Hardly a new book, Great Vegetarian Cooking Under Pressure, by Lorna Sass, is still a great resource for the home cook, whether you are a vegetarian or not. I have had this book for a few weeks now and have the opportunity to try several recipes, and would definitely recommend the book to others.
Like Lorna Sass’s other pressure cooker books (including Pressure Perfect, another favorite), some part of the book is spent explaining how to use pressure cookers. Lorna also makes pantry suggestions and menu plans, which is great when determining how to manage a more vegetarian diet [note: I am not a vegetarian, although I find our family diet moving more towards plant-based foods].
In the Grain section, Lorna includes her great recipe for Risotto, along with several variations. She also includes recipes that allow the use of different grains, depending what you have on hand, easy and adaptable. I appreciate this information as I cook, as I think it allows me to learn more, helping me determine what flavors are good for mixing and matching.
A couple downsides: the book was published in 1994, before Pressure Perfect (2004) and I think Lorna has refined some of her instructions and steps in her newer book. I find that I refer to Pressure Perfect sometimes when making a dish out of Great Vegetarian, since I know the instructions in the new book are easier to follow. Also, in Pressure Perfect, she has streamlined the process of cooking beans, and the instructions in Great Vegetarian are often more complex. However, I find the cooking time charts in Great Vegetarian to be easier to read and understand, a plus for this book.
Some of my favorite recipes so far include Warm White Bean Vinaigrette (see photo above), Zucchini Bisque with Tomatoes and Fresh Basil (great for using up extra summer zucchini!), and Quinoa Corn Chili. The Warm White Bean Vinaigrette made a great composed salad for lunch recently and would be a nice hot summer night dinner – definitely a cook-ahead option.
June 14th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
Well that confirms it – I need a pressure cooker!
Although I would probably use it as much as I use my slow cooker (once in the past year! LOL)
June 15th, 2009 at 8:08 pm
I have only used my slow cooker once in the last year too! The pressure cooker I use about once a week, at least. One of the best tips I read in the cookbook was to go ahead and cook a whole pound of beans at once, then freeze what you don’t use for another time. With summer approaching, it will make it easy to pull them out and whip together a quick bean salad for a picnic….
June 25th, 2009 at 12:34 am
Love your blog, I sent it to my daughter who will also enjoy reading your posts. I also just sent you a request to follow you on twitter. I look forward to seeing your posts on twitter.
Judy