Pressure Cooking for Everyone

While pressure cookers have been around for years, the new generation of quieter, safer and more efficient cookers is part of the inspiration for this collaborative cookbook. The book re-introduces this amazing appliance as a means of delivering a broad range of gourmet cuisine in a fraction of the time normally required, without sacrificing flavor or elegance. Authors Rodgers and Ward also point out the energy efficiency of shorter cooking times and the many health benefits of this versatile tool, noting that vegetables in particular lose fewer vitamins, retain their color and typically require less salt. The recipes, which emphasize simple, wholesome ingredients, are often variations on traditional dishes: hearty standards like 15-minute Garlic Mashed Potatoes, lighter fare such as 11-minute Tomato Basil Pasta, and Lamb Chops Dijonaise. Ward especially promotes made-from-scratch preparations, with numerous recipes for soups and stocks that have a more intense flavor for being homemade. Some of the recipes are of a newer breed: surprisingly delicate desserts such as Apricot Cheesecake and Ginger Cr me Br l e can be made perfectly in the steamy interior. Not promoting instant cooking, the authors rather reconceptualize a very practical kitchen appliance. (Jan. 1)