So…I couldn’t wait to get my new Instant Pot. I figured it would be a great replacement for the old crock pot, rice cooker, steamer and a pressure cooker I was never inclined to buy. Actually, the thought of using one was terrifying.  You see…my grandmother and her sister-in-law blew up tamales all over the kitchen once.  So my grandma never made them again and died with her tamale recipe. This could never happen to me if I never used a pressure cooker. End of story.

The above story probably happened over 50 years ago.  Surely technology and safety have both come a long way since then. The fact that the Instant Pot had pressure cooking as an option was not a deal breaker either way.  I have always made good use out of a crock pot – even made an outstanding lasagna in one more than once.  The rice cooker I had to let go had seen better days as well.  I might walk through some fear if by some slim chance I learned how to use the scary feature on this new gadget.

So I dove in.  Sink or swim my grandpa used to say. Why not see what all the hype is about and why don’t we do it on Saint Patrick’s Day with a corned beef?  A corned beef that was supposed to take an hour cooking time and 20 minutes of a “natural release”. I had to look up what that meant as well as “quick release”…and “venting” and…it goes on and on.  I think my initial issue was the seal around the lid.  Now it’s getting late and Mimi’s Cafe was having a corned beef special that night.  Off we went like starving animals in search of a quick meal.

We came back home and let the new kitchen appliance slow cook all night instead. Meat was good – cabbage…not so much.  I’m not giving up, but now I’m a bit obsessed in getting it right!  By the way, there are some great You Tube videos on how to properly set up an Instant Pot.  WAY BETTER than the instruction manual. So I’m going back to the drawing board and You Tube for more information.  Then I’ll come back here when I know something!

That’s my story – that’s my plan – and I’m sticking to it!