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Swan Valley Slow Food And Wine Festival Cancelled 'a Tough Decision, But The Responsible One'

The organising committee of the Swan Valley-based Slow Food and Wine Festival has made the "tough decision" to cancel the event just days before it was due to take place.

The festival was due to take place this weekend and was designed to bring together Noongar culture and traditions along with the influence from Croatian and Italian settlers that together have shaped the Swan Valley.

The event was planned to kick off with an immersive six-course dinner and was going to feature tastings from local winemakers Talijancich, Local Weirdos, Vino Volta and Swan Valley Wines.

"This special event is a celebration of what we value most - heritage, sustainability, and community - brought to life through local wine, traditional foods, and rich cultural stories." Event organisers posted on Instagram last week.

A spokesperson from the organising committee said that cancelling it was a tough decision, but the responsible one, as the event wasn't financially viable.

"We understand everyone's disappointment, and we're disappointed ourselves, but it would be fiscally irresponsible to continue and run the festival," a spokesperson said.

However, event organisers remain committed to the future of the festival and plan to re-introduce the festival next year.

"We remain optimistic for the future and believe that we have the basis for a unique festival that showcases the culinary essence of the Swan Valley.

"We will regroup and start planning the 2026 Slow Food and Wine Festival."

Ticket purchasers will receive a full refund and the Swan Valley Slow Food Convivium will look ahead to the Slow Olive Festival featuring talks and tastings on May 25.

People Of UW: Slow Food Co-executive Directors Talk Building Community Over Food

Photo Courtesy Celeste Kim, Slow Food

Editor's note: People of UW is a human interest series produced by Badger Herald staff members. The series aims to highlight a student or student group at the University of Wisconsin making an impact on the campus community. These Q&As are lightly edited for clarity and style.

Tell me about yourselves. What are you studying at UW, and what draws you to those fields?

Stigler: I'm Graham Stigler, and I'm a senior at UW studying economics and biology. They're pretty different, but I think having the two fields has helped balance my college experience.

Kim: My name is Celeste Kim, I'm a senior majoring in dietetics and nutritional science. I also have certificates in science communication and leadership. My major has really shaped my interests with food — that's why I got involved with Slow Food, just to learn more about the local food systems and sustainability surrounding food and just how to cook food overall.

What is Slow Food, for people who don't know?

Stigler: Slow Food is a student-run meal and information service that aims to provide good, clean, fair, fun food for all members of the Madison community. We try to make sure our food is sourced sustainably from people that use sustainable farming practices. We want to make sure that we're going with local farmers, so we can give an accurate representation of what's being made in the community. We want the food to be healthy and culturally appropriate and respectful, so we try to show a lot of people different foods from different cultures while also staying true to how they would be served there. And then we want to make them accessible, cheap enough and available for anyone that they can get a meal with no questions asked.

Kim: The ways that we do this is through our partnerships with local farmers, and really emphasizing sustainability in all our practices, and trying to create a really inclusive and fun environment for all of our interns and any volunteers or guests who visit our space, which is located in the basement of the The Crossing Campus Ministry. We use the food we provide as a way to promote connection between people. We also do a lot of collaborations with other organizations on campus.

What is the importance of what Slow Food does for the UW and greater Madison communities?

Kim: With our meal services, we aim to provide a healthful and nutritionally balanced meal made from really fresh and local ingredients to just provide a really accessible meal for everyone. We try to keep our meal cost very cheap so that students who are on a budget can come in and enjoy a full plate of food to help nourish them. We try to lay out our tables to make it so that you can meet new people, and to foster new connections and really connect over the food. It's not just exclusive to students — we have regulars within the community who are like older and just always come to the meals. It's always so amazing to see them want to learn more about what the students are doing. We also have partnerships with Badger Rock Middle School and Lincoln Elementary School, where we do weekly nutrition education sections with the kids and give the kids snacks . It's about teaching them about good, clean food in their area — it's a really fun time. It's really awesome seeing the impact — people continuously bringing new people into our space, seeing them always come back. 

How can students get involved with Slow Food?

Stigler: Attending the meal services — they're open for everyone always. We host Family Dinner Night Mondays at 6:30 p.M., and a Cafe Lunch Wednesdays at 12 p.M. We also have some other events which we post about on Instagram. Volunteering, where you can help cook a meal, is also a good way to get involved — you just sign up once or however many times you want and come to help with the next week's meal service. We also have internships that accept applications on a rolling basis, but mainly at the end of each semester. We allow for half year and full year commitments, and have directors of our different departments ranging from elementary education to running Instagram posts to running the finances.

What is your favorite part about working with Slow Food?

Stigler: Originally, I started doing the finances for Slow Food and was learning a lot, but then I started learning more about marketing and management and things like that. I've learned a lot about working in kitchens, reading emails — it's really fun to learn and have people teach you. I also really enjoy the community aspect, everyone is so dedicated, it's insane. It's super inspiring and really makes you feel like you're doing something because other people are putting so much effort into it.

Kim: Learning from everyone's experiences and having a sense of community. Being able to walk into the kitchen and see all my friends and everyone has a common interest — the love for Slow Food, cooking and sustainability. Everyone helps each other out and it's a really wholesome environment. I also love how you can see a physical representation of all the hard work and dedication our interns put in through the impact in our community.

Courtesy Celeste Kim, Slow Food

What is your favorite meal Slow Food has served?

Stigler: The first meal I had at Slow Food — it was a chickpea and kale salad. I was having it with my now-roommate.

Kim: We had beauty heart radishes. We cut into heart shapes, pickled them, and served them with a Japanese curry to create an inviting dish for Valentine's Day. It was just so amazing and everyone loved the food.

Courtesy Celeste Kim, Slow Food

17 Cozy Comfort Foods You Can Make In A Slow Cooker

Updated 2025-01-10T14:21:31Z

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A slow cooker or Crock-Pot can be a valuable yet underutilized tool in your kitchen.

A slow cooker can make many cozy comfort foods, from stews to simple soups and roasted meats.

Meats like brisket and short ribs become tender when made in a slow cooker.

There's nothing better than coming home to the comforting aroma of beef stew or pasta sauce simmering in a Crock-Pot, especially on those particularly cold winter days.

As the weather turns cooler, it's the perfect time to bring out your Crock-Pot or slow cooker to prepare hearty meals that cook on their own during the workday.

Business Insider spoke with chefs and cookbook authors about their favorite comforting slow-cooker meals, from hearty beef stews and chowders to brisket, and researched celebrity chef's go-to Crock-Pot dishes. 

Here are 17 cozy comfort-food dishes you can make in a slow cooker, according to chefs.

Stew is one of those slow-cooker meals where you can practically toss in the ingredients and walk away. Beef stew. Erin McDowell/Business Insider

Beef, turkey, or chicken stew is a perfect stick-to-your-bones meal during the cold winter and fall months.

"Beef stew is really nice in the slow cooker," Laidlaw said. "That's something I grew up on with the slow cooker, and it's just as good today."

But stew is also hassle-free.

"Slow cookers are perfect in the winter for soups and stews," Laidlaw said. "The best part is that you can set it in the morning and walk away."

Corn chowder is another simple meal you can make with a few inexpensive ingredients. Corn chowder soup with bacon. Anna Puzatykh/Shutterstock

If you make this chowder in the fall, you can use in-season fresh corn as is suggested in this celebrity chef-approved Martha Stewart recipe, found on the chef's website.

However, you can also take the easy route by choosing canned corn from the store. The chowder is flavorful yet light and uses heartwarming ingredients like heavy cream, bacon, and baby red potatoes.

Brisket is another meat that becomes super tender in a slow cooker. Brisket. IStock / Getty Images Plus

Laidlaw's recipe for slow-cooked braised brisket includes garlic, onion, dry red wine, carrot, and chicken or beef stock, with a chimichurri sauce.

"Brisket is a natural partner for the slow cooker, as a gentle braise renders it meltingly tender," Laidlaw writes in "Everyday Slow Cooking."

Ribs can also be made in a Crock-Pot. Barbecue ribs. David P. Smith/Shutterstock

"Ribs do really well in the slow cooker, and you can always stick them under the broiler in the end to crisp them up," Laidlaw said.

Bolognese sauce is another great way to utilize your Crock-Pot. Bolognese. Piyato/Getty Images

"Bolognese is great because you can cook it for a long time," Laidlaw said. "You just have to remember that the sauce doesn't evaporate the same as it would if you were doing it on the stove. You definitely need to compensate and put less liquid in the pot if you're using a slow cooker."

You can also make mac and cheese in a slow cooker. Martha Stewart slow cooker mac and cheese. Erin McDowell/Business Insider

Celebrity chef Martha Stewart's recipe for slow-cooker mac and cheese is not only easy to make but super delicious and perfect for the fall and winter seasons.

"It is important to use pungent cheeses, such as sharp cheddar, mixed with a little Gruyere or pecorino Romano for extra bite, since the white sauce and pasta will absorb a lot of flavor," Stewart writes.

Chicken stock and broth are two kitchen staples you can make in a Crock-Pot. Chicken broth. Andrew Thomas Lee/Clarkson Potter Publishers

Hugh Acheson's slow-cooker chicken broth is pretty simple — all you'll need is a whole chicken, salt, garlic cloves, white onions, carrots, celery, and a few seasonings to taste. 

You can find the full recipe for Acheson's chicken broth in his book, "The Chef and the Slow Cooker."

You can also make chicken soup in a slow cooker. Thai chicken soup. Andrew Thomas Lee/Clarkson Potter Publishers

"A simple soup with Thai chilis, coconut milk, and lime is just wickedly good," Acheson said.

The recipe for Acheson's slow cooker chicken soup with chiles, coconut milk, and lime can be found here on Garden & Gun. Or, if you're feeling a little more adventurous, Acheson also said a slow cooker is a perfect way to make delicious chicken and dumplings.

Meatballs are another warming meal to make in a slow cooker. Meatballs. Anewlifephotostudio/Getty Images

Acheson points out that not only are meatballs, like the veal meatballs he includes in his book, easy and delicious to make, but they're a comforting, kid-friendly option you can make in a slow cooker.

"Slow cookers are not necessarily the best tool for cooking for one — they work so much better for nourishing an entire family," he said.

Acheson said his go-to slow-cooker meal on a winter's day is lentil soup with a little sour cream. Lentil soup. Andrew Thomas Lee/Clarkson Potter Publishers

"I usually go for something that won't take too long," Acheson said. "Usually, I go for a lentil soup with Tuscan kale and a little sour cream and herbs on top. To me, that's the type of food you want as you're watching the snow fall down."

The recipe for Acheson's lentil soup with Tuscan kale can be found here on Cup of Jo.

Acheson also points out that large batches of soup are great for the next day.

Braised and pulled chicken is another great way to use your Crock-Pot. Chicken cheese sliders roll made with pulled chicken, tomato sauce, and Mozzarella. AS Foodstudio/Shutterstock

One of the benefits of using a slow cooker is starting with a basic protein and jazzing it up.

From Mexican food-inspired spices to Indian simmer sauces, there are tons of ways to transform simple braised or pulled chicken dishes into something show-stopping.

This recipe from Delish tells you how to make slow-cooker barbecue pulled chicken.

Pork shoulder is a slow-cooker staple you can use in a number of dishes. Ingredients for pulled pork in a slow cooker. Corners74/Shutterstock

"One dish I think is so versatile is pork shoulder in a slow cooker with broth and a little salt and pepper," Laidlaw said. "I just braise that and then you can turn into so many different things."

Laidlaw explained that using a pork shoulder, you can make everything from pulled-pork sliders to carnitas tacos or burritos.

You can also prepare a leg of lamb in the slow cooker, but you might want to sear it first. Leg of lamb. SteAck/Shutterstock

"Leg of lamb is so good as it breaks down in the slow cooker," Acheson said. "Cooking in the slow cooker and then finishing another way is going to make sure your meat is at its best. Whether that means re-searing the meat or throwing it under the broiler, you might want to think about other steps to really finish off your meal."

Laidlaw added, "Recipes that have you throw everything in without any prep ahead are not nearly as good or as flavorful as the ones that do. Taking ten minutes to brown the meat before you put it in or getting the onions started goes a long way to making your meals more delicious."

You can also make poached or braised fish in the slow cooker. Poached salmon with fennel and lemon. Candice Bell/Shutterstock

"It's really about rethinking recipes and figuring out how to do it in the slow cooker," Acheson said.

One of the "best recipes" Acheson said he uses from his book is one for a braised catfish stew, the recipe for which can be found on Garden & Gun.

"It's got this long-cooking, beautiful broth that's just a vision at the end," he told Business Insider. "It's got chilies, peppers, and mace — big flavors. It just works perfectly. When slow cooking, you really want to choose a dish that works well simmering potentially all day."

Goat shoulder is another delicious meal you can make in a Crock-Pot. Goat shoulder. Andrew Thomas Lee/Clarkson Potter Publishers

"These days, goat shoulder doesn't have that gamey taste it might have had before," Acheson said. "When you're talking about cooking a large piece of meat, a slow cooker is a great place to start."

You can even make a comforting dessert like cheesecake in a Crock-Pot. Cheesecake. John Kernick/Williams Sonoma

One of the desserts Laidlaw includes in her book "Everyday Slow Cooking" is for gingersnap-brandy cheesecake, which would be perfect as a treat on a cold day or even a holiday dessert.

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