The Splendid Table. One of the chefs that was featured referenced this book, telling how he found it at a used book store. Low and behold, I found it at our used book store. Maybe there's more out there. Some of the spices listed in the book are Allspice, cinnamon, Coriander, Cumin, Dill, Garlic, Parsley and Kirmizi Biber, which is a red pepper. The author explains, "In essence, kirmizi biber is a red pepper, a type of horn chilli (their spelling) that came originally from the New World, but has grown in Turkey for several centuries and is regarded with pride. In fact, you could say that it is the national spice." She does say that cayenne or paprika can be used as substitutes, but are not the same. I've made a couple of recipes from this book and enjoyed them both. Sally

hard boll makes meat tough. If you cook it for too many hours and hours it will disintegrate to just meat strings. I put mine into my Le C dutch oven with enough water to just cover and a quartered onion and the flavor packet....bring it to a simmer and put the whole thing into the oven at about 212 ( half way between 225 and 200) and cook it 4 or 5 hours. Then I take it out and put it on a burner and add my potatoes carrots and when they are nearly done 20 to 30 minutes, I add a quartered cabbage! Ummmm!!!!

There's a reason you cannot find a comparable cooker today. Those old cookers weren't safe. The problem is, those old cookers didn't get hot enough to cook food safely--so the newer ones are hotter to prevent the growth of bacteria. I don't think you're going to be able to find a new crockpot that cooks as slowly as those old ones do. And that's a good thing--your family's health is far more important. Look, why not adapt your crockpot recipes to FAST cooking. I haven't found a crock pot recipe yet that I can't convert into a 30 minute (or less) meal. The less time you run your appliances, the more energy $$$ you save. The faster you cook your food, the more nutrients and flavor you conserve. I'd rather cook 20-30 minutes in the evening, and serve my family healthy, fresh food, than save 5 minutes of my prep time and give them something that's been heating all day. Isn't that the complaint people generally have about cafeterias and other inexpensive restaurants? That the food has been sitting around and sitting around? If it's not good enough for you when you go out to eat, WHY would anyone consider that adequate for the family they love? Sorry, I get a little over-the-top about crockpots. It's such a wasteful (in so many ways) way to cook food, and I'm such a proponent of fresh, nutrient-packed dishes for my family, that I really become passionate when this topic comes up.

I agree, there's a difference in tender and falling apart. I've had brisket that comes apart in long shreds, but is still tough and chewy. Because I raise my own grass fed beef, there's no fat to speak of on the brisket, so I cook it in an enameled dutch oven for 6-8 hours or wrap it in foil and bake in a roasting pan for that time. My favorite brisket is actually a recipe from Carol/dishesdone, she posted it here years ago. I don't like beer, so I use root beer or gingerale, the kids like the sweetness anyway. Favorite Brisket 1 4-pound beef brisket kosher salt pepper 2 onions, thinly sliced into half moons (I use 3 large onions) 1/2 cup ketchup 1/2 cup prepared chile sauce (Heinz Chile Sauce - I use the whole bottle) 3 tablespoons brown sugar (I use a bit more) 6 cloves garlic, minced 1 12-ounce bottle beer Salt and pepper both sides of the meat. Place beef in a roasting pan. Cover with onion. Combine ketchup, chile sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and beer. Pour mixture over meat. Cover securely with foil. Bake at 300 degrees F for 4 hours or more until tender. Remove the meat from the pan, and puree the gravy with an immersion blender to thicken it up. Slice the meat against the grain, and return it to the gravy! Tastes even better the next day. Freezes well! I Sometimes I just puree half the onions because we like the onions. and most of the time I never even bother to puree it at all. It's great no matter how you do the gravy. Annie