Oh, pressure cooker, where have you been all of my life? I can't believe I've only now discovered you after cooking over 35+ years. I know PCs have been around forever but I guess I was a little afraid of them - hearing horror stories of pots exploding open, etc., so I never really had an interest in using or owning one. The latest PCs have all kinds of safety features built in so there is little danger of them "exploding", but you do have to watch out for that blast of steam that comes out of the valve.
There is a slight learning curve - my large sized artichokes were cooked to mush when I used the prescribed cooking time. I'll cut the time back 5 minutes when I cook them again. Haven't tried cooking beans yet, will give it a try when I'm in the mood for chili.
Lamb shanks or oxtails which take hours to cook are now falling off the bone in 40-45 minutes. I'm looking forward to cooking a pork butt next.
What I'm missing from using the pc are the aromas that waft up from the pot, promises of a soul warming, delicious meal. My husband would come through the front door and say "I could smell whatever you're cooking wafting down the street - it smells amazing!" Now he says, "Have you started dinner? I'm HUNGRY!" It's only when I've opened the pot that you know something delicious is going to be served.
