Product Description

This book provides 225 dishes that are simple to prepare, cook in as little as 15 minutes, and retain all the natural nutrients that can be lost with other cooking methods.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #517718 in Books
• Published on: 2003-04-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 368 pages

From Publishers Weekly
As Wise notes in a thorough introduction that covers general methods, the pressure cooker is a time-saver; she then offers a nice range of recipes, from a relatively simple Trout … la Vapeur with Toasted Almonds and Parsley Sauce to a more complex Salmon Terrine with Asparagus Tip and Spinach Root Garnish that is packed into a loaf pan and steamed. However, Wise (who was the first chef at Chez Panisse) often undermines that savings in time. For example, a recipe for beef broth calls for roasting the bones for 30 minutes before cooking the broth. Other recipes simply would be almost as quick when prepared using normal stovetop methods, like a Spring Spinach and Scallion Soup that takes six to seven minutes to come to pressure, then sits for eight minutes as the pressure escapes. The pressure cooker works best for braised dishes such as Chicken Marengo with Porcini-Topped Fried Bread Rounds and Rabbit with Fennel Seed, Parsnip, and Prunes in Brandy Cream, but perhaps is not the optimal choice for delicate vegetables such as Asparagus with Shallot, Lemon, and Olive Oil Dressing. While the writing in their headers tends to be awkward (Chilled Potato Soup Mexican-style with Cantaloupe and Toasted Almonds begins: "It was the gazpacho in Grenada that showed, in the right setting at the right time, cold soup is an oxymoron of a notion but a lilt in the day's repasts"), the recipes themselves are clear and simple.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Wise is the author and coauthor of numerous other cookbooks, including The Well-Filled Microwave Cookbook. Here she provides dozens of recipes for today's "100% Safe" pressure cookers, from streamlined versions of pot roast to more contemporary, elegant dishes such as Pheasant Braised with Walnuts and Shallots. There are stews of all sorts, or course, but there are also quick (no-stir) risottos, vegetable dishes ranging from Baby Artichokes and Two Sauces to an easy Ratatouille, preserves like Green Tomato Chutney, and even desserts. A good companion to Lorna Sass's now-classic Cooking Under Pressure and its follow-up, The Pressured Cook, this is recommended for most collections.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Cooks today are rediscovering the pressure cooker. It's fast, simple to operate, uses less energy, doesn't require special hookups, and doesn't use up valuable counter space since it can be slipped into the cupboard when not in use. Modern pressure cookers are safe, even when abused. Victoria Wise has assembled a new collection of recipes for this old appliance in The Pressure Cooker Gourmet. Her recipes include some expected dishes as well as some surprises. She, along with other pressure-cooker advocates, recommends the speed of cooking risotto in the pressure cooker to avoid the traditional method's constant stirring. Wise creates a salmon and asparagus terrine in her pressure cooker, noting that wrapping it well serves to keep the hot steam from waterlogging the final product. She uses similar close-wrapping techniques to produce desserts on the order of cheesecakes. Anyone committed to serving nontraditional foods fast and easy will find new ideas aplenty here. Mark Knoblauch
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Customer Reviews

Old World Flavor in a Fraction of the Time!!!
The pressure cooker is making a comeback after years of disfavor. The old jiggle top units that could be opened and could cause severe burns are pretty much a thing of the past. Coincidentally, as people have less time to spend in the kitchen, the pressure cooker has come back to center stage. For people still a little leery of using one, this book will allay your fears. Victoria Wise discusses thoroughly the hows, the do's and dont's and generally instructs the reader in the proper and successful use of this versatile appliance.

The Pressure Cooker Gourmet includes recipes for soups, meat, poultry, fish, grains, vegetables, legumes, sauces and of course desserts. Although there are photographs of the finished recipes, the reader will delight in the many tips, subtitutions and suggestions that accompany many of the recipes. You will also appreciate the index of recipes with page numbers, that appear at the beginning of each chapter.

Being a poultry fan, I loved the Coq au Vin. The wine sauce was thicker than I ever remember from another method and the blend of herbs and spices was intensified by the increased pressure.

And if you can't resist a moist and rich cheesecake, try the Cheesecake with Mascarpone Cheese in Chocolate Cookie Crust. I had never tried Mascarpone (a very creamy cream cheese) and it, combined with the moist heat of a pressure cooker, was sinfully delicious.

I'm still experimenting with the recipes and there are a lot of them! It takes some 'old time' recipes and applies 21st century flavors and technology to help rekindle our culinary past. As you might imagine, I love this book and you will too! Buy it!!

great book
I went to the bookstore and skimmed *all* of the pressure cookbooks they had (about 10 different authors). I found this one to be just the right mix between simple, everyday food and gourmet, international specialties. Also, you get many recipes in one book - more than most of the other books had. I made the split pea soup the other night - easy, quick, tasty, and HEALTHY.

Will prove a real time saver when serving up dishes
The Pressure Cooker Gourmet showcases 225 superbly presented recipes and instructions by Victoria Wise for today's safe and easy-to-use pressure cookers that will please any palate and satisfy any appetite. From Cream of Tomato Soup; Black Pepper Pot Steak with Shallots and Spicy Red Wine Gravy; American All-Beef Meat Loaf; and Duck with Green Olives, Turnips, and Turnip Greens; to Baby Artichokes and Two Sauces; Zucchini Stuffed with Spinach, Cream Cheese, and Pine Nuts; Omi's Chickpeas with Lime and Onion Ring Topping; and Chevre Rosemary Popover Pudding, The Pressure Cooker Gourmet will prove a real time saver when serving up dishes that would grace any family meal or special celebratory dining event!