Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Although I already own two vegan pressure cooker books (Vegan Under Pressure: Perfect Vegan Meals Made Quick and Easy in Your Pressure Cooker and Vegan Pressure Cooking: Delicious Beans, Grains, and One-Pot Meals in Minutes, both of which I also recommend), I pre-ordered this new cookbook back in November for two reasons: because I've been using my Instant Pot multiple times a week since getting it eight months ago and because I own two of Kathy Hester's vegan slow-cooker books and really like them. As of today, there is no "Look Inside" feature yet, so here is an overview of the main chapters: * Introduction: Everything You Need to Know about Your IP * Five Recipes to Start You Out -- includes recipes for beans, a pear-cardamom oatmeal, a jackfruit ragu, a one-pot pasta, and a zucchini-lemon snack cake; I like how Hester starts us off by introducing basic recipes so we can get comfortable with the IP * Quick and Easy Homemade Staples -- includes recipes for soy yogurt (which is so easy to make in your 7-in-1 IP!), vegan ricotta (which sounds amazing; it doesn't use the IP, but is used in a few recipes), and various stocks and spice blends (which don't use the IP, but which are also used in a few recipes) * Beans and Lentils that Cook in Half the Time -- includes recipes for soups, curries, and even black bean-quinoa burgers * Fun and Delicious Ways to Add in More Whole Grains -- includes recipes for a sushi bowl, two kinds of tamales, and cornbread, amongst others * Eat Your Vegetables: Easy and Elegant Plant-Based Fare -- includes recipes for veggie side dishes and also some soups, dumplings, and taco fillings * Fast and Comfortable One-Pot Meals -- includes some more soups and stews, a ricotta penne pie, various congees, and even steamed buns * Cook It All at the Same Time -- includes recipes where you can cook several parts of your meal in one IP, with recipes for lentils, a tempeh bowl, a burrito bowl, a mushroom curry, and more * Decadent and Healthy Desserts -- includes recipes for a tres-leches-type dessert, a pudding, a chocolate tofu cheesecake, and others As you can see, Hester focuses on whole foods, and she has a wide variety of recipes that is sure to please any palette. The opening chapter is also a really nice overview of the IP that goes over how it works and what to expect when you use it. She also provides nutritional information for each recipe, as well as indications of whether or not the recipe is gluten-free. My copy just arrived this morning, but I've already made the Pear Cardamom Steel-Cut Oats (which were so delicious and perfect on a cold January morning!) and Mushroom Potato Taco Filling (which we're having for dinner tonight). Both were super tasty. As far as presentation goes, pretty much every recipe is accompanied by a full-page, full-color photo, which I really appreciate since photos always inspire me to try recipes out. I also love how Page Street (the publisher) does flat binding, so that the book stays open when you lay it out flat. Also, if you're on Facebook, be sure to check out the vegan Facebook groups that Hester lists on the resources page in the back. I've been a member of one since I bought my IP last April, and the members (among whom are cookbook authors like Hester herself, Jill Nussinow, and JL Fields) are incredibly helpful, especially when you first start using your IP and have zillions of questions (or maybe that was just me ;-) ). One of the joys of an Instant Pot is that, unlike a crockpot, it keeps the ingredients whole and doesn't make them mushy. I also love that I can get dinner started and just walk away, without having to monitor and stir a cooking pot of ingredients. On weekends, I'll also often start our dinner as early as 3:00, knowing that the recipe can sit until we're ready to eat. I'm pleased that I added Kathy Hester's new cookbook to my library, and know I'll get much use out of it in the years to come!