Zimmerman - Instant Pot Obsession: The Ultimate Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook for Cooking Everything Fast

Copyright 2017 by Sonoma Press,

Berkeley, California

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Photography Melina Hammer,

ISBN: Print 978-1-94345-158-6 | eBook 978-1-94345-159-3

To Dave, my soul mate and kitchen partner. And to Adeena, Paul, and Katewish you were here to see your little sister get published.

CONTENTS

To say Im obsessed with kitchen equipment is the understatement of the year; its like saying Shakespeare wrote a couple of plays. My excuse is that I develop and write recipes for cookbooks and culinary classes, but the truth is my obsession started long ago, back when I worked in a cookware store. Acquaintances walking into our home kitchen are often dumbstruck when they see the wall of cookware: stainless steel and copper pots and pans, cast iron skillets, Dutch ovens, casserole and gratin dishes of all sizes. Then they turn and spy the wall of tools and appliances: mixers and food processors, spice grinders and mandolines, electric slicers, slow cookers, vacuum sealers, and sous vide circulators. (Its probably just as well that they dont know about the bakeware in the bedroom closet.)

Some kitchen passions prove to be mere infatuations that dont stand the test of time, but when I find a tool I like, I stick with it. I have two stove-top pressure cookers that Ive been using for years, and I was perfectly happy with them. But I kept hearing murmurs about the Instant Pot. Soon, friends in the food world werent only talking about it, they were gushing. Finally, one made its way to my countertop. I admit, I felt vaguely guilty, as if I were cheating on trusted friends.

But the Instant Pot has turned out to be more than a passing fancy. Not only does it pressure cook, but it can also function as a slow cooker, yogurt maker, and rice cooker. Its easy to use and about as hands-off as an appliance can bejust set it and walk away. Or (if youre like me) take some time to prep a few ingredients, set it and walk away, and then come back and do a little more work to finish a dish. Even when it doesnt save me much time, the fact that it doesnt require any attention can be just as helpful.

This incredibly popular electric pressure cooker fits into pretty much any cooking style, from quick and simple to time consuming and complex. Its great at one-pot meals but equally useful for preparing ingredients for future dinnersor breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and desserts.

Some home cooks use the appliance for a few tasks only, like tried-and-true soup or stew recipes, stocks and broths, or pot roast, all of which it excels at. But others have taken to it in a bigger way. These cooks wake up and think, What can I make in my Instant Pot? They use it every day, all day long. Its changed their cooking habits so much that they find themselves wishing they had two. So they buy another.

No matter which of these groups you belong to, this book will make you the master of your Instant Pot. If your use of it is limited to a couple of recipes, I will show you how much more it can do, and expand your repertoire to include cool, unexplored functions and tasty new dishes. If you already use it daily, I will provide you with tips and tricks to make it perform at its best (and possibly dispel some misconceptions), and help you prepare the best meals youve ever made.

Meanwhile, youll find me trying to explain the situation to my stove-top pressure cookers. Really, guys, I swear its not you.

Isnt it great when your obsessions turn out to be good for you? Thats the case for those of us who are obsessed with the Instant Pot. Even if youre not consciously trying to cook healthier meals, chances are excellent that its been a good influence. For some beginning cooks, this special pressure cooker has inspired them to cook from scratch for the first time ever. And theres no doubt that cooking from scratchusing fresh ingredients and having control over what goes into your dinneris a very healthy habit to form. For more experienced cooks, the time savings from cooking under pressure means that healthier meals are a possibility even on busy weeknights.

HOW MANY IS TOO MANY?

While an Instant Pot cant cook everything, the range of things it can do keeps us plenty busy. Often, the most challenging limitation is having only one! You want to make yogurt, but that means the pot will be tied up for dinner. Or youre making a main dish in the pot, and while you have a great side dish recipe for the pot, the timing doesnt work to cook them simultaneously. Does this sound familiar?