Title: The Instant Pot Kosher Cookbook: 100 Recipes to Nourish Body and Soul
By Paula Shoyer
Union Square & Co., 224 pages
In a world where newfangled kitchen gadgets multiply by the minute and culinary fads come and go, the Instant Pot craze seems to be here to stay. With the promise of convenient and reliable cooking accomplished quickly, this trend is especially appealing to today’s busy cook. And who is busier than a Jewish mother? Enter Paula Shoyer’s cookbook, The Instant Pot Kosher Cookbook, 100 Recipes to Nourish Body and Soul, the very first Instant Pot cookbook to feature exclusively kosher food.
Shoyer, a renowned pastry chef and author of numerous popular cookbooks, is certainly no stranger to the kitchen. In authoring this book, she elevates pressure cooking from the tired stews and stringy, boiled chicken of the 50s to a more contemporary cuisine. By doing so, she manages to maintain the convenience of pressure cooking while modernizing it as well.
But for all its convenience, the Instant Pot is a multi-buttoned, many-featured instrument that can befuddle even the most savvy home cook. In this easy-to-read, well laid out cookbook, Shoyer demystifies the process of Instant Pot cooking. With carefully listed steps she boils the process down (pun intended!) to its most simple, leaving us with an essence of good cooking made easy.
The book contains sections on soups, mains, side dishes and, surprisingly, even salads, dips and desserts. Its pages are tastefully presented, with attractive pictures and very detailed instructions. Each recipe tells you exactly which button to use, how to release the steam, how many minutes to wait, and how far in advance the recipe can be prepared. She even includes a section on caring for your Instant Pot, and some information on the specifics of using an Instant Pot in accordance with halacha.
In deference to today’s trend of multi-cultural cooking, the book represents a number of regional and ethnic cuisines, from Gefilte Fish to Dolmas, Peruvian Chicken to Harira Soup. She also includes everyday dinners and recipes for Shabbos and Yom Tov. With meat, dairy and pareve options clearly labeled, everyone can find something to love here.
This book can be used on its own or used as a springboard to other Instant Pot kitchen adventures. But for all of you staring at the big, shiny Instant Pot that you purchased on Black Friday, scratching your head and wondering “what have I got myself into?” this cookbook has the answers.
