****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
First, I want to write about a reviewer who said there were more canned and processed foods that they care to use. Wait! What?! I cook from scratch, believe me. I love to bake my own breads, can my own jams and there are no canned soups in my pantry. However, I do stock quality commercially made chicken or beef broth, that I buy with low-sodium and organic-- to save time in the kitchen. Yes, she uses taco seasoning, but I make my own blend-- though not all taco seasonings are "bad". I see that she uses canned beans and canned tomatoes-- as do I. No harm, as mine are all organic and completely healthy. Yes, I saw a recipe that uses cornbread mix. I can make my own, so no big deal. Enchilada sauce and spaghetti sauce is an ingredient in a FEW of her recipes-- again, non big deal. I did see ONE recipe with onion soup mix, but I can forgive that, since I don't buy it. Those recipes are few and far between. So, PLEASE, know that I give Barbara high-fives for easy recipes that, at times, uses ordinary pantry items.Exhale. I am, myself, a food blogger who "met" (not in real life, as we live in separate states) Barbara when I was searching for pressure cooker recipes. I've been pressure cooking for at least 15 years, starting with a stove top model and then graduating to an electric pressure cooker. My electric PC pot was nonstick and it pretty much disintegrated from so much use. So, I bought an Instant Pot three years ago, love it! I have made several of Barbara's recipes, with total success-- I adapted her cheesecake recipe to make my own flavors, and LOVE her rice pudding recipe.When I buy a new cookbook I tend to skip past all the "info" in the beginning and flip right to recipes. This time, I read her section on the advantages of pressure cooking. Hallelujah! I already know a few friends I want to buy this book for, as a gift. They are "afraid" of pressure cooking or are hesitant to give up their slow cooker. I really liked her PRESSURE COOKING POINTERS and trouble-shooting guide. Her info is spot on, and will give me the answers to my friends who aren't convinced that pressure cooking is as amazing as I find it to be.As for the recipe section, I admit that I was a little sad there weren't photos for every recipe. However, that was short-lived, because there are a LOT of photos and they are all done in Barbara's professional style. I recognize a few of the recipes from her blog, but there are plenty of never-before-seen recipes . I honed in on the Asian Chicken Noodle Soup and it sounds amazing! I am so making that, this weekend!I use my Instant Pot a LOT-- at least 2-3 times a week. I'm always looking for new recipes and I'm testing out my own creations.If you're new to pressure cooking, this cookbook is user-friendly and very helpful. Even I learned a few new tricks.I have never met Barbara, personally but I feel as though she's part of my internet network of friends. I applaud the hard work she's put into writing this cookbook and it's a clear winner! I look forward to making many of her recipes with confidence and great results!
