From Publishers Weekly
No one else works wonders with a pressure cooker as does Sass (Cooking Under Pressure). In this collection of expert recipes for one-dish meals, she turns away from her vegetarian-specific recipes to create an appealing overview of the world's cuisines. Not only are today's pressure cookers not the sputtering, sometimes explosive devices of the past, but Sass's recipes are not the usual monochromatic, single-flavored one-dish meals. Beef Stewed in Coconut Milk with Rice Noodles and Green Beans is colorful and spicy; meatballs and tiny pasta bob along in Italian Wedding Soup. Although the ingredients are cooked together in a single pot, they are sometimes separated after cooking for greater variety in texture. For example, the recipe for Short Ribs in Pasta Sauce with Olives and Parmesan Potatoes calls for removing the cooked potatoes and mashing them, then serving them as a bed for the ribs. Unusual combinations such as Asturian Beans and Clams, with saffron and kale, are as tempting as the heartier Pork with Sauerkraut, Mushrooms and Potatoes. Even when Sass falls back on old favorites, she adds little touches to make them new: Split-Pea Vegetable Soup is topped with a mint cream made with sour cream or yogurt, and Provencal Vegetable Soup receives a few tablespoons of Pernod. Tips for using and storing pressure cookers and recipes for such basics as broth, beans and grains make this collection complete. Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
Sass is probably right to emphasize "100% safe" in her subtitle?some cooks still have visions of exploding pressure cookers. However, that is not a danger with the newer cookers (and rarely was with older models) and should not keep home cooks from trying Sass's quick-and-easy imaginative recipes for one-pot meals. Author of the excellent Cooking Under Pressure (LJ 11/15/89), among many other titles, Sass has an engaging, no-nonsense style and offers many tips and variations for her wide-ranging recipes. Recommended for most collections.Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Book Description
The follow-up to Cooking Under Pressure, the classic and bestselling book on the topic, this is Lorna Sass's first new pressure-cooker cookbook in nine years. These seventy-five delicious recipes, perfect for the single person or the family on the go, can be prepared in the pressure cooker in one-third the normal time or less. Many of the recipes can be prepared in less than ten minutes, including Risotto with Butternut Squash and Sage -- ready in less than eight minutes -- and even a few desserts. These recipes are also low in fat, since cooking under pressure locks in the flavor and only minimal use of butter and oil is required.The time is right for a new pressure cooker cookbook -- pressure cookers are selling better than ever. And today's pressure cookers are safer than ever -- fears in the past about the safety of jiggle-top cookers are no more with these safe new cookers, this cookbook will be essential for anyone who has ever thought, "How can I get a delicious meal on the table, fast?"


About the Author
Lorna Sass is the award-winning author of many highly acclaimed cookbooks, including Lorna Sass' Complete Vegetarian Kitchen (Morrow, 1992) and Great Vegetarian Cooking Under Pressure (Morrow, 1989). She is a widely published food writer whose articles have appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Food & Wine, Natural Health, and the Los Angeles Times syndicate. She lives in New York City.


Excerpted from The Pressured Cook : Over 75 One-Pot Meals in Minutes Made in Today's 100% Safe Pressure Cookers by Lorna J. Sass. Copyright © 1999. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved
Italian Wedding Soup My first taste of Italian wedding soup was in a small-town restaurant in Pennsylvania. I'd never heard of this dish before, but my dinner companion spoke of it with great nostalgia, recalling how Italian neighbors in the Bronx served it on special occasions during his childhood.The restaurant version was so-so, but I could tell that the soup had great potential. So here you have it: a traditional long-simmered soup made with meatballs, escarole, and little star-shaped pastina, cooked in a flash under pressure. For optimum results, make the little meatballs bite-sized and use homemade broth, If you like smoothly textured meatballs, prepare them with a mixer rather than by hand.I minute high pressureMeatballs3/4 pound ground beef2 tablespoons freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese1 large egg1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves1 teaspoon granulated or powdered garlic, or 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepperSoup1 tablespoon olive oil2 cups thinly sliced leeks or coarsely chopped onions4 tablespoons tomato paste8 cups chicken or beef broth (or better yet, a combination)1 tablespoon Italian herb blend (page 238 or store-bought)3 large carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch slices1/2 cup pastini or other small pasta, such as tubetti or ditalini1 1/2 pounds escarole, trimmed and coarsely chopped1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Roman, or Parmesan cheeseIn a large bowl, combine the ingredients for the meatballs by blending them with your hands. Shape the mixture into bite-sized balls, each a little smaller than 1/2-inch in diameter. Set aside.For the soup, heat the oil in the cooker over medium-high heat. Cook the leeks, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Blend in the tomato paste and cook for an additional minute, stirring constantly. Add the broth and herbs, taking care to scrape up any browned bits sticking to the bottom of the cooker. Add the carrots. Over high heat, bring to a boil.When the broth is boiling, add the pastini. Lower the heat to medium. Then gently drop the meatballs into the broth a few at a time. Set the escarole on top. (Don't be concerned that the cooker will be filled almost to the brim: the escarole will shrink dramatically when cooked.)Lock the lid in place. Over high heat, bring to high pressure. (This may take as long as 5 minutes since the cooker is so full.) Reduce the heat just enough to maintain high pressure and cook for minute. Quick-release the pressure under cold running water.Stir gently. With a slotted spoon, remove one meatball. Slice it in half and check that it is cooked throughout. If not, simmer the broth, uncovered over medium heat until the meatballs are done, 1 to 2 minutes more.Adjust the seasonings and serve in large bowls. Top each portion with a generous sprinkling of grated cheese. Pass the remaining cheese in a small bowl. SERVES 6

FROM OUR EDITORS

If you thought that pressure cookers went out of style with gas guzzlers, you're wrong -- today's models are foolproof, high-tech, and totally safe, and they can save you more time in the kitchen than you ever thought possible. Lorna Sass showed food lovers how appealing and up-to-date pressure-cooked food can be in her two previous bestsellers, Cooking Under Pressure and Vegetarian Cooking Under Pressure. Now she's back with The Pressured Cook, an all-new collection of incredibly quick, elegant, and flavorful one-pot meals

FROM THE PUBLISHER

The follow-up to Cooking Under Pressure, the classic and bestselling book on the topic, this is Lorna Sass's first new pressure-cooker cookbook in nine years. These seventy-five delicious recipes, perfect for the single person or the family on the go, can be prepared in the pressure cooker in one-third the normal time or less. Many of the recipes can be prepared in less than ten minutes, including Risotto with Butternut Squash and Sage — ready in less than eight minutes — and even a few desserts. These recipes are also low in fat, since cooking under pressure locks in the flavor and only minimal use of butter and oil is required.

The time is right for a new pressure cooker cookbook — pressure cookers are selling better than ever. And today's pressure cookers are safer than ever — fears in the past about the safety of jiggle-top cookers are no more with these safe new cookers, this cookbook will be essential for anyone who has ever thought, "How can I get a delicious meal on the table, fast?"

The follow-up to Cooking Under Pressure, the classic and bestselling book on the topic, this is Lorna Sass's first new pressure-cooker cookbook in nine years. These seventy-five delicious recipes, perfect for the single person or the family on the go, can be prepared in the pressure cooker in one-third the normal time or less. Many of the recipes can be prepared in less than ten minutes, including Risotto with Butternut Squash and Sage — ready in less than eight minutes — and even a few desserts. These recipes are also low in fat, since cooking under pressure locks in the flavor and only minimal use of butter and oil is required.

The time isright for a new pressure cooker cookbook — pressure cookers are selling better than ever. And today's pressure cookers are safer than ever — fears in the past about the safety of jiggle-top cookers are no more with these safe new cookers, this cookbook will be essential for anyone who has ever thought, "How can I get a delicious meal on the table, fast?"

Author Biography: Lorna Sass is the award-winning author of many highly acclaimed cookbooks, including Lorna Sass' Complete Vegetarian Kitchen (Morrow, 1992) and Great Vegetarian Cooking Under Pressure (Morrow, 1989). She is a widely published food writer whose articles have appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Food & Wine, Natural Health, and the Los Angeles Times syndicate. She lives in New York City.

SYNOPSIS

If you thought that pressure cookers went out of style with gas guzzlers, you might be just surprised — today's models are foolproof, high-tech, totally safe, and can save you more time in the kitchen than you ever thought possible. Lorna Sass showed food lovers how appealing and up-to-date pressure-cooked food can be in her two previous bestsellers, Cooking Under Pressure and Vegetarian Cooking Under Pressure. Now she's back with The Pressured Cook, an all-new collection of incredibly quick, elegant, and flavorful one-pot meals.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

No one else works wonders with a pressure cooker as does Sass (Cooking Under Pressure). In this collection of expert recipes for one-dish meals, she turns away from her vegetarian-specific recipes to create an appealing overview of the world's cuisines. Not only are today's pressure cookers not the sputtering, sometimes explosive devices of the past, but Sass's recipes are not the usual monochromatic, single-flavored one-dish meals. Beef Stewed in Coconut Milk with Rice Noodles and Green Beans is colorful and spicy; meatballs and tiny pasta bob along in Italian Wedding Soup. Although the ingredients are cooked together in a single pot, they are sometimes separated after cooking for greater variety in texture. For example, the recipe for Short Ribs in Pasta Sauce with Olives and Parmesan Potatoes calls for removing the cooked potatoes and mashing them, then serving them as a bed for the ribs. Unusual combinations such as Asturian Beans and Clams, with saffron and kale, are as tempting as the heartier Pork with Sauerkraut, Mushrooms and Potatoes. Even when Sass falls back on old favorites, she adds little touches to make them new: Split-Pea Vegetable Soup is topped with a mint cream made with sour cream or yogurt, and Proven al Vegetable Soup receives a few tablespoons of Pernod. Tips for using and storing pressure cookers and recipes for such basics as broth, beans and grains make this collection complete.

Library Journal

Sass is probably right to emphasize "100% safe" in her subtitle — some cooks still have visions of exploding pressure cookers. However, that is not a danger with the newer cookers (and rarely was with older models) and should not keep home cooks from trying Sass's quick-and-easy imaginative recipes for one-pot meals. Author of the excellent Cooking Under Pressure, among many other titles, Sass has an engaging, no-nonsense style and offers many tips and variations for her wide-ranging recipes. Recommended for most collections.

Kate Murphy Zeman

When I told my mother before I got married that I wanted to register for a pressure cooker, she thought I was nuts. "Do they even make those things anymore?" she asked dubiously. But I knew better, and I lusted after the totally modern, totally safe new models of this classic time-saving device that I had seen in upscale kitchen stores. Now that I've got my foolproof, six-quart, high-tech pressure cooker, I'll never go back to making, say, black bean chili without it — it shaves a good two hours off the cooking time. I knew how useful it would be for cooking things like dried beans, but I had no idea how much more it could do, and how fast, until I got my hands on Lorna Sass's bestselling pressure-cooker cookbooks, Cooking Under Pressure and Vegetarian Cooking Under Pressure. Now Sass is back with her first new pressure-cooker cookbook in nine years, and it's just as revelatory as her previous two, filled with totally up-to-date recipes for fast one-pot meals.

The Pressured Cook goes far beyond the usual bean dishes: The recipes are organized by main ingredient, including beef, chicken and turkey, pork and sausage, lamb, veal, grains and vegetables, and beans; plus there's a chapter on desserts (see the chocolate bread pudding recipe below for proof of how delectable and quick a pressure-cooked dessert can be). Sass's recipes include both homey classics and internationally influenced flavors, from Pot Roast with Potatoes and Carrots to Sicilian Chicken with Olives and Escarole, Split-Pea Vegetable Soup with Mint Cream, and Chickpeas in Eggplant-Tahini Sauce. She also includes a comprehensive section on pressure-cooker basics, including advice on choosing a model, using it efficiently and safely, and adapting favorite recipes to the pressure cooker. Whether you've got a pressure cooker collecting dust in your cabinet or you depend on it several times a week — or even if you're just thinking about getting one — The Pressured Cook will inspire you and show you how to get the most out of this ingenious piece of equipment. Most importantly, it will help you get healthful, appealing, home-cooked meals on the table faster than you ever thought possible.