A day in the life...

Wiliams Sonoma is one of my favorite stores. I love gadgets and those special use utensils. You know, the ones that you do not use on a daily basis...but you realllly must have it ;-)

I am proud to say, I have never purchased anything from TV, you know those commercials that make you feel as though you really should call for your life would be so much better if you did.
This may indeed disqualify my gadget-holic status.

The one gadget I did not have in my kitchen was a pressure cooker. To be honest....I was a tad bit fearful of them. I mean really... I am sure you heard the same horror stories.

I have been thinking about them as of late...they cook fast....keep all of the natural juices...pretty healthy...did I mention fast. So, fast and healthy and most of the foods I cook can be frozen for another day.

Went...looked and realized the ones sold through the local stores here in St. Augustine, well all are made in China and did not have a quality feel. Not sure about you....if something can explode....well I really want it well made and of course safety is a very important factor.

Found one I liked and ordered it online... this morning first thing the door bell rings...there at my front door a package....the pressure cooker.





My first attempt at using it I choose a very simple recipe "Italian Chicken".
green peppers, onions, garlic, red wine, tomatoes, cut up chicken (remove the skin).
I browned the seasoned (salt and pepper)chicken right in the pressure cooker, removed and softened the peppers, onions, garlic and a pinch of crushed red pepper....then added the wine to deglaze the bottom on the pot. I added the chicken back into the pot....then the tomatoes. covered, locked into place. 10 minutes later it was removed from the heat. You cannot open the newer pressure cookers until the pressure is relieved.

I have an electric stove and there is a learning curve in using the pressure cooker. The directions called for high heat....nope. I had to continually remove the pot from the heat adjust the temp. so that the pressure would lessen. It would be so much easier on a gas stove...I'll get the hang of it.
The chicken was so juicy and tender....the sauce...wonderful, and a good bit so I can see a dish of pasta and beans during the week.



Since I was experimenting with the new pot, at the same time I decided to make a desert....Blueberry bread pudding. Simple and so very easy....oh, did I mention delicious.
The secret ingredient is grated lemon peel. If you have made this dish and not added that, give it a try.

Gadget-holic...