Electric pressure cookers have changed the face of home cooking, and they're more popular than ever, with more programmable options and different volume capacities and cooking programs. I admit that I love the convenience factor for myself and that you can add ingredients and come back to well cooked, tasty food that isn't overcooked or mushy. Especially with vegetables, overcooking destroys a lot of the nutritive value, so cooking more quickly is a definite benefit. This cookbook has one huge benefit for me, it's convenient. None of the recipes require more than 5 ingredients. At the end of a busy day of work, it's so great to be able to (mostly) pop ingredients into the cooker, program it, and come back to dinner.
The book's logical and appealing layout mean that recipes are easy to find by category. The introductory chapter ~17% of the content) covers some background, how to cook with an electric pressure cooker (it's much MUCH easier and safer than people think), an FAQ on pressure cooking, a little bit about protein and plant based diets, and other general info.
The main recipes are grouped by category: grains, legumes, soups/stews, pasta, veggies, holidays, and desserts. Additional resources and references, along with cooking measures and time charts are included at the back of the book. Each recipe includes serving yields, special notes (dairy-free, gluten-free, budget friendly, etc), and prep times. Recipe ingredients are listed bullet point style along with optional ingredients. All measurements are given in American standard measures only (there is a measurement conversion table included at the back of the book, but it's a hassle not to have them included). The directions are given step by step, numbered sequentially. The nutritional information is given in a footer under the recipes and includes calories, fat, protein, sodium, and fiber.
The recipes' ingredients are easily sourced and the resultant dishes are family friendly and appealing to kids and adults. My one small quibble with the book is that the recipes are mostly not photographed. There are some photos, and they're clear and attractive, but they represent about 5% of the recipes. Everything else is well done and I heartily recommend the book overall. There are a number of these recipes which have made it into my personal potluck recipe book of dishes to take to group dinners and family gatherings. The Pistachio-Apricot Quinoa is just a lovely dish full of bright flavors and textures and even picky eaters like it. It makes a really appealing side dish for non-vegetarian meals as well.
It's unclear from the publishing info available online, but the eARC I received has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references. I hope the ebook release version does also. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. Presumably that feature will carry through to the final release version.
Good recipes, full of hearty and satisfying food. The current pre-order price for the ebook is super reasonably priced. (Enough so that I ordered my own retail copy).
Five stars. I would recommend it for veg*n curious cooks and non-veg*ns for the side dishes and salads.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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