A Cooks Best Friend

Cooking with a pressure cooker is fast, efficient, flavorful and you only have one pot to clean! Like anything else, the first time you use a pressure cooker, you may find it a little strange, but with time you will find that your cooker is a great kitchen accessory. You will grow to love it. Don’t be afraid of the gauges and seals and so on, they are merely tools to be used to your advantage.

So enjoy your pressure cooker and make it work for you. Here is a recipe for you to try. Enjoy.

  Garlic

Lemon Chicken

Makes 4 Servings

 Pressure cookers are quickly becoming one of more sought after kitchen appliances these days. Pressure cookers have evolved from a noisy and a bit scary appliance, to much quieter, efficient cooker that not only reduces cooking time, but preservers the nutrients in the food being cooked. They are also available as an electrical appliance and even with nonstick interiors.

How does a pressure cooker work? At sea level water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit in an open vessel. Seal that vessel and the water pressure builds up to a substantial level. At sea level, a pressure of about 5 pounds per square inch (psi) on the inside of the pressure cooker will increase the temperature to 220 degrees Fahrenheit. As water boils, steam is created and if this steam is trapped in an enclosed environment, like a pressure cooker, the temperature of the steam also rises to 220 degrees Fahrenheit. As a result, the steam is forced through the food inside the pressure cooker, causing it to cook faster.

Most pressure cookers are designed to go to a maximum pressure of 15 pounds per square inch (psi), which cooks at a temperature of 257 degrees Fahrenheit; that’s six times the heat, allowing for a very efficient method of cooking food. You can reduce cooking times by as much as 70 percent - now that’s worth lifting your eyebrows at!

Are pressure cookers safe? All pressure cookers have locking lids, with or without a gasket seal. They are to be locked in place before you start cooking and during the cooking process. After the cooking time has expired, <b>do NOT attempt to open the pressure cooker until the pressure has stabilized inside the cooker.</b> Pressure cookers are also equipped with pressure regulators to release steam when the pressure climbs above the safety levels. The regulators can either be weighted and are lifted by excessive amounts of steam, or pressure gauges that release the pressure at the right temperature. Modern pressure cookers are also equipped with as much as four independently operating safety systems.

So, what are the benefits of using a pressure cooker? Well they shorten cooking times, they are energy-efficient, food retains more of their nutrients, cooking in a pressure cooker requires very little fat and they are low maintenance while cooking.

Buying a pressure cooker can be a daunting task, as there are so many different types available for sale. If you are in the market for a pressure cooker, we hope the following article will be helpful to your finding just what you need.Should I buy aluminum or a stainless steel pressure cooker?

Well, the aluminum pressure cooker is less expensive than the stainless steel and lighter, so easier to handle. Aluminum is also a great conductor of heat, providing excellent cooking performance.

Stainless steel pressure cookers are more expensive and heavier than their aluminum counterparts. They will however last a very long time, as the stainless steel will not break down. By itself, stainless steel is a poor conductor of heat, so an aluminum disc is encapsulated - welded between the layers of stainless steel - on the base of the pressure cooker, therefore making it a great conductor of heat. Stainless steel is also has an attractive long lasting finish.

Cost is usually the main reason for purchasing an aluminum pressure cooker and the long lasting attractive finish is the main reasons for choosing the stainless steel pressure cooker.
 
What size pressure cooker do I need?

Most pressure cooker sizes are sold by their total liquid capacity, even though their actual usable capacity is actually one half to two thirds of their liquid capacity depending upon the food being cooked.

4-QUART:
 
The 4 quart pressure cooker is a good size for singles or couples, or for making one course meals such as potatoes or vegetables. Whole meal recipes for one or two persons can usually be accommodated in a 4-quart pressure cooker.

6-QUART:
 
The 6 quart pressure cooker is the most popular size for many families with two or more persons.

8-QUART:

The 8 quart pressure cooker is the most popular for larger families. It can also be used for pressure canning in pint or half-pint jars.

Large size pressure cooker/canners (17- and 22-quart models, for example) are also available and are mostly used for pressure canning meats, vegetables, and low-acid foods in pint and quart jars. For pressure cooking, they are usually suitable only if you are cooking for a very large group.

What is the best brand of pressure cooker for your needs?

Over the course of time, many different companies have manufactured pressure cookers. Because the pressure cooker you purchase today should be expected to provide many years of service, it is important to select a brand that will allow you to get the most from your investment. Here are a few guidelines for you to consider when selecting a pressure cooker.

Choose a recognizable brand from a company that has been in business for a number of years. To keep your pressure cooker operating properly and safely for many years, you will have to periodically replace a few inexpensive parts from time to time. Parts are not interchangeable from one brand to another, so don’t select a model simply because it is less expensive. Select a brand that has been listed or approved by an independent testing organization. This will ensure that your pressure cooker meets or exceeds certain quality and performance standards that have been independently verified. Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is probably the testing organization familiar to most Americans.

Stainless Steel Cookware in my opinion is growing in popularity. As the home chef acquires an understanding of how to use Stainless Steel Cookware Set, they are finding that having a good quality cookware set will make all the difference in your end results. Using a good quality cookware set requires you to learn a little patience, which I found out the hard way, is important for good cooking results. For example, if you wanted to pan fry a steak, you would first preheat your stainless steel frying pan over a medium low heat. Let the pan heat slowly. If you use too high a temperature, then the pan will overheat and develop hot spots and lose some of its ability to heat evenly.

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 There is nothing like a tender piece of steak on the BBQ. Most of us will opt for the expensive cuts, as they are thick and tender. However, many of these cuts lack marbling, hence real flavor. Why not purchase the lesser cuts of meat and tenderize them, then cook them and enjoy the difference in flavor. A mechanical meat tenderizer is the perfect kitchen tool for this process.

You will be able to reduce your cooking time and maximize the effectiveness of meat marinades! You can tenderize and prepare cube steaks and cutlets from wild game or domestic meat with the simple turn of a crank handle. The heavy-duty cuber will make cube steaks out of the toughest meat and with this meat tenderizer you are able to prepare your own tender cube steaks and cutlets from wild game and less-than-choice cuts of meat.
 
Two rollers on the meat tenderizer turn 31 stainless steel blades that cut into coarse meats up to 3/4″ thick. All you need to do is drop the meat into the top of the meat tenderizer and hand crank your cutlets or steaks, to achieve a tender cut. Removable stripper blades keep the meat from wrapping around the rollers, while the cast iron construction features a durable white food-grade coating for super-fast cleaning and a nylon base that won’t hold bacteria or contaminate the meat.
 
The meat tenderizer will disassemble for easy clean up and includes two C-clamps to temporarily mount on any counter or tabletop. The throat opening is 5-1/4″ long by 1-3/8″ wide and the dimensions are  13-3/4″ x 13.5″ x 6-3/4″.

A Meat tenderizer is a great kitchen tool that offers you the ability to produce tender cuts of meat without having to spend large amounts of money on more expensive cuts.

For a nonstick muffin pan, you don’t want to use anything abrasive. The simplest method is to put it through your dishwasher. Rub degreaser or solvent on the affected area, let sit for awhile and put in the dishwasher.

Your other choice is to spray some Easy Off oven cleaner on a paper towel, then rub it on the areas that need to be cleaned; put the pan inside a grocery handle bag and tie closed, leave overnight and clean in the sink with sudsy water the next day. We even use this method on our grill racks and put them in a garbage bag overnight. It works

1/2 cup peanut butter creamed together with 1/3 cup butter.

Add 1 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup brown sugar.

Beat in 2 eggs.

Add 1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 6 ounces chocolate chips.

Spread in a 9 inch square baking pan, buttered and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. These brownies are moist and chewy.

Now building the perfect hamburger patty is a snap. With a Weston Brand Non-Stick Burger EXPress hamburger press you will make perfect patties…Every Time! It’s so easy to use, that you can make enough to stock your freezer for the season, or longer. Our hamburger press is made of heavy-duty aluminum with a non-stick coating and also features an adjustable patty thickness setting from less than 1/4” (0.6 cm) to 1-1/2” (3.8 cm). Make them the way you want and then remove them easily with the spring plunger button that not only compacts the patty tightly, but then pops back for quick patty removal.

This hamburger press is not limited to hamburger patties. You can make crab cakes, sausage patties, chicken burgers and turkey burgers. Best of all, this hamburger press is easy to clean. Start having your burgers the way you want them with a Weston Brand hamburger press.

Enjoy dinner south-of-the-border tonight with this Mexican-style casserole

3 tablespoons vegetable oil 
1 medium onion, sliced
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup of canned crushed tomatoes
Vegetable oil
6 6-inch corn tortillas
½ cup sour cream
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (about 8 ounces)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
6 canned whole green chilies split lengthwise 

Garnish

Sprigs of fresh cilantro
1) In a skillet heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin and black pepper. Cook stirring frequently, 5 minutes.

2) In a blender or food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine onion mixture and tomatoes. Blend until smooth, 1 minute.

7) Bake pie until cheese melts and sauce bubbles, 20-25 minutes. Transfer dish to wire rack to cool slightly. Garnish with sprigs of fresh cilantro. Makes 4 servings

Great American Home Baking

Porcelain enamel is a highly durable glass. When mixed with coloring oxides and other inorganic materials, it can then be fused to metal at extremely high temperatures. It was first used in the kitchen as a decorative finish for wood-burning stoves and cast iron utensils. Later, with advancements in technology and techniques for applying it to sheet steel, it became a standard coating for coffee pots, roasting pans, and other cookware.

During the manufacture of kitchen cookware, porcelain enamel is applied once the metal is formed into its final shape. It can then be applied to carbon steel, aluminum, stainless steel, and cast iron. Better grades of porcelain cookware are seamless; or are designed with thicker metal and or a greater number of coats of porcelain. These factors affect the price differences in cookware designed with a porcelain enamel finish.

Being one of the most versatile finishes, porcelain enamel can be manufactured in a large variety of colors that include many shades of bright reds, greens, blues, yellows, and orange. Earth tones and porcelain decals are also available. The decorative porcelain decals are mechanically applied and have the same scratch and stain resistant qualities of regular porcelain coating.

Today’s cast iron cookware are far superior to those of even the recent past and are made of iron alloys that give them additional strength. Many of these cast iron cookware feature colorful porcelain enamel exterior and interior finishes. Other advantages of porcelain cookware are their ease of cleaning and you don’t have to season and constantly re-season the pan. Another plus, is that unlike uncoated cast iron cookware, porcelain cookware is a non-reactive surface so that you can cook acid based foods like tomatoes, without concern; and the enamel coated cookware will not rust.

Ceramic cookware are clay-based and applied to metal in much the same way as porcelain. A ceramic finish can be applied to steel, aluminum, stainless steel or cast iron, but only after the particular cookware has been completely formed. Ceramic cookware also offers a hard, brilliant finish that will not normally scratch, rust, fade or peel. However, if you should drop the pot or pan, it may chip, which will expose the underlying cast iron, which will then rust.  

If you are trying to decide between ceramic cookware or porcelain cookware, I hope this will help to answer at least some of your concerns. Remember cooking is fun!