A slow cooker, also called a Crock-Pot®, is a cooking device consisting of a pot (typically 10 in (25 cm) across and similarly high) made of fired clay and usually glazed, surrounded by a housing, usually metal, containing a thermostatically controlled electric heating element. The ceramic pot, often referred to as a crock, acts as both a cooking container and a heat reservoir. Many slow cookers have two settings for power. Slow cookers have loosely fitting lids (often of glass or similar material) to retain moisture and heat.

Cooking in these appliances is done at atmospheric pressure since the lid is not pressure-tight (and indeed is 'sealed' only by condensed vapors and gravity); thus, as long as liquid (usually water, stock, wine or a mixture) remains in the pot, internal temperatures can go no higher than the boiling point of the fluid (212°F or 100°C for water at sea level). The physics of boiling prohibit a temperature of the contents above the boiling point while there is still liquid changing into vapor (most of which condenses back into the crock and so returns moisture to the contents). In this respect, a slow cooker is very different from a pressure cooker, which, though it also cooks using vapor, has both elevated pressures (steam in this case) and temperatures. There is some danger of explosion from the increased pressure, which is why maintenance of the pressure relief valve is critical for pressure cookers; in contrast, no correctly used slow cooker can explode since no increase in internal pressure occurs. The outside temperature of a slow cooker can be expected to exceed the boiling point of water to facilitate heat transfer to the crock and to the food.

In use, the food is placed inside the pot and covered with liquid, the lid is applied, and the unit is switched on. Cooking times vary with the recipe and with the food quantity, but are typically several hours. Temperatures are low compared to traditional ovens used for broiling (typically 600°F or 320°C or higher) and baking (typically 300 to 500°F or 150 to 260°C). Cooking is sufficiently slow that, if the food is not removed promptly at the specified time, little harm is done.

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L.A. Times - Food & Dining

Recipe: Spicy mac and cheese
Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700
Dear SOS: This past week I dined at the Purple Palm restaurant in the Colony Palms Hotel in Palm Springs. One of their appetizers is "Spicy Macaroni and Cheese." It's nothing like any mac and cheese I've ever eaten. Every mouthful was an adventure. Unfortunately, once my dinner guest tasted it, I was forced to share more than I wanted to. If you could rustle up this recipe, it would be a great addition to my summer barbecues.
Somen: Chilled, the Japanese noodles are a summer delight
Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700
The Japanese eat the wheat noodles out of an ice-water bath, with a variety of condiments. Go ahead and slurp. "When I slurp a bowl of somen noodles it becomes a summer breeze."
The sweet dream team
Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700
Fresh homemade cookies sandwiched with your favorite ice cream: Is there a more scrumptious summer treat? Slap a generous scoop of ice cream between two cookies, tidy up the edges and pop the whole thing in the freezer until it firms up. How difficult can it really be to make a great ice cream sandwich?

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