The next obvious step was to call the cookbook author Lorna Sass, a pressure-cooker maven who has always been a step or two ahead of her time. (Her “Recipes From an Ecological Kitchen,” published 20-plus years ago, was among the first mainstream vegan cookbooks, and it has not been bettered. Sadly, it’s out of print.) I needed a lesson.

As Sass explained to me, by increasing pressure, these pots raise cooking temperatures and thereby speed up the time a dish requires. And they’re safer than they once were. (They can be more expensive too. The pricey ones are gorgeous, but the less-expensive ones still work well.) There should be no fear in using one: The locking systems are foolproof, and the safety systems are redundant — you will not spew beef stew all over your ceiling.