Although they have an unfair reputation for being dangerous, pressue cookers can dramatically reduce cooking times. They work on the premise of the ideal gas law. This piece explains the science behind this kitchen tool.
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Piece Description
Although they have an unfair reputation for being dangerous, pressue cookers can dramatically reduce cooking times. They work on the premise of the ideal gas law. This piece explains the science behind this kitchen tool.
Broadcast History
Distributed as podcast 5/08.
Transcript
When I visited my family this past Christmas, my mother insisted that I take my grandmother?s pressure cooker back home with me to Philadelphia. My grandmother had died just over a year ago, and by now we?d split up most of her things?but no one wanted this pressure cooker. It was one of the old-style ones, with a jiggle top, and had a reputation for exploding in the kitchen. I couldn?t imagine what I was going to do with it, but I couldn?t bear to give it away, so in the car it went.
Of course once I made it home, I had to give it a try, and soon I was hooked. Turns out the stories of explosions are greatly exaggerated, but the claims about dramatically reduced cooking times are true. I started with a batch of chickpeas?15 minutes and they were falling apart, completely overcooked. If you?ve ever tried cooking dried chickpeas, you?ll know why I was so shocked. Now I?m using it all th...
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