I have been cooking with pressure cookers for over thirty-five years. (I feel old just writing that! Let’s just assume I started cooking at two years old, okay?) My relationship with them has evolved. Just as in other long-term relationships, over the years I have loved them, used them, taken them for granted during busy times, explored their capabilities during times of rest, understood their giving nature better, and fallen in love with them again.
About five years ago, I discovered the world of electric pressure cookers. Soon after, the Instant Pot entered my life, and slowly, it took over my kitchen. In fact, as my life was taken over by a degenerative disease that often limited my mobility, I began to rely more and more on these devices that allowed me to cook a quick, nutritious dinner without babysitting, standing, stirring, and mixing.
My husband, Roger, and I were also on a weight-loss journey, and home-cooked meals were critical in this endeavor. Together, we have lost and kept off about 175 pounds, and cooking healthy meals at home was an important part of how we accomplished this feat.
My son Mark learned to cook with a pressure cooker when he was nineteen years old. I still remember when he mastered four different dishes in one day. Now, Mark is scary-smart, this is true, but it’s also true that pressure cookers are not that complicated.
I want to use this book, my blog (twosleevers.com), and my Facebook groups as a way to introduce you to the delights of cooking in a pressure cooker. I assure you, once you realize all that it can do, you may well find the other appliances in your kitchen, along with your stove, becoming sorely neglected.
If you are a novice cook, forget all your fears, your concerns, and your confusion. Just pick a recipe from this book—any recipe—and make it by following the simple directions. Through the pages of this book, I’ll help you create amazing meals. Just like the thousands before you who never cooked but now make my recipes nightly, you, too, can do this. If you are an accomplished cook already, you may enjoy the different shortcuts I use, as well as appreciate the wide range of flavors and cuisines covered in this book.
There’s something for everyone in this recipe book. I hope you enjoy it. If you run into issues, do be sure to ask me questions on my blog, twosleevers.com, or come join my TwoSleevers Facebook group, facebook.com/twosleever, which is filled with helpful, kind folks ready to lend a hand.