Hirschfeld - Idiots Guides: Pressure Cooking

Pressure
Cooking by Tom Hirschfeld A member of Penguin Random House LLC
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First American Edition, 2015
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Introduction During the 6 months it took me to write this book, I cooked almost exclusively with pressure cookers. Previously, I had used my pressure cooker on a fairly regular basis, but far from daily. Now that the book is just about finished, I wonder if I can go back to traditional cooking. At the same time I have to ask myself, Why would I? A pressure cooker can cook almost anything.

It handles some ingredients better than others, but the array of foods that cook better under pressure is amazing. Ill never again cook a pork loin in anything but a pressure cooker. Custards and cheesecake will be baked under pressure from here on out. Rice? Never again in a rice cooker, when the texture of pressure cooked grains is superior. And in the pressure cooker, old-fashioned southern cornbread develops a wonderful crumb and stays so moist. Pressure cookers also are efficient.

They require less energy than traditional cooking methods, and they take about a third the time necessary for other methods. And despite the general fear of pressure cookers over the years, theyre actually quite safe. Thanks to advances in safety, technology, and precision manufacturing, modern pressure cookers are virtually foolproof. With multiple valves to release pressure and the knowledge that the rubber gasket is meant to release steam if pressure becomes too high, you can set aside your worries. Full of fresh, whole food ingredients, the recipes in this book are a compilation of classic American comfort foods and international classics, from beef brisket to Caribbean curried chicken to French crme brle. Theres lots to choose fromand to keep you from ever becoming bored with making dinner again.

You can use either a traditional stovetop pressure cooker or a more modern electric pressure cooker, and instructions for both are given in each recipe. Cooking times, temperatures, and techniques can differ by type of cooker, so be sure to read and follow the recipe closely, understanding that times may vary. The users manual for your specific cooker is a good reference, so familiarize yourself with it if you havent already. And note that the cook time in all the recipes is the pressure cook time. Any other cooking called for is incorporated in the prep time. Acknowledgments I have to say thanks to all those who put up with my incessant talk about how amazing pressure cooking is, about my discoveries each day, and why they should buy a pressure cooker. Acknowledgments I have to say thanks to all those who put up with my incessant talk about how amazing pressure cooking is, about my discoveries each day, and why they should buy a pressure cooker.

But most importantly, I say thanks to my wife, Amy, and my daughters, Vivian and Lynnie, who were my taste-testers and had very strong opinions about which recipes were best and should be included in the book. To my father, thanks for watching the girls so I could work, and to my mother, thanks for being a good cook yourself. Lastly, thanks to all those in the food industry, chefs, line cooks, servers, and dishwashers, who do a thankless job day in and day out, so that when I dont feel like cooking, I dont have to. Special thanks to the technical reviewerIdiots Guides: Pressure Cooking was reviewed by an expert who double-checked the accuracy of whats presented here to help us ensure making mouthwatering meals in your pressure cooker is as easy as it gets. Special thanks are extended to Joseph Ewing, RD, LDN. How Pressure Cooking Works Versatile, easy-to-use pressure cookers enable you to create fresh, whole-food dishes quickly.

Pressure cooking isnt a shortcut but rather a time- and energy-efficient cooking method that produces nutritious, delicious dishes. Faster cooking It doesnt matter whether you use a traditional stovetop pressure cooker or a more modern electric versionthe science is the same. Rather than boiling food, a pressure cooker uses pressurized heat to cook. Liquid under pressure becomes hotter than normal; as the pressure inside the cooker rises, the temperature of the liquid rises, tooup to 250F (120C). A pressure cooker is similar to a steam oven, but because a cooker heats at the same temperature on all sides, it cooks foods very evenlyand in about a third of the time of traditional cooking methods! Safer than ever Scientifically, pressure cookers work the same as they always have, but technologically, todays cookers are safer than ever. Thanks to the creation of spring-loaded pressure valves and precision manufacturing methods, the days of lids screwed down with bolts and clogged steam valves are no more.