A few days after Robin passed away, his last order arrived at the house and it was a Instant Pot. I could not believe he bought it since we were overloaded with similar gadgets such as a crock pot, pressure cooker and various other unused appliances. It frustrated me when it showed up because it was just another thing I had to find space for in the kitchen. I decided to shove the unopened box in the storage closet because it made me sad and I figured I would never use it.
For those who know me, I was not a gal who loved hanging out in the kitchen but over the last two years, I started to enjoy making vegetarian dishes. Robin fostered my new found hobby and even bought me an indoor herb garden. I would try out new recipes and he always graciously ate everything and encouraged my exploration in the culinary arts even when the meal sucked. However, when he died, I just stopped cooking.. the joy was lost and that was that.
This weekend, I started getting more interested in cooking again and thought it would be nice if I made a healthy meal. Recently, I felt that I had not been living up to my mom responsibilities and I should once again reinforce or otherwise stated “impose” vegetables on my daughter who does not naturally lean that way. In the last week, I have been feeling stronger and more connected with Robin. For whatever reason, I was drawn to taking the Instant Pot for a spin. The problem is that this contraption has such a buzz for fast meals but seemed so intimidating with the buttons and various cooking options. The Instant Pot was a mystery to me because I really did not know how to use it or what it really did . Although, with my try new things attitude, it was time for me to take that box down off the shelf and check it out.
I found a recipe that seemed easy.. Mexican Corn Soup. Well actually if I am being honest, it was my second choice, a last minute swap. I was going to make vegan butter chicken which sounded tasty but, could not find “soy curls” which was essential to the recipe. In fairness, I had no idea what these curls were or what they looked like other than a picture found from a google search. I called around and spoke with a clerk from Whole Foods, who also never heard of this product and tried to talk me into a another meat substitute which sounded high risk for this new recipe. Let’s face it, this butter chicken dish was a wild card and could have easily gone the wrong way with or without the right ingredient. I think the Corn Soup was the safer choice.
Now that I knew what I wanted to make, I prepared by reading the Instant Pot manual which made no sense to me probably due to my A.D.D. or perhaps the boring content. I then watched a few You Tube videos, but still seemed a little confused about some of the key features such as the knob that seals and release steam. This was one of many important functions that I needed to be clear about. But what the hell, I followed my recipe and then called in a pro, my friend Kelley, to walk me through Instant Pot 101. After several calls and encouragement that I would not blow the house up, I successfully made a delicious vegetable soup with a kick. Isabelle and I enjoyed a cozy dinner on the couch with the pugs… mission accomplished.
This sounds stupid but I feel that I have moved forward today and overcame a hurdle. This Instant Pot represented a little bit of sadness, anger and loss. I was proud of myself to grab it off the shelf and just deal with it and turn things around. Robin made a good choice as it was super easy and opened up my interest in cooking again. Well what can I say, I am no longer a Instant Pot Virgin. It felt great, stimulating and empowering being with that pot.. AWH… I need a cigarette.. (ha ha just kidding) .. just had a kitchen orgasm.. baby steps..
thumbs up!! you are inspiring.
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I bought one last year and haven’t used it yet…although a guest used it to prepare a delicious dinner.
I understand.
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