Welcome to the world of pressure cooking
“Beginnings are hard” is the text that faces you on the screen when you click through to start your first Substack post. I know it to be true. I know it to be true not just because I’ve been meaning to start this Substack for well over a year now, but also because I choose to spend a large part of my working life persuading people to give pressure cooking a try and they are initially too scared to start. What other piece of cooking equipment comes close to inspiring so much fear? (A mandoline, maybe?) Yet once people do take that first step and realise not only quite how miraculous - and safe! - today’s reengineered pressure cookers are, they can’t believe it took them so long.
And pressure cookers are miraculous. Even if we weren’t in the middle of a fuel crisis (I write in a week when both Shell and BP have announced record profits, while so many people are choosing between heat and eat) and watching our bills rise as we cut our usage, buying one now is an excellent investment for anyone interested in sustainability. This is because they cut around 70-75% off cooking times and help you save water too. And the real bonus is that frequently the flavour and texture of the food is improved.
It is my mission to get as many home cooks using pressure cookers as possible - spurred on to do it now partly because of the fuel crisis and because I know they truly do make a difference to people’s busy, time pressed lives. So with that in mind I am going to be posting for everyone from complete novices who might not yet have a pressure cooker, to those old hands who might just want some fresh inspiration. I shall go back to basics with a series of posts on the hows, whys, which sorts and will be posting weekly, mostly seasonal recipes. And as I never stop experimenting and learning, I will be sharing new ideas and discoveries too.
So happy you're doing this Catherine. I am actually writing this with my lap top perched on your two PC books. That's because they're always on top of the pile. Can't wait to see your posts.
We’re mid-build of an extension which has drastically reduced my kitchen space and time available to cook. Since getting your book at Christmas I’ve become a little bit obsessed (a lot, really) with using my PC; it’s been like getting a brand new piece of kitchen kit. Barely a meal goes by when it doesn’t get used. There are so many fab recipes in the book, and I’ve been able to PC-up some Nigel S and Diana H recipes (the only books that haven’t been packed away during the building work) too. I’ll be hanging on your every word here. Thank you!