In pan frying, food is cooked in a frying pan, the favorite being a cast iron pan just like Grandma had, with a little fat over high heat.  Pan frying is great for steaks if you do not mind the clean up.

Lou Seibert Pappas is the author of numerous cookbooks including Fondue, Coffee Cakes, Ice Creams & Sorbets; Crème Brûlée; Pancakes & Waffles; Biscotti; The Christmas Candy Book; The Christmas Cookie Book; Crêpes; and Omelettes, Soufflés & Frittatas. She lives in Palo Alto, California.

James Peterson is an award-winning cookbook writer and cooking teacher, whose career began as a young cook in Paris. In the mid-eighties, he was a partner and cook at the Greenwich Village restaurant Le Petit Robert. He is the author of nine award-winning and short-listed cookbooks, including the James Beard Cookbook of the Year Sauces: Classical and Contemporary Sauce Making, as well as Essentials of Cooking, Glorious French Food, What's a Cook to Do?, and Cooking. He teaches, writes about, photographs, lives, breathes, and cooks fine food.

Valerie Peterson is a writer with over fifteen years of experience working with cookbooks. She grew up in Yonkers, New York, where her second favorite toy was her Easy-Bake Oven. She now lives in Manhattan. Her latest cookbook is Cookie Craft.

Patty Pinner is the author of Sweets: A Collection of Soul Food Desserts and Memories, which Maida Heater called “a rare treasure.” An employee of the U.S. Postal Service, she lives in Saginaw, Michigan. Her latest cookbook is Sweety Pies: An Uncommon Collection of Womanish Observations, with Pie.

Jairemarie Pomo is chef-at-large for Hog Island Oyster Company and teaches oyster cooking classes in the San Francisco Bay Area. She also leads writing workshops out of her home in Inverness, California, just steps from Tomales Bay, where Hog Island oysters are grown. The Hog Island Oyster Lover's Cookbook is her first cookbook.

Lorna Sass author of Pressure Perfect and Whole Grains Every Day, Every Way shares with us her definition of Pressure Cooking:

"In a pressure cooker, food becomes tender in one-third the standard cooking time. How does this happen?  Once you've locked the lid in place and set the cooker over high heat, the liquid inside comes to a boil and produces steam.  Because the lid has an air-tight seal, the steam gets trapped inside the pot and forces the internal pressure to build up to approximately 15 pounds per square inch.

Under 15 pounds of pressure, water boils at 250 degrees Fahrenheit rather than the standard 212 degrees.  Since the water is 38 degrees hotter than usual, the food fibers break down and the flavors mingle in one-third the standard cooking time.  That's why a pot roast becomes fork-tender in one hour instead of three, and split peas melt into a puree in 20 minutes rather than 60.

When purchasing a pressure cooker, examine the lid. First make sure that it's simple to lock the lid into place and to remove it after cooking. Then determine what kind of pressure regulator the cooker uses and how easy it is to determine when high pressure is reached.

There are three types of pressure regulators (so named because they regulate the amount of pressure in the cooker):

• The most sophisticated type is a spring-valve regulator, used in many cookers imported from Europe. Although designs vary, most spring-valve regulators have a small brightly colored rod or cylinder that pops up as the pressure builds.  When the rod comes up high enough to reveal a designated mark, the cook knows at a glance when high pressure is reached.  

• The second type is a removable, round metal weight that sits on top of the vent pipe.  This design is used in American pressure cookers like Presto and Mirro and in some imported brands. When high pressure is reached, the weight gently rocks back and forth, giving this cooker the familiar nickname of "jiggle-top".  

• The third type, called a developed weight regulator, is used in many imports.  Think of it as a jiggle-top in disguise since it sits on top of the vent pipe, but gets locked into position before cooking begins. This regulator lifts up slightly when high pressure is reached but, since it rarely jiggles, the cook must observe carefully to know when high pressure is reached.

Charlotte Puckette, author of Ethnic Paris, is a chef and owner of a catering company in Paris, France. She was born in Charleston, South Carolina. She developed her passion for cooking while she was traveling and working in East Africa. Currently Charlotte is actively introducing people to ethnic cuisine through her catering and Paris market tours.

Donna-Marie Pye is an author, home economist, food writer and recipe developer for food publications and food marketing boards, and author of several cookbooks including America's Best Slow Cooker Recipes, The Best Family Slow Cooker Recipes, and 300 Slow Cooker Favorites.