Emeril Lagasse - Emerils Cooking with Power: 100 Delicious Recipes Starring Your Slow Cooker, Multi Cooker, Pressure Cooker, and Deep Fryer

To my culinary dream team,

Im honored and humbled

by your continued dedication

to cook and create with me.

Thank you for all you do.

Everywhere I go, I run into folks who say, Emeril, I need some new ideas for my slow cooker. Or I bought a deep fryer but Im tired of the same old French fries. Cant you help me? Then theres What else can you cook in a rice/multi-cooker other than rice? Or Im scared of my pressure cooker. Do you have some recipes that will help me get used to it and also create delicious meals for my family? It has become a common theme: folks buy electric products to help them manage their time and cooking space better, but then they run out of ideas for new, exciting recipes.

Well, you know Im a guy who likes to make people happy. So Ive put my nose to the grindstone with this one and worked hard to come up with this collection of varied, approachable, and surprising recipes for four of the most commonly found kitchen electrics. Whether youve fallen out of love with your fryer, have a panic attack when attempting to use your pressure cooker, are tired of the same old, same old when you see your slow cooker on the shelf, or have recently acquired a multi-cooker and have no idea how or why to use it, I have assembled more than 100 recipes here for you to renew your connection (no pun intended) with your kitchen electrics.

Set It and Forget It! Whereas many suburban and rural Americans have enjoyed an affair with their slow cookers for years, its only recently that they have enjoyed increased popularity in urban settings as well. I am certain that this is due in large part to busier lives, longer workdays, and the fact that in most families today, at least two adults are working full-time. Gone are the days when most households included a member who stayed home to cook, clean, and generally take care of business while the kids were at school and another person worked to bring home the bacon.

Slow cookers make wonderful kitchen helpers in that you can set it and forget it and return hours later to a slowly cooked meal just waiting to be served up. The problem is that everyone knows how to do pot roast in a slow cooker, but what about Pot Roast Dianne? Or Artichokes la Barigoule? Even risotto!

Multi What? The multi-cooker is a relative newcomer to the land of kitchen electrics, but for those of you familiar with the superb results obtained when cooking rice in a rice cooker, the multi-cooker will blow you away. The Emeril by T-fal Multi-Cooker is a remarkable vessel in that it functions as a rice cooker, steamer, and slow cooker all in one, and you can saut right in the bowl. Some multi-cookers also have roasting programs. So, you can see that for folks with limited kitchen storage space, the multi-cooker can be the way to go. Hey, youll be amazed at what you can makeanything from a simple stir-fry to a cheesecake! Vegetable dishes, such as Creamed Spinach, Brussels Sprouts Amandine, and Wilted Escarole with Garlic and Crushed Red Pepper, are a breeze in the multi-cooker. Main courses, such as Pork Tenderloin with Spaghetti Squash, Turkey Meatballs, and Steamed Mussels with Fennel and Hot Italian Sausage, come together in no time. And dont forget dessert! The multi-cooker makes great puddings and stewed fruitshow do Smores Pudding, Drunken Cherries, or Coconut Cardamom Tapioca sound, just for starters?

So if youre like so many others and are looking for new, approachable, exciting ideas to bring to your family table, take a look inside. Go aheadform a bond with your electrics by cooking your way through these chapters. My hope is that what you find in these pages will be a springboard from which you can take inspiration and create your own unique recipes. As always, its all about food of love. Enjoy.

Better Under Pressure? The first commercial home pressure cookers made their debut back in the early 1900s and were very popular in the postWorld War II period. Though theyve gone in and out of fashion several times since, in recent years weve seen a revival of this incredible time-saving tool. But even though theyve been around for some time, and have been updated and made less frightening to use, you might be surprised at how many people are afraid of using pressure cookers.

Im here to tell you that if you adhere to the manufacturers directions and make sure that you properly close (and open) your pressure cooker, youll be astounded at the simplicity and speed at which this product functions. Dried beans can be cooked in as little as 15 minutes! Typically long-braised tough meats can be on the table in 45 minutes to an hour instead of the usual 3 to 4 hours. And dont get me started on vegetables! Largediced pumpkin cooks in 3 minutes. Most poultry dishes are done in 12 to 15 minutes. Its absolutely incredible. The pressure cooker is an indispensable tool for the busy family.

Fear of Frying! Electric fryers have taken the guesswork out of maintaining proper oil temperature, which is what ensures crisp, greaseless fried foods. Now everyone who owns one can make restaurant-quality fried food in their home kitchens without having to attach a cumbersome thermometer to the side of a pot. When purchasing an electric fryer, there are several key features to look for: a built-in oil filtration system, a timer, and at least several temperature settings. More wattage means quicker heat-up. A removable cover means that you can store the oil in the fryer between uses, and some are even vented for splatter-free frying with the lid on. Also, make sure that you purchase a fryer that is the appropriate size for your needs. While folks who live alone or fry infrequently might be able to get away with a tiny fryer, most families will need a fryer that will hold at least 3 quarts of oil so that they can easily feed the entire family at once.

We tested all of the recipes in the fryer section of this book using the Emeril by T-fal Deep Fryer with Integrated Oil Filtration. If your fryer has slightly different temperature settings, simply select the one that is closest to the one recommended here and use common sense to adjust the cook times slightly.

The Slow Cooker:
Set it and forget it!

The Multi-Cooker:
A lean, mean all-purpose machine

The Pressure Cooker:
Everythings better under pressure

The Deep Fryer:
Straighten up and fry right

Slow-Cooked Barbecued Baby Back Ribs

All the recipes in this chapter were tested in the Emeril Slow Cooker by T-fal. Its a 6-quart slow cooker with a removable ceramic bowl. Although it has several unique features, the recipes here will work in any 6-quart slow cookerjust note that the cook times may need to be adjusted slightly, since every slow cooker has minor variations in temperature settings.