Lorna J. Sass

Lorna Sass is an award-winning cookbook author and food writer renowned as "the Queen of Pressure Cooking." Her bestselling book "Cooking Under Pressure," published in 1989 with over 250,000 copies sold, revolutionized home cooking by demystifying pressure cookers. She expanded this niche with three follow-up titles: "Great Vegetarian Cooking Under Pressure," "The Pressured Cook," and "Pressure Perfect." Sass also earned acclaim for her pioneering vegan cookbooks, including "Recipes from an Ecological Kitchen" and "Short-Cut Vegan," which highlighted sustainable eating long before it became mainstream. Her James Beard Award-winning "Whole Grains Every Day, Every Way" and its sequel, "Whole Grains for Busy People," further cemented her reputation for accessible, health-conscious recipes.

Sass's career reflects her innovative approach to food trends and history. While pursuing a PhD in medieval literature at Columbia University, she authored four historical cookbooks for the Metropolitan Museum of Art—an early foray into food scholarship. Her articles have appeared in major publications like The New York Times, Gourmet, and Bon Appétit, alongside contributions to The Huffington Post and LocalHarvest. A member of Les Dames d'Escoffier and the Women's Culinary Alliance, Sass continues to advocate for urban agriculture, promoting rooftop and community gardening initiatives in New York City.