Purposeful Pot

It is Wednesday and Cook's Corner is here and leading me astray.  I don't know about you, you are probably more disciplined than I, but there is an interesting pot out there that I do not own.  It is a multicooker called Instant Pot which I hope to find on Amazon. It is a slow cooker or a pressure cooker.  It pleases cooks of every temperament.  If you are organized and have the entire day to slow cook, there you go.  If you are in a hurry you can pressure cook and have a meal on the table in 30 minutes or less. I confess I have never owned a pressure cooker.  When I was a child every time mother put the pressure cooker on we all ran.  It jiggled and shook tooted and steamed. It was a menace to anyone in the kitchen.  Mother loved it, but it did explode now and then. There is even a cookbook out now with Instant Pot recipes.  I have a large kitchen with several pantries and I am not sure I can find a place for this new pot, but the author says she keeps hers out all the time and never even unplugs it.  Got to have one. I will search the Internet to see what else I can find out about this multicooker. 

I have the information now so I will sleep on this before I leap.  But, that has not stopped me in the kitchen today.  I have made luscious croutons from two large French loaves from Sam's.  They are buttery, crisp and coated with parmesan. The stew pot is burbling away with homemade stock, potatoes, carrots, onions and a packet of dry Ranch dressing.  It will be ready for the salmon and tilapia and fresh herbs before long.  The croutons will be delicious with this treat.

Nate is busy planning his wanderlust tour.  Last year he was gone 3 1/2 months visiting his brother in Colorado coming and going, Hawaii twice, Australia, and New Zealand. We always miss his smiling face, but a guy has to do what a guy has to do.

Remember when the back of the Bisquick box had something called Impossible Pie?  The Not so Humble Pie blog brought it up today and I copied the recipe from her blog because it is no longer on the back of the box.  I always keep Bisquick in my pantry and I have even been known to feed it to the French when I traveled there and had guests for dinner.

I also have an oven full of butternut squash.  Sara Moulton says not to peel it or seed it, just cut it in half and bake it in its own skin then scoop out the soft deliciousness.  It is MUCH easier that way.  I did two on one tray for 60 minutes and it was a perfect success. Now only a dozen more to go.  Thanksgiving, here we come.