Want to go to India, China or Italy without even stepping outside? Bring the flavors of the world to your stovetop with Judtih Finlayson’s unfathomably fabulous new cookbook, The 150 Best Slow Cooker Recipes. Believe me when I say you’ll be glad you took a peek.

Undeterred by the lack of slow cooking pots in Germany, we tackled a few recipes over the weekend. No matter which page I flung open, the bright, inviting images and easy-to-make recipes brought delight, not despair, as I made a note to upgrade my spice rack and delve into the mysteries of slow cooking. The red lentil dish I whipped up was refined by my husband’s mastery when it was time to eat it the next day. In fact, we completely forgot to make any main dish with it. It was that delicious!

The book is well-organized into your typical categories of appetizers, fondues, soups, meat, fish, poultry dishes and so on. The imagery makes your mouth water!

For those of you without a crockpot or some other slow cooking crockery, never fear! Most of the ingredients can be cooked at the regular temperature and speed by altering how high the heat is on your stove.

Slow cooking is a great way to prepare fresh meals without the haste or waste. With helpful sidebar tips for halving recipes