My friend Terri is a generous and terrific cook. When she asks if you want to have lunch, she means, "Do you want to come to my house, and I will make mushroom soup with three different kinds of mushrooms and the most delicious salad you've ever tasted with homemade lemon dressing, and afterward I will send you home with all the recipes?" So last March, when she asked me if I wanted to take a pressure cooking class at her house in Livingston, I knew at a minimum I'd be well fed and drive home with a sheaf of new recipes.

The class was taught by Arlene Ward, a lovely woman with a fierce attention to detail and a delightful sense of humor. Ward, 77, is co-author with Rick Rogers ofPressure Cooking For Everyone ($13.45 on Amazon) and an expert on using the pressure cooker in unexpected ways. Ward ran a cooking school and store in Wayne called Adventures in Cooking for more than 20 years, until a huge flood forced her to close the business in 2009. Since then, she has taught cooking classes at Kings, Chef Central and privately in people's homes. With a large group of women, including my neighbor Laura K., I sat in Ward's class at Terri's house for three hours, took notes, ate some excellent food, then went home and ordered a Kuhn Rikon 5 quart pressure cooker ($199 from Amazon; also available at Cookware & More and Chef Central. Bed Bath & Beyond carries other brands.) When the pressure cooker arrived, I put it on top of the stove.

There is something energizing about a new appliance. Oh, the things that you'll make! But that energy can work against you if you don't actually use the thing. The pressure cooker was big. As I read the owner's manual, I became nervous. The physics of it scared me. The pressure builds up, the little black button on top (aka the safety valve) pops up and if there is too much pressure, the pot will hiss, signaling you need to lower the flame or push down the valve so it can let off some steam. Who needed an appliance that hissed? I had also heard stories from years ago of pressure cookers blowing up. Meanwhile, Terri, Laura K. and my other PC-loving friends got busy making risotto, stews, soups, meatballs, brisket, turkey breast, chicken, butternut squash gratin, bread pudding, Bolognese sauce, apple sauce and cheese cake in their pressure cookers.

I made nothing. I didn't even wash the pressure cooker to get it ready. I did buy Ward's book and read through the recipes. The recipes looked delicious and none of them looked hard. Still, I was intimidated. What if I opened the pot too soon and instead of getting a mini facial, got burned by the steam? After a few weeks of staring at the pressure cooker on top of the stove, I opened our big oven, put the pressure cooker inside and closed the door. Time went by. Every so often, Terri would ask, "Have you used the pressure cooker?" I'd shake my head no. "It's so easy!" she'd say and then describe the great ropa vieja she'd just made. Laura K. would rave about how much her kids liked the turkey breast and pea soup she'd cooked in the PC. "I'm going to come over and help you," they both offered. I was too embarrassed to say, "Really? When?"

So a few weeks ago, when Terri said that Arlene was coming back to Essex County to teach another class in her kitchen, I signed up and tried not to think of it as remedial.

The class was terrific and inspiring, Arlene made barbecue chicken, corn pudding and a cauliflower and mushroom gratin in the pressure cooker. Outside the pressure cooker, she whipped up a farfalle in creamy vodka sauce, a super easy, gluten-free, chocolate pot of cream and a salad made with vanilla vinaigrette. She made a plain, roast chicken in the oven and showed us how to carve it properly. My friend Lora, who is kind of a genius and was also re-taking the class, demonstrated how to place the gasket in the lid and watch the valve pop up, then suggested we film Arlene in action so we didn't forget what to do (see videos.) I went home feeling slightly more confident.

The next morning, I followed Ward's suggestion: I took a practice run. I washed out the pot, poured in two cups of hot water, locked the lid in place and brought it to a boil over high heat. After 10 minutes, I turned off the burner, pressed down the valve to release the steam through the vent, tilted the lid of the pot away from me, and dumped the water down the sink. I'd used the pressure cooker to heat up some water. Whoopee! At least now I was confident enough to make risotto and barbecue chicken for dinner. There is nothing more delicious and satisfying than a rich, creamy risotto, especially on a cold night after daylight savings time kicks in and the days get dark so early. But risotto requires a lot of standing and stirring. If you've had a long day, you'll probably skip it. The great news is the pressure cooker makes the risotto beautifully without any standing and stirring and in half the time. I was doing a little mental victory lap in my kitchen when I saw how easy and fast it was to make that risotto. (Note: You do have to stay in the kitchen when the pressure cooker is on.)