My mother used a pressure cooker almost every day of her life. I think she made green beans, mashed potatoes, cauliflower and other vegetables, but there is the only one specific dish I remember: navy beans.

One day when she and my sister and I returned from a shopping expedition, we found that something had gone wrong with a pressure cooker full of beans. I think my father was supposed to have been watching it, but no one had, and so the entire kitchen was festooned with dripping beans. Beans on the stove, beans on the counter, beans on the refrigerator.

My sister, who was about 5, pointed up. "Look, there are beans on the ceiling!"

The incident discouraged me from ever touching a pressure cooker, until recently, when I discovered that the cookers, relegated to the attic when microwaves became popular in the '70s, were making a comeback -- for a lot of good reasons. They're easy to use, make for healthful cooking and can cut cooking times by as much as 70 percent. And today's pressure cookers have several safety features that keep the beans off the ceiling.

So I got one, and, after spending several days cooking everything from Moroccan lamb stew to lemon curd, I can say, with complete safety, that this is a wonderful device.

I'm not alone in my enthusiasm. According to Dale Anderson, of the NPD Group, a market-research firm, sales of pressure cookers "are up quite a bit" in the past year. About 400,000 pressure cookers were sold between September 1997 and August 1998, an increase of 50 percent, or 130,000 units, over the previous 12-month period.

"They're definitely back in," says Carol Heding Munson, author of "Smart Pressure Cooker Recipes" (Sterling Publishing Co., 1998, $9.95). "They allow cooks to do pot roast and long-simmering stews in a short period of time. It really fits the needs of many of us these days."

Like that other '70s device making a comeback recently, the crockpot, pressure cookers help time-stressed cooks. Unlike crockpots, slow cookers that are filled hours before a meal is to be served (and thus require a high degree of organization), pressure cookers can be called into action at the last minute.

These days there is a wide variety of models to choose from, from inexpensive ones for about $60 to fancier models that cost between $100 and $200. There are several manufacturers in the

field: Presto, T-Fal and Kuhn-Rikon are three of them. I bought an inexpensive model that looked a lot like the one my mother had.

For my first recipe, I chose a turkey dish, made with turkey breast slices, Canadian bacon, mushrooms and pearl onions. I had already read the entire instruction booklet, handling each part of the cooker so I was sure I knew what it was.

My pressure cooker is a jiggler model, meaning the pressure-regulating device is a weighted cap that goes over the vent pipe in the middle of the lid. You place the cooker over medium to high heat to bring up the pressure; you know it's reached the right point when the jiggler begins rocking and hissing. Then you lower the heat just enough to keep the cap jiggling and start timing. The turkey dish took 10 minutes.

I was nervous about recognizing the pressure point, and not at all sure what to do if the thing misbehaved. I have a new kitchen, with glass-front cabinet doors!

When the cooking period was done, I carefully released the pressure.

Everything worked perfectly. The dish was great.

Confidence established, I went on to cook with the new cooker for the next several days, testing everything from simple vegetables to a more complex Moroccan-inspired stew with tomatoes, onions and chickpeas.

I had only one problem, and that was when I trusted a recipe and wrapped custard cups full of lemon curd with microwave-proof plastic film. The film didn't stand up to the 250 degrees of pressurized heat in the cooker and dissolved into the lemon curd. I threw out the entire batch and made it again, using foil. The second time it worked beautifully.

I loved having artichokes ready to eat in 10 minutes. Salmon poached perfectly, coming out tender and flaky and moist. I made a chicken, asparagus and pasta dish to serve a friend, and she was amazed at how simple it was to prepare, and at how complex the flavors of the dish were.

It all seemed like magic. But it's really pretty simple.

"A pressure cooker is basically a pot," says Braun Richard, of T-Fal Corp., a France-based firm that makes a variety of cookware. "What makes it a pressure cooker is the top, the lid. There are two types of [pressure] tops, the jiggle top, which is a weighted top. Then the newest pots have a spring valve -- on the cover of the pot is a little valve that has several settings for quick-release, for delicates, like vegetables, and for things like meats."

The lid has an interior rubber gasket that helps lock it to the pot, making a seal that is air- and steam-tight. Steam from cooking liquid is trapped inside the pot, creating pressure. In general, foods inside the cooker cook at about 250 degrees -- much hotter than boiling water, at 212 degrees. That's what makes the process so fast. When the cooking period is done, you can take the cooker off the heat and let the pressure drop naturally, or release it quickly by using the valve, or by running the pot under cold water.

Regular steaming or boiling can cause the loss of up to 40 percent of the nutrients in vegetables, Richard said. "In the pressure cooker, in an oxygen-free environment, the vitamins and minerals are preserved. And under high pressure, flavors mingle and intensify."

As for putting anything but aromas on the ceiling, he said that's not a problem. "Safety isn't really an issue any more, because there are so many built-in safety features these days. If you left

the cooker on and went out for half an hour, when you came back, the pot could be a mess, but it wouldn't explode."

Learning to cook with a pressure cooker "does take some getting used to," Munson said. "I'm still learning."

Pressure cookers work best for foods that would be cooked in a water or steam anyway: vegetables, beans, soups and stews. A pressure cooker will not impart crispness to anything; for that frying or baking are necessary. And, like the microwave, it doesn't brown food during the cooking process -- unless you burn it. However, many recipes call for browning some items first, either in a saucepan or skillet, or in the cooker itself.

One type of food that doesn't work, unless you are very careful, is starchy grains that swell when cooked, such as rice or barley. The problem is that they tend to bubble and foam, and can clog up the vent pipe. But pressure cooker recipe books are full of rice and grain dishes, including lots of risottos.

Richard of T-Fal said one technique for avoiding foaming is not to put too much food in the cooker. And especially if your cooker is aluminum, you need to use a heat diffuser, a metal or mesh plate that fits between the pot and the burner, to keep the bottom from getting too hot. You can also use a steamer basket or even a glass or metal dish that fits inside the cooker to help contain the food.

Munson said she discovered that adding a tablespoon of oil to beans helped to keep them from foaming.

Once you learn to use the pressure cooker, "it's going to save you an awful lot of time," she said. "You really can come home from work and have a pot roast on the table in time to sit down for dinner. It tastes great -- and it's a home-cooked meal."

Here are some pressure-cooker recipes.

Turkey in White Wine Sauce

Serves 4

1/2 cup dry white wine

3/4 cup fat-free chicken broth, commercial or homemade

4 slices Canadian-style bacon

1 package (10 ounces) pearl onions

4 ounces small mushroom caps

4 boneless, skinless turkey breast slices (about 1 pound)

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1/8 teaspoon ground celery seed

8 ounces broad noodles

Pour the wine and 1/2 cup broth into a pressure cooker.

Coat a skillet with nonstick cooking spray, and warm it over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add the bacon and brown it on both sides, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the cooker. Add the onions and the mushrooms.

Let the skillet cool, coat it with nonstick spray, and add the turkey. Brown it on both sides over medium-high heat, about 5 minutes. Transfer the turkey to the cooker.

Cover the cooker, lock lid in position, and place the pressure regulator on the vent pipe if you're using a first-generation cooker. Over medium-high or high heat, bring the cooker up to pressure. Reduce heat just enough to maintain pressure (regulator should rock gently), and cook for 10 minutes.

Let the pressure drop naturally for 5 minutes; then quick-release any remaining pressure (under cold running water if you're using a first-generation cooker). Carefully remove the lid. Transfer the turkey and bacon to a platter, leaving the vegetables and broth

in the cooker; keep the turkey warm.

Whisk together the cornstarch, pepper, thyme, celery seed and the remaining broth. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the vegetable-broth gravy. Cook, uncovered, until the gravy is thickened and hot, about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to package directions. Serve the turkey, bacon and gravy over the noodles.

-- From Carol Heding Munson's "Smart Pressure Cooker Recipes"

Lamb and Chickpea Ragout

Serves 4

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed of all visible fat and cut into 1 1/2 -inch cubes

2 large onions, finely chopped

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes, drained, seeded and chopped

1/2 cup beef stock, commercial or homemade

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon crushed saffron threads

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas, or 1 19-ounce can, drained and rinsed under cold water

1/4 cup golden raisins (optional)

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Heat the oil in the pressure cooker over high heat. Brown the lamb on all sides, in small batches. Remove the browned lamb and set aside. Lower the heat and add the onion. Saute 4 to 5 minutes, or until soft. Stir frequently so that the onion does not brown. Return the lamb and any collected juices to the pressure cooker. Add the wine, tomatoes, beef stock, cinnamon, saffron, ginger, salt and black pepper.

Position the lid and lock in place. Raise the heat to high and bring to high pressure. Adjust the heat to stabilize the pressure and cook 20 minutes. Remove from heat and lower pressure using the cold-water-release method. Open pressure cooker and stir in the chickpeas and optional raisins. Taste and adjust for salt. Place the pressure cooker, uncovered, over low heat and simmer 10 minutes so that the raisins can plump and the flavors blend together. Garnish with cilantro before serving.

-- From "The Ultimate Pressure Cooker Cookbook," by Tom Lacalamita (Simon & Schuster, 1997, $25)

Quick 'Barbecued' Chicken

Serves 4 to 6

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

3 to 4 pounds chicken parts, preferably thighs and drumsticks, skinned

2 cups prepared barbecue sauce

1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped onions

1 large green pepper, seeded and diced (optional)

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the cooker. Brown the chicken well on both sides in small batches, adding extra oil as needed.

Set browned chicken on a platter. Pour off leftover oil, if desired.

Place the sauce, onions and green pepper (if using) in the cooker. Stir well, taking care to scrape up any browned bits sticking to the bottom. Add the reserved browned chicken, plus any juices that have collected on the platter, stirring so that the chicken is well-coated with sauce.

Lock the lid in place and over high heat bring to high pressure. Adjust the heat to maintain high pressure and cook for 9 minutes. Reduce pressure with a quick-release method.

Remove the lid, tilting it away from you to allow any excess steam to escape.

Place the chicken on individual plates or on a serving platter and spoon the sauce on top.

-- From "Cooking Under Pressure," by Lorna Sass (William Morrow, 1989, $23)

Tortellini and Chicken in Parmesan Cream Sauce

Serves 6

3 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/4 cup butter

4 shallots, minced

3 tablespoons minced parsley

4 chicken breast halves, skin removed, boned

1 small carrot, thinly sliced (see note)

1 8-ounce package dried, cheese-filled tortellini (see note)

1 teaspoon dried tarragon

2 cups chicken broth

1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces

1/2 cup half-and-half or milk

3 tablespoons butter, softened

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus extra to serve

2 teaspoons potato starch or flour

parsley sprigs to garnish

In a pressure cooker, saute bacon 2 minutes. Add butter, shallots and parsley. Stir well and saute 2 minutes. Stir in chicken, carrot, tortellini and tarragon. Add broth and mix well. Secure lid. Over high heat, develop steam to high pressure. Insert a heat diffuser between the pan and heat. Reduce heat to maintain pressure and cook 6 minutes. Release pressure according to manufacturer's directions. Remove lid.

Stir in asparagus. Remove diffuser. Secure lid. Over high heat, develop steam to medium-high pressure. Insert heat diffuser between pan and heat. Reduce heat to maintain pressure and cook 2 minutes. Release pressure according to manufacturer's directions. Remove lid.

Combine half-and-half, butter, 1/3 cup cheese, and potato starch in a small bowl. Blend thoroughly. Gradually add to chicken and tortellini mixture, stirring gently over medium heat until sauce begins to thicken and becomes creamy.

Transfer chicken and tortellini with sauce to serving platter. Sprinkle with additional cheese and garnish with parsley sprigs.

-- From "The Pressure Cooker Cookbook," by Toula Patsalis (HP Books, 1994, $12)

Note: When I made this dish, I didn't have a carrot, so I used an equivalent amount of chopped red pepper, which was very good. I also used fresh frozen tortellini, and added them in the last 2 minutes of pressure cooking.

Pub Date: 10/28/98