Review by Booklist Review
The instant pot, a high-tech multicooker that combines the virtues of a pressure cooker and a slow cooker, became a commercial success in the world of recent kitchen appliances. Cooks who feared the whistling pressure cooker were suddenly confident. And the instant pot's ability to double as an all-day slow cooker made it a boon for the working spouse trying to get family dinner on the table. Leave it to Kimball, one of the best television cooking teachers and prolific author (Milk Street: The New Rules, 2019), to create dozens of recipes for this novel appliance. This collection offers two approaches for each recipe: one version taking advantage of the pressure cooker's speed, the other its more leisurely, many-hour function. Not satisfied with a bunch of ho-hum stews, Kimball presents multiethnic inspirations from Southern spicy collard greens to Portuguese pork and clams. Asian and African influences figure significantly, too: dan dan noodles from Sichuan, Indian chicken rogan josh, and Senegalese braised chicken with onions and lime. Full color photographs add to the recipes' allure.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Kimball (The Cook's Bible), founder of the Milk Street culinary media company, takes on the Instant Pot multicooker in this sharp collection. All recipes include either pressure-cooker or slow-cooker instructions, with some offering both. But as Kimball admits, not all are time savers: a puttanesca pasta (with a whopping half cup of capers) requires 45 minutes and breaking spaghetti in half to fit in the machine. There are many recipes for soups and stews, and several for basic items with variations: black beans can be repurposed, for instance, as refried beans or tossed with corn. Kimball errs on the side of supplying arguably too much information in recipes; typical is the recipe for a North African eggplant tagine, which includes active time, cooking times, a headnote, a cautionary note, and prep, fast, slow, and finishing instructions. As always, the ace up Milk Street's sleeve is its command of a wide range of cuisines: a Georgian stew, Mexican pork carnitas paired with quickly pickled red onions, and French chicken en cocotte with mustard and tarragon all hold appeal. Home cooks whose regular rotation includes Instant Pot fare will appreciate this useful and wide-ranging volume. (Apr.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
This latest entry from Kimball (The Milk Street Cookbook) emphasizes the distinct features of the Instant Pot: using it as a pressure cooker or a slow cooker. Many recipes featured here offer both fast and slow options, depending on one's preference and schedule. As is typical for Milk Street, the resource spans a variety of cuisines, with meals such as Filipino pork shoulder adobo, black beans with bacon and tequila, and risotto with sausage and arugula. While there are some vegetarian dishes, most of the meals are designed with meat as the focus. Recipes are meticulously written, with complete details for either cooking method and full-page photos for most dishes. Handy tips and suggestions are included in headnotes, along with total cook times. A section at the beginning with pressure cooking tips and general Instant Pot techniques is useful, as is the index at the end. VERDICT This could be a big hit with Instant Pot owners; for those on the fence, it might convince them to put one in their cart.--Susan Hurst, Miami Univ. Libs., Oxford, OH
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