Cookaholics Bulletin Board

All,

So, as the proud (?) owner of a new Elite 6qt Electric Pressure cooker, I'm looking for some help on how to use it. Does anyone have cookbook recommendations, or even good online resources? The one I've found (and already reserved at the library) is Lorna Sass's vegetarian pressure cooker book. But others are welcome.

I simply adapt recipes for the PC. I've found most of the cookbooks dedicated to pressure cooking are mediocre.

Amy

Amy,

What I'm really looking for is reasonable ratios and times for things, I guess. That is, if I'm doing brown basmati rice in the PC, how much stock do I add and how long do I cook it? Should I be adding more or less of which spices than I would in a conventional pot? Etc. So not so much a book of recipes as a book of formulas.

I have several books. My personal favoritesare "New Pressure Cooker Cookbook" by Pat Daily and Miss Vickie's cookbook.

I have Pressure Perfect from Lorna Sass. She gives times for unsoaked beans, which is one of the reasons I got this book. For black bean soup she says 25 mins at high pressure.

I like the book because she includes simple timing charts for different meats, veggies, grains, and beans as well as several variations for most recipes. This allows me the basic knowledge I am lacking on timing which lets me adapt my own recipes.

--Lisa

I also never soak my beans, but I don't go anywhere near 25 minutes for black beans. More like 19 minutes.

Amy

Try this site: http://www.hippressurecooking.com

Also, I just downloaded Kuhn Rikhon's app which seems ok. Lorna Sass has pretty reliable times, I think she probably just cooked black beans for soup longer. I do about 12. When in doubt, do less time and you can always put it on a minute or too more. I generally take one of my recipes, find something similar on hip PC site or Lorna Sass and then take my cues for time and liquid from there. You should also up the spice a tiny bit.

Try CI's risotto recipe, I do every risotto that way now.

Mary

Josh,

It also makes a big difference on timing if you're doing natural or quick release.

Nothing is all that "right" in terms of times...a lot of variables are in play.

Amy

Josh, did you get that particular model after looking at reviews, etc., or was that just the one that Santa selected? I've wanted to get a PC for everyday cooking for ages (only have the huge canner PC right now) but every time I've looked at the various smaller models I get overwhelmed as far as which one would be best without spending an arm and a leg.

Thanks.

Emilie

Fuzzy,

You may want to check what high pressure is in your cooker. Iirc, electric cookers often do not reach the 15psi that is high pressure for a stovetop model, which will affect cooking times (and may render cookbooks not that helpful if they are designed for 15psi).

I have yet to find a book that I love. I have Lorna Sass' books but she tends to take classic recipes and alter them in ways I wish she wouldn't (as I am usually aiming for the classic version). I have not had much luck with any of the recipes I have tried from my other books. Now I usually use the Kuhn Rikon chart that Mary posted here for me and adapt recipes that I like. You need to reduce the liquid quite a bit, plus I find that the concentration of flavour isn't there the way it would be if the sauce was slowly reducing in a traditional braise. I haven't found a good work around that yet.