My New Best Friend

My friends at Fagor are at it again; they have come up with the ultimate machine!  This is the multi-cooker; a pressure cooker, rice cooker and slow cooker all in one.  A great design, kind of like a cousin to R2D2 of the Star Wars movie, it even beeps at you, it's a great machine to have in your kitchen.

Many of my chef friends who have sworn by stove top pressure cookers say that once they have used an electric pressure cooker, they have never looked back.  The electric cookers are the no-brainer of pressure cooking, you just set it and forget it.  The interior is non-stick and is removed easily for cleaning after each use.  It comes with a rack in the bottom for pressure cooking your favorite veggies, or for making creme brulee or pot de creme.
Tonight I made a Bolognese sauce in the multi-cooker, and it was awesome!   This recipe is simple, and gives you enough for 2 meals. 

Speedy Bolognese Sauce

Makes about 5 cups

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large sweet onion, such as Vidalia, finely chopped

2 medium carrots, finely chopped

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

1 pound ground veal

1/2 pound lean ground pork

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 cup beef broth

One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes with their juice

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. In the pressure cooker, melt the butter over  medium high heat and sauté the onion, carrot, and celery for 2 minutes to soften the onion. 
2. Add the veal and pork, sprinkle with the salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and cook until the meat is no longer pink. 
3. Stir in the beef broth, tomatoes, and cream. Lock the lid in place and cook 5 minutes at high pressure.
4. Release the pressure naturally and remove the lid, tilting the pot away from you to avoid any escaping steam. 
5. Skim off any excess fat on the top of the sauce and stir in the parsley and serve over pappardelle, or tortellini.