Cooks' Books by Lisa Messinger

"Cooking Under Pressure" by Lorna Sass (William Morrow, $23.99)

It's a good bet that you won't be filling your pressure cooker with batches of autumn leaves for quick tenderizing. However, fall is the perfect season to remove some of the pressure from your life with what "Cooking Under Pressure" author Lorna Sass refers to as a "magical appliance."

In one-third — or less — of traditional cooking time, hardened ingredients soften and meld into what was no overstatement: magical melanges. What's the secret?

"Once the lid is locked into place," writes Sass, "the liquid inside the pressure cooker is brought to a boil over high heat and produces steam. Since this steam is sealed inside the cooker, pressure builds and the internal temperature rises."

Since soups and stews are some of the perfect potions for such terrific tampering, autumn is a no-brainer when it comes to eager experimentation.

In fact, the Autumn Stew created by prolific cookbook author Sass (she's got more than 15 award-winning cookbooks under her belt) is a super starting point. In just 3 to 4 minutes of high pressure cooking, parsnips, carrots, sweet potatoes and butternut squash get transformed with a bit of vegetable broth, butter and nutmeg into a lush meal. Just 5 minutes of high-pressure cooking turns carrots, McIntosh apples, potatoes and almond butter into a memorable soup.

This kind of ingenuity is repeated more than 150 times, including rice, beans, meat and even dessert dishes. This is the 20th anniversary edition of this more timely than ever tome, and Sass' innovative recipes and streamlined instructions make it easy to see why it's still a favorite.

When the last page is turned, like Sass, many of us will undoubtedly feel lucky that so many years ago her "mother went to India and brought back a pressure cooker instead of a sari."

AUTUMN STEW

1 cup vegetable broth or water

3 to 4 parsnips, peeled and sliced

2 to 3 carrots, peeled and sliced

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced

1 1/2 pounds butternut or Hubbard squash, peeled and halved, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch slices

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Grated nutmeg, to taste

Yields 6 servings.

Pour the broth into the cooker and add the vegetables. Sprinkle on the salt.

Lock the lid of a pressure cooker in place and over high heat bring to high pressure. Adjust the heat to maintain high pressure and cook for 3 minutes. Reduce the pressure with a quick-release method (see Notes below). Carefully remove the lid, tilting it away from your face and body to allow steam to escape.

If the vegetables are not tender, replace the lid (but don't lock it) and simmer until done.

Note 1: Regarding quick-release method — If using a stovetop pressure cooker (see Note 2 for electric pressure cookers), when the timer goes off, bring down the pressure by carefully placing the stovetop cooker under cold running water, or use an alternative method suggested by your manufacturer. (If the alternative method produces any sputtering, stop engaging the release mechanism and bring the pressure down under cold running water instead.)

Note 2: With an electric pressure cooker, use the "brown" setting to do any cooking required before bringing up to pressure. Program the cooker for "high pressure." When a recipe calls for quick-releasing the pressure, instead of using any water, subtract 3 minutes from cooking time and allowing the pressure to come down naturally for 3 minutes. Then press the quick-release button in very short spurts while averting your face and body from the steam. If any liquid is ejected from the valve, wait about 30 seconds before proceeding. Use the "brown" setting to do any final cooking after the pressure is released.

NUTTY CARROT-APPLE SOUP

2 tablespoons unsalted butter or oil

3 celery stalks, cut into 1/4-inch slices

1 pound carrots, scrubbed, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch slices

2 medium apples, such as McIntosh, peeled, cored and chopped

1 large potato (about 1/2 pound), scrubbed, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch slices

5 cups water

1/4 cup almond, cashew or peanut butter

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Grated nutmeg, to taste

Yields 6 to 8 servings.

Heat butter in the cooker. Add the celery, carrots, apples and potato and saute for 1 minute. Stir in the water.

Lock the lid in place and over high heat bring to high pressure. Adjust heat to maintain high pressure and cook for 5 minutes. Reduce the pressure with a quick-release method. (See important Notes 1 and 2 in preceding recipe regarding quick-release and cooking methods.) Carefully remove the lid, tilting it away from your face and body to allow steam to escape.

Carefully puree soup with an immersion blender or in batches in a standard blender or food processor. Blend in the nut butter. Reheat if necessary. Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg before serving.

Lisa Messinger is a first-place winner in food writing from the Association of Food Journalists and the author of seven food books, including "Mrs. Cubbison's Best Stuffing Cookbook" and "The Sourdough Bread Bowl Cookbook." She also writes the Creators News Service "After-Work Gourmet" column. To find out more about Lisa Messinger and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2009 CREATORS.COM