Super Crock-Pot

I studied the old stained crock pot with fresh perspective. My son had written a moving essay about his memories of the crock-pot and its magical properties for a college writing class. His memories were nostalgic and sentimental. I had never thought of the crock pot that way.

It was a nondescript almond color on the outside, streaked with permanent stains, with a burnt umber colored crockery liner. When it was new, it was cutting edge---there were two temperature settings and the liner was removable to make the odious clean up task easier. Rather an ugly specimen, I thought objectively. However, it was just the right size for a moderate recipe of just about anything, there were no cracks or missing pieces, and it worked. It was a wedding present some 28 years ago and had been used regularly all those years.

Crock pot cooking is to me a wonder of food science. Even the most distracted cook can make something tasty come out of it at the end of the day. With a little planning ahead, a downright amazing meal can be produced. The secret is in the long and slow aspect. Cold, greasy chunks of meat, inelegantly sliced onions, some bottled barbecue sauce, a little pepper, maybe some water to balance things out, all get dumped into the pot. Turn on the heat, put on the lid and go away for a long time and leave it alone. When you come home from wherever you have been all day, the smell of real food ready to eat can make you cry with hunger and anticipation. No need to stand in front of the freezer and ask what on earth you can possibly do with that enormous frozen solid chunk of beef in the next 45 minutes. From the cook’s point of view, the crock pot is a superhero of the mini-appliance world, a rescuer of meals, a deliverer of good and pure things to the table without last minute fuss and worry.

The crock pot concept is a microcosm of God’s work in our lives. We start out raw, rough, tough and unflavored. Through the persistent and gentle warmth of the spirit in our lives, the toughness of our self-dependence tenderizes, the individual flavors of our self-centeredness blend, the aromas of our gifts emerge---and we become a new entity, deliciously balanced, wonderfully flavored, ready for sharing.