When I Say PC, I Mean Pressure Cooker

For some, PC means politcally correct, but not for me. My PC is pressure cooker. And I am not speaking about the type that comes with the political environment.


I mean that one that you actually use for cooking. For cooking that's fast, easy, tasty, economical, energy saving and more nutritious.


I recently joined a Yahoo pressure cooking group when the moderator contacted me about my DVD. Ray is going to have a contest and wants to offer my DVD, Pressure Cooking: A Fresh Look http://www.pressurecookingonline.com/, as a prize.

From what I can tell of the group, they need more instruction on cooking vegetables, beans and grains. Many of the recipes that i have seen so far are very meat-oriented. Or maybe I am just not meat-oriented and notice it more.

Honestly, to be perfectly PC (and this time it does mean politically correct), everyone ought to be cutting back on meat as a way to correct the imbalance in our environment. So, maybe it's time to go PC.

Pressure Cook for More Nutrition

One of the main reasons to use a pressure cooker is because it's so fast but it also makes your food more nutritious. The quick cooking time helps retain nutrients.

The following is from a New York Times story titled , Finding the Best Way to Cook All Those Vegetables
('http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/20/health/nutrition/20well.html');
}
By TARA PARKER-POPE
Published: May 20, 2008:

That report did not look at the effects of microwaving, but a March 2007 study in The Journal of Food Science looked at the effects of boiling, steaming, microwaving and pressure cooking on the nutrients in broccoli. Steaming and boiling caused a 22 percent to 34 percent loss of vitamin C. Microwaved and pressure-cooked vegetables retained 90 percent of their vitamin C.

Now, that's impressive. The article also had other information that I liked reading, one tidbit stating that including avocadoes with your salad will help you absorb more nutrients. Since I really like avocado, that's good news.

But now I'm off to pressure cook some vegetables so I can improve my nutrition. I hope that you will, too.

It's really not scary and can improve your life in many ways.

Pressure Cooking is So Scary

Well, I would agree that using an old-fashioned pressure cooker like your mother or grandmother owned, was scary. And the stories of beef stew or split pea soup on the ceiling and walls are true.
But the new spring-valve, shiny stainless steel pressure cookers aren't like the old ones. They are quiet, don't hiss or pop, and they have so many safety features that they just can't blow up. I do believe that some of my junior college cooking students have tried to make it happen but without success.
The one drawback to them is that they are so quiet that it's possible to walk away from your cooker and forget that it was ever on the stove. In that case, you'll likely have a very burnt-bottomed pot that requires a lot of work to get it clean. But it will come clean.
And so will I -- I am a pressure cooking teacher. I sing the praises of pressure cooking whenever and wherever I can. That's why I am here.
I also have a pressure cooking website http://www.pressurecookingonline.com that you can check out.
I am going to post more about pressure cooking here, along with some recipes. I hope that you'll decide to join me on this green journey.