A Gift for the Cook Who Has Everything

Most people have someone on their Christmas list who is impossible to shop for. If that person enjoys cooking, let me offer a suggestion: a pressure cooker.

This may conjure images of your grandmother, but a pressure cooker is a great tool for people who are short on time and concerned about eating healthy. A pressure cooker works by trapping hot steam inside the cooker. Since the steam can’t escape, it builds pressure, and that pressure allows the cooking temperature to get much higher than it would under normal conditions. This means your food cooks faster. Food also retains more of its nutrients and flavor, so there’s no need for lots of salt.

Most modern pressure cookers have multiple safety features, such as a valve to make sure too much pressure doesn’t build up in the cooker. Still, it’s important to read the instruction manual before using it. “I look at a pressure cooker as an appliance,” says Nancy Becker, the Corporate Home Economist for National Presto Industries, which manufactured the cookers. “Any time you’re working with a new appliance there’s a learning curve on how to use it.” The manual will advise you about things such as how to check the vent pipe to make sure it is not blocked and how much to fill the cooker (never more than halfway).

You can make all kinds of things in a pressure cooker. Nancy recommends steaming corn on the cob in the pressure cooker. It takes 2-3 minutes and “the flavor is so intense,” she says. You can also cook squash (quartered, with the seeds removed) in about 10 minutes and artichokes in about 13 minutes. Dry beans cook in 25-35 minutes. You can even make desserts, such as bread pudding and cheesecake.

Roasts can cook in under an hour in a pressure cooker, which is a huge time savings. If the recipient of your gift wants to give that a whirl, try Garlic Studded Pork Loin with Vegetables, which comes from www.discoverpressurecooking.com.

I wanted a pressure cooker because you can use it to cook risotto. One of my favorite recipes is Lemon and Fava Bean Risotto. When fresh fava beans aren’t available I use frozen baby lima beans. Fresh or frozen asparagus spears are also great in this recipe.

Pressure cookers also save the home cook money by reducing cooking time. What could be better than the gift of time, money and good food this holiday season?

Garlic Studded Pork Loin with Vegetables
View at http://www.discoverpressurecooking.com/recipes/garlic_studded_pork_loin.html

Lemon and Fava Bean Risotto
Makes 4 servings
5 c. vegetable stock, divided
1 T. butter
1 T. olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
1 c. Arborio rice
¼ c. dry white wine
1 t. grated lemon zest
2 T. lemon juice
½ c. parmesan cheese
½ lb. cooked fava beans

Melt butter and oil in pressure cooker. Add shallot and cook 1-2 minutes. Add rice and stir for 2-3 minutes (each rice grain must be well coated in oil before you add any liquid). Add white wine and cook, stirring, until almost all the wine is absorbed. Add 4 c. stock and close cover securely.

Place pressure regulator on vent pipe. Cook 6 minutes with pressure regulator rocking slowly. Cool cooker at once. Make sure most of the liquid has been absorbed. If not, cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until liquid has absorbed. Test rice for doneness; it should be tender but not mushy. If needed, add additional stock, ¼ c. at a time, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until desired consistency is achieved.

Remove the pan from heat and add lemon zest, lemon juice, and parmesan cheese. Add beans and salt and pepper and stir gently. Serve immediately.