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Instantly French!: Classic French Recipes for Your Electric Pressure Cooker
The first electric pressure cooker book devoted specifically to French food, Instantly French! brings the scrumptious flavors of traditional French cuisine to your table―without the hours of slow cooking French food normally requires.
Author of Mastering the Art of French Eating , Ann Mah is undoubtedly an expert on all things relating to French food. But when she discovered the electric pressure cooker, she realized that it was the secret weapon the French have used for years to speedily prepare the complex dishes of la cuisine de grandmère . In her first cookbook, Ann celebrates everything gastronomically French that an electric pressure cooker can do with over seventy different recipes that cut cooking times in more than half.
The delights of Instantly French! range from appetizers like eggplant caviar, pâté de campagne, and savory mini blue cheese cakes to soups like traditional French onion or an autumnal purée of butternut squash and chestnut. For main courses, there are classics like boeuf bourguignon, cassoulet, chicken tagine with preserved lemons, and blanquette de veau. Desserts feature poached pears, flourless chocolate cake, and crème brulée. And, all of these dishes can be made in a fraction of the time they usually take. Illustrated throughout with full color photos, Instantly French! is the essential guide to fast, delicious French cooking with your electric pressure cooker.
Author of Mastering the Art of French Eating , Ann Mah is undoubtedly an expert on all things relating to French food. But when she discovered the electric pressure cooker, she realized that it was the secret weapon the French have used for years to speedily prepare the complex dishes of la cuisine de grandmère . In her first cookbook, Ann celebrates everything gastronomically French that an electric pressure cooker can do with over seventy different recipes that cut cooking times in more than half.
The delights of Instantly French! range from appetizers like eggplant caviar, pâté de campagne, and savory mini blue cheese cakes to soups like traditional French onion or an autumnal purée of butternut squash and chestnut. For main courses, there are classics like boeuf bourguignon, cassoulet, chicken tagine with preserved lemons, and blanquette de veau. Desserts feature poached pears, flourless chocolate cake, and crème brulée. And, all of these dishes can be made in a fraction of the time they usually take. Illustrated throughout with full color photos, Instantly French! is the essential guide to fast, delicious French cooking with your electric pressure cooker.
208 pages, Paperback
Published September 25, 2018
83 people are currently reading
215 people want to read
About the author
Ann Mah
7 books794 followersAnn Mah is the author of the novel Jacqueline in Paris (due out Sept 2022) as well as four other books, including the USA Today bestseller and Indie Next pick, The Lost Vintage. Her food memoir, Mastering the Art of French Eating, was an Amazon best book of 2013, and a winner of the Elle readers prize.
Ann is a regular contributor to the New York Times Travel section, and her articles have also appeared in Condé Nast Traveler, the Washington Post, The Best American Travel Writing 2017, Washingtonian magazine, Vogue.com, BonAppetit.com, TheKitchn.com, and other publications.
As the recipient of a James Beard Foundation culinary scholarship, Ann studied in Bologna, Italy. She also holds the Level 2 Award in Wine and Spirits with distinction from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET).
Ann is a regular contributor to the New York Times Travel section, and her articles have also appeared in Condé Nast Traveler, the Washington Post, The Best American Travel Writing 2017, Washingtonian magazine, Vogue.com, BonAppetit.com, TheKitchn.com, and other publications.
As the recipient of a James Beard Foundation culinary scholarship, Ann studied in Bologna, Italy. She also holds the Level 2 Award in Wine and Spirits with distinction from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET).
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 22, 2018
I am loving this instant pot cookbook. I have tried five recipes so far and they are all simple and delicious. As long as I buy the right ingredients (leeks, shallots) the food turns out amazing. I’ve made pork, two chicken recipes, the leeks vinaigrette, and the “foolproof” chocolate cake. All delicious! The chocolate cake took a little longer than the recipe instructed, but that has been my experience with cake in a pressure cooker. I highly recommend this cookbook if you like tasty food and you like to use your pressure cooker!
February 19, 2025
God bless cookbook author Ann Mah! I adored this cookbook devoted to French cuisine in the pressure cooker. French cooking can take a long time of roasting, which isn’t practical for a working mom or dad; however, with a pressure cooker, even the longest braise can be accomplished in half or one-third of the time. But Mah doesn’t compromise crunchy toppings despite the Instant Pot shortcuts. Love, love, love this cookbook!
October 11, 2018
Ann Mah's recipes are the best, so when this book came out, I immediately ordered an Instant Pot so I could try them.
July 14, 2025
This book is a must have if you own an Instant Pot. Every single recipe we have tried has been spectacular. The Braised Pork and Apple stew is my very favorite but the chicken in cream sauce comes in a close second.
My husband is the one using the IP and says it easy. He preps everything first, as I ought to do, and it's an efficient process. the food is always outstanding and the meats cooked in the IP are fork tender. He plans to cook his way through this book as there hasn't been a recipe we haven't salivated over!
My husband is the one using the IP and says it easy. He preps everything first, as I ought to do, and it's an efficient process. the food is always outstanding and the meats cooked in the IP are fork tender. He plans to cook his way through this book as there hasn't been a recipe we haven't salivated over!
October 11, 2018
Absolutely the best instant pot cookbook I've ever read (which I did from front to back. For the first time, I understand how and why to use it and am thrilled. Now I can't wait to begin using it!
September 26, 2018
I had the pleasure of testing the vegetable recipes* from Ann Mah's new cookbook, INSTANTLY FRENCH. Not only did I fall in love with the elegant simplicity of recipes for poached pears, braised peppers, and Moroccan chickpea stew, but I learned how to better use my Instant Pot in the process.
With Instant Pot cooking, sometimes it's easy for spices to get drowned out, but Ann always gets the seasoning exactly right, and it makes cooking from (and eating) these recipes a joyful experience.
The other thing I love about this book is that the recipes I tried didn't add pain to my grocery bill. One of my favorite soups, (called "Ribs, stems, roots, leaves") used parts of veggies I might have tossed, to make something delicious!
Our favorite in this house is Ann's poached leeks with vinaigrette recipe (pictured). I did not know leeks could be a main ingredient before this! It's amazing.
So, if you're headed into winter and craving some hearty, homecooked food, I highly, highly recommend this book!
"Ann Mah takes a very classic – and extremely personal – look at the popular electric pressure cooker. Here is how I describe her studied approach: inquisitive, detailed, precise, adventuresome, accurate. Bravo!" –Patricia Wells, journalist, author, and multiple James Beard Award winner, living in Paris and Provence
*While this cookbook isn't vegan (and I am), I believe this book is worth it for the veggies recipes alone. I made all of the veggie recipes without oil, left out non-vegan ingredients, and was still completely thrilled with the results. I can imagine if you're an eat-everything person, you'll also be in heaven with this book.
With Instant Pot cooking, sometimes it's easy for spices to get drowned out, but Ann always gets the seasoning exactly right, and it makes cooking from (and eating) these recipes a joyful experience.
The other thing I love about this book is that the recipes I tried didn't add pain to my grocery bill. One of my favorite soups, (called "Ribs, stems, roots, leaves") used parts of veggies I might have tossed, to make something delicious!
Our favorite in this house is Ann's poached leeks with vinaigrette recipe (pictured). I did not know leeks could be a main ingredient before this! It's amazing.
So, if you're headed into winter and craving some hearty, homecooked food, I highly, highly recommend this book!
"Ann Mah takes a very classic – and extremely personal – look at the popular electric pressure cooker. Here is how I describe her studied approach: inquisitive, detailed, precise, adventuresome, accurate. Bravo!" –Patricia Wells, journalist, author, and multiple James Beard Award winner, living in Paris and Provence
*While this cookbook isn't vegan (and I am), I believe this book is worth it for the veggies recipes alone. I made all of the veggie recipes without oil, left out non-vegan ingredients, and was still completely thrilled with the results. I can imagine if you're an eat-everything person, you'll also be in heaven with this book.
October 11, 2018
Damn you, Ann Mah. Now I have to buy an Instant Pot! :)
December 28, 2024
I wouldn't normally review a cookbook as something I've "read" but I've been through this one so many times and tried so many of the recipes, I just had to. I originally found it at the library and I checked it out so many times that I finally just went out and bought it. The recipes are a bit heavier and tend to be better for cooler weather but they are DELICIOUS. She really helped me understand that an InstantPot is a tool that is part of the cooking process. Many of the dishes are finished in the oven which give them that baked, crisped, finished taste but the IP speeds everything up. If you want to get more out of your IP and try some wonderful dishes in the process, then I strongly recommend this book.
January 16, 2020
There are a couple of recipes that look intriguing, but I wasn't 'wow'-ed by the majority of the book.
March 26, 2021
A lot of the cookbooks I review get their stars for being fun & interesting to read -- this one was not like that, but I have actually cooked from it and the food came out delicious!
February 14, 2023
There are lots of really unique recipes in this book that aren’t your usual instant pot fair. I look forward to trying many of them.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews