Cookbook Review: The Great Big Pressure Cooker Book

The Great Big Pressure Cooker Book: 500 Easy Recipes for Every Machine, Both Stovetop and Electric
Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough
Clarkston Potter, 2015

If you've never tried one of the modern, electric pressure cookers, you're missing out! I got an Instant Pot for Christmas (2013), and it quickly became a workhorse in my kitchen. Brown rice is perfect every time, frozen chicken breasts become pulled chicken in a matter of minutes, and I can even program it to cook while we're out.

Not all pressure cookers are the same, so I was skeptical about a cookbook that could work for every machine. But The Great Big Pressure Cooker Book has worked like a charm for me every time so far!  Contents include Breakfast, Soups, Meat, Poultry, Fish/Shellfish, Vegetables/Beans/Grains, and Desserts sections. Some, like the Vegetables/Beans/Grains chapter are broken down into subsections.

The pressure cooker really shines in cooking whole grains (like the aforementioned brown rice), dried beans, and meats that benefit from long, slow cooking. So I eagerly tried some of those recipes; they worked well. And then I ventured into unknown territory: hard-boiled eggs (amazing!), ground turkey ziti casserole (kids loved it!), and mashed potatoes (yum!).

Each recipe comes with clear, specific directions for both stovetop and electric pressure cookers and testers' notes for possible substitutions, go withs, and tips. My biggest complaint is the binding of the book: it doesn't hold up well which is frustrating in a "working book" that needs to be able to hold its place and stand up to wear and tear.

All in all, if you're beginning to dabble in the vast pressure cooker trend, this is a worthy book to check out.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review