Whether you’re cooking a weeknight meal for your family or entertaining at a dinner party, an electric pressure cooker gets food on the table quickly without sacrificing flavor. Craving a nourishing bowl of lentil soup tonight? The Instant Pot (electric pressure cooker) can handle it. Want Beef Bourguignon? No problem. Joining me on today’s podcast with insight into this popular appliance is Melissa Clark, author of Dinner in an Instant: 75 Modern Recipes for Your Pressure Cooker, Multicooker + Instant Pot and a longtime New York Times food reporter.
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Electric pressure cookers promise convenience and versatility, making them essential countertop appliances for busy cooks. My first experience with one wasn’t entirely intuitive, but after overcoming a few early mishaps, the Instant Pot quickly became my favorite time-saver. From braises and beans to lentil soup, ribs and even desserts, this appliance unlocks delicious, healthy meals with far less hands-on time.
If you, like I did, needed help getting started, this episode is a perfect resource. Melissa Clark joins the show to share tips and techniques for cooking colorful, creative recipes in the electric pressure cooker.
Melissa, an enthusiastic home cook and professional recipe developer, discovered the pressure cooker’s real power when she started testing recipes. Because the cooker seals in high pressure and steam, dishes that normally take hours finish in a fraction of the time. In the episode we discuss recipes that shine in the Instant Pot, including her Vietnamese-Glazed Salmon (a recipe I’ve made multiple times) and the Sticky Tamarind Baby Back Ribs featured on her cookbook cover. I’m also eager to try the dessert recipes from her book.
GIVEAWAY!
Want to win a copy of Dinner in an Instant: 75 Modern Recipes for Your Pressure Cooker, Multicooker + Instant Pot? To enter, leave a comment at the end of this post telling me your favorite thing to cook in the Instant Pot or why you’d like Melissa’s cookbook. I’ll choose a winner at random on March 21st. Good luck! (U.S. entries only.)
Show Highlights:
- How modern electric pressure cookers work and how they differ from older stovetop models.
- Why Melissa wrote Dinner in an Instant and the goals behind the book.
- Why pressure cookers excel at braises and beans, reducing long braising times while building flavor.
- Melissa’s recipe development process and how she tests flavors and textures for the multicooker.
- Family-friendly recipes her daughter enjoys and how to adapt meals for kids.
- How the Vietnamese-Glazed Salmon cooks in just one minute under pressure.
- Why cheesecakes and custards turn out well in a pressure cooker.
- Answers to listener questions from the Podcast Posse community.
- Factors that helped the Instant Pot become a mainstream cooking tool.
- Comfort-food ideas that make weeknight dinners easier and more satisfying.
- Melissa’s approach—there’s no single magic formula for converting traditional recipes, but practical strategies can guide you.
- Recommendations for favorite chefs, cookbooks, and resources.
- Entry details for the cookbook giveaway.
- Encouragement to experiment: there’s a short learning curve, and trying new things is part of the fun.
[Tweet “Tune in to Liz’s Healthy Table podcast with @melissaclark and learn how to make delicious, healthy meals in the Instant Pot: salmon, baby back ribs, lentil soup, desserts and more!”]
Contact:
My email: [email protected]
Sticky Tamarind Baby Back Ribs
Melissa’s website