Pressure cooking has always been something I wanted to try but, at the same time, it scared the living daylights out of me.
You may have heard the horror stories associated with pressure cookers; the fact that, if you didn't know what you were doing or if the cooker was somehow damaged, you risked an explosion. I've seen firsthand the damage that can result after a co-worker came to work, her face covered with bandages because her pressure cooker exploded in her face.
But they have come a long way in the past few years. So recently I got one, an electric one as opposed to a stove-top model, made by Tfal and costing around $100. I overcame my fear and entered the world of pressure cooking.
"Modern pressure cookers have additional safety features that you just can't find in vintage cookers, which is why I recommend to never try to refurbish Grandma's old cooker or a flea market steal. It's a romantic notion to bring one of these back into action, but it is not a safe thing to do," warns Laura Pazzaglia, author of two cookbooks, including "Hip Pressure Cooking: Fast, Fresh and Flavorful."
One of the top safety features on all modern pressure cookers is a locking lid that won't come off unless there is no pressure inside. It's a mechanical element on both stovetop and electric pressure cookers so, even if it's unplugged, the mechanism will work and keep the lid on, Pazzaglia explains.
"There are also redundant safety valves in addition to the main one that come into action in case the main valve becomes clogged and the cooker continues to build pressure," she says. "In addition to all of this, electric pressure cookers constantly measure the temperature inside and, if it's getting too hot too fast, which is indication of a clogged valve or burning food, they just turn themselves off."
But they're not foolproof. Pazzaglia says she's constantly surprised how many people bring pressure cookers and put them to use without reading directions first. Here are three main tips she offers:
* First tip: Read the manual.
* Second tip: Don't overfill the pressure cooker. For all pressure cooker sizes and types, never fill more than halfway with beans, rice or grains plus their cooking liquid or more than two-thirds for everything else.
* Third tip: Keep the valves on the lid clean and free of debris. Following the second tip ensures this.
With those tips in mind, I read my instruction manual, plugged my pressure cooker in and made a pot of chili, one of many good foods to make under pressure.
"If you can boil it, braise it or steam it, you can pressure cook it in about one-third the time," Pazzaglia says. "But for quick-cooking foods that usually just need browning in the pan such as stir fries, thin cutlets and crunchy vegetables, the pressure cooker is not going to work. In order for the cooker to reach pressure, the food inside needs to come to a boil first, and quick-cooking foods are usually already overcooked even before the cooker has time to build pressure."
For those looking for a way to eat more healthful foods, Pazzaglia has done some research and found that, because pressure cookers "flash cook" foods, more vitamins and minerals are preserved compared to microwaving, boiling or steaming. Here are some examples:
* Pressure-cooked broccoli retains 92 percent of its vitamin C, compared to 66 percent for boiled broccoli and 78 percent for steamed.
* Pressure cooking quinoa increases its antioxidant capacity by 33 percent over uncooked and 18 percent over conventionally cooked quinoa.
* Pressure-cooked potatoes converted more of their starch to resistant starch - the good starch that acts like fiber - than when they are boiled.
Pressure cooking is seeing a new generation of cooks enter its world, Pazzaglia says, and she's noticed an increase of visitors to her website, www.hippressurecooking.com.
"There's a growing tide of readers - many of them millennials - who are learning to cook with a pressure cooker. In response, my recipes have gotten simpler, with a focus on less prep and pomp, making them easier for new cooks and appreciated by busy cooks," she says. "Teaching a new generation to cook with this appliance is an exciting change to see, and a sign that the pressure cooker is on its way to being essential in every kitchen."
My Tfal cooker is very simple to use, has a delayed cooking feature that allows me to pressure cook without being there - something your Grandma's cooker never had - and, being electric, has much less of a learning curve than stovetop cookers.
There are many different brands of electric cookers, starting at around $50 on Amazon. They come in different sizes and different colors, some with more advance features than others. But one thing they all do the same: Cut your cooking time in half at least.
"The time savings opens up a whole new world of ingredients and techniques that were off the table simply because they took too long to even consider," Pazzaglia says.
Making creamy risotto has never been more simple. Here's how.
Mushroom Risotto
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
2 cups thinly sliced fresh mushrooms
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup white wine
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Select "Browning" program on the pressure cooker, place the oil in the pot. Add onion and brown for 4 minutes. Add the rice and mushrooms and brown for 1 minute more. Add stock and wine; close the lid and lock it. Select the "Rice" program and set the time for 6 minutes. Once it is finished, release the pressure. Open the cooker. Select the "Simmer" program and add the butter and cheese. Cook for an additional 3 minutes. Serve immediately.
Contact Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com.