The Great Big Pressure Cooker Book

The Great Big Pressure Cooker Book by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough is filled with five-hundred recipes that are made with electric or stove-top pressure cookers. The book caught my eye because being that I now live in Costa Rica the pressure cooker is a main kitchen tool. Granted, the first time I saw one I had no idea what it was, then when I saw the steam pouring out I thought for sure it was going to explode! Yet, no worries if you're like me and had never seen a pressure cooker which ultimately caused you to fear for your life- or at least for some serious burns; the whole first half of the cookbook is dedicated to people like us.

The first half includes an introduction on what a pressure cooker is, the different models that are available, and fantastic advice on making sure to read the instruction manual that comes with your pressure cooker because every model is different. Trust me, after reading the introduction I found myself much more at ease that I could cook with a pressure cooker without burning myself with steam or blowing my house up (maybe a slight exaggeration but hey when you're scared you imagine crazy things). 

Anyways, once you get that confidence boost from the first half of the introduction you can move on to the practical advice in the second half on cooking. They recommend how much salt, liquid, even how big the vegetable pieces should be cut to make sure they are all evenly cooked. It contains great practical advice which is very specific depending on           whether you have a stove-top model or an electric model. 

The recipes are broken down into seven main sections: Breakfast, Soups, Meat, Poultry, Fish and Shellfish, Vegetables, Beans, and Grains, as well as, Desserts. These main categories are divided further into sub-categories, such as, chicken, turkey, beef, main course soups, and vegetable or grain soups. 

Overall, a very thorough and practical book on using what should become a main staple kitchen tool. It allows for delicious meals in a much quicker amount of time- think in terms of the results you would get from using a slow cooker all day but now in the time of about 30 minutes. 

"I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review."

Clean Slate: A Cookbook and Guide

Clean Slate is a cookbook compiled and created by the editors of Martha Stewart Living. The cookbook is one of their newest releases and features recipes to strengthen and rejuvenate the body. The goal is not only to provide delicious recipes but also to change the mindset of the reader- helping them to consider more carefully what kind of food they ought to be eating. For this reason, the book has been divided into two parts: section one is called "reset" dealing with healthy nutrients, pantry stocking, and detoxing; while section two contains recipes which cover a variety of topics, such as; breakfast, drinks or smoothies, and snacks.

In Part One, basic rules are set forth:

1. Choose whole foods over processed
2. Embrace a plant based diet
3. Practice mindful eating
4. Engage in an active lifestyle
5. Boost energy with lean protein
6. Pay attention to how you feel

Included with each rule is further information of what that looks on a daily basis, definitions, and explanation on how to develop that kind of mindset.

One of my favorite features is found in pantry stocking which not only tells you what you should have stocked, but also how to cook the items yourself rather than depending on processed substitutes. Included are recipes for almond milk, chicken stock, and harissa.
Another helpful feature is located at the end of the cookbook which shows which recipes are vegan or gluten free depending on what are your dietary needs.


"I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review."