<strong>MICROWAVE</strong>-SAFE UTENSILSNever use metal or metal trimmed utensils inyour microwave ovenMicrowaves cannot penetrate metal. They willbounce off any metal object in the oven andcause arcing, an alarming phenomenon thatresembles lightning.Most heat resistant non metallic cooking utensilsare safe for use in your microwave oven.However, some may contain materials thatrender them unsuitable as microwave cookware.If you have any doubts about a particular utensil,there’s a simple way to find out if it can be usedin your microwave oven.Place the utensil in question next to a glass bowlfilled with water in the microwave oven.Microwave at power HIGH for 1 minute. If thewater heats up but the utensil remains cool to thetouch, the utensil is microwave-safe. However, ifthe water does not change temperature but theutensil becomes warm, microwaves are beingabsorbed by the utensil and it is not safe for usein the microwave oven. You probably have manyitems on hand in your kitchen right now that canbe used as cooking equipment in your microwaveoven. Just read through the following checklist.Dinner platesMany kinds of dinner-ware are microwave-safe. Ifin doubt consult the manufacturer’s literature orperform the microwave test.GlasswareGlassware that is heat-resistant is microwavesafe.This would include all brands of oventempered glass cookware. However, do not usedelicate glassware, such as tumblers or wineglasses, as these might shatter as the foodwarms.Plastic storage containersThese can be used to hold foods that are to bequickly reheated. However, they should not beused to hold foods that will need considerabletime in the oven as hot foods will eventually warpor melt plastic containers.PaperPaper plates and containers are convenient andsafe to use in your microwave oven, provided thatthe cooking time is short and foods to be cookedare low in fat and moisture. Paper towels are alsovery useful for wrapping foods and for liningbaking trays in which greasy foods such as baconare cooked. In general, avoid colored paperproducts as the colour may run. Some recycledpaper products may contain impurities whichcould cause arcing or fires when used in themicrowave oven.Plastic cooking bagsProvided they are made specially for cooking,cooking bags are microwave safe. However, besure to make a slit in the bag so that steam canescape. Never use ordinary plastic bags forcooking in your microwave oven, as they will meltand rupture.Plastic microwave cookwareA variety of shapes and sizes of microwavecookware are available. For the most part, youcan probably use items you already have onhand rather than investing in new kitchenequipment.Pottery, stoneware and ceramicContainers made of these materials are usuallyfine for use in your microwave oven, but theyshould be tested to be sure.CAUTIONSome items with high lead or iron content arenot suitable for cooking utensils.Dinner plates or cups that have painted finishesshould not be used in the microwave as thedecorative paint will cause arching and damage tothe paint's finish if the paint is metallic based.16
FOOD CHARACTERISTICS & <strong>MICROWAVE</strong> COOKINGKeeping an eye on thingsThe recipes in this book have been formulatedwith great care, but your success in preparingthem depends on how much attention you pay tothe food as it cooks. Always watch your foodwhile it cooks. Your microwave oven is equippedwith a light that turns on automatically when theoven is in operation so that you can see insideand check the progress of your food. Directionsgiven in recipes to elevate, stir, and the likeshould be thought of as the minimum stepsrecommended. If the food seems to be cookingunevenly, simply make the necessaryadjustments you think appropriate to correct theproblem.Factors affecting microwave cooking timesMany factors affect cooking times. Thetemperature of ingredients used in a recipemakes a big difference in cooking times. Forexample, a cake made with ice-cold butter, milk,and eggs will take considerably longer to bakethan one made with ingredients that are at roomtemperature. All of the recipes in this book give arange of cooking times. In general, you will findthat the food remains under-cooked at the lowerend of the time range, and you may sometimeswant to cook your food beyond the maximum timegiven, according to personal preference. Thegoverning philosophy of this book is that it is bestfor a recipe to be conservative in giving cookingtimes. While overcooked food is ruined for good.Some of the recipes, particularly those for bread,cake, and custards, recommend that food beremoved from the oven when they are slightlyundercooked. This is not a mistake. Whenallowed to stand, usually covered, these foodswill continue to cook outside of the oven as theheat trapped within the outer portions of the foodgradually travels inward. If the food is left in theoven until it is cooked all the way through, theouter portions will become overcooked or evenburnt. You will become increasingly skilful inestimating both cooking and standing times forvarious foods.Density of foodLight, porous food such as cakes and bread cookmore quickly than heavy, dense foods such asroasts and casseroles. You must take care whenmicrowaving porous food that the outer edges donot become dry and brittle.Height of foodThe upper portion of tall food, particularly roasts,will cook more quickly than the lower portion.Therefore, it is wise to turn tall food duringcooking, sometimes several times.Moisture content of foodSince the heat generated from microwaves tendsto evaporate moisture, relatively dry food such asroasts and some vegetables should either besprinkled with water prior to cooking or covered toretain moisture.Bone and fat content of foodBones conduct heat and fat cooks more quicklythan meat. Care must be taken when cookingbony or fatty cuts of meat that they do not cookunevenly and do not become overcooked.Quantity of foodThe number of microwaves in your oven remainsconstant regardless of how much food is beingcooked. Therefore, the more food you place inthe oven, the longer the cooking time. Rememberto decrease cooking times by at least one thirdwhen halving a recipe.Shape of foodMicrowaves penetrate only about 2.5 cm intofood, the interior portion of thick foods are cookedas the heat generated on the outside travelsinward. Only the outer edge of food is cooked bymicrowave energy; the rest is cooked byconduction. The worst possible shape for a foodthat is to be microwaved is a thick square. Thecorners will burn long before the centre is evenwarm . Round thin foods and ring shaped foodscook successfully in the microwave.CoveringA cover traps heat and steam which causes foodto cook more quickly. Use a lid or microwavecling film with a corner folded back to preventsplitting.BrowningMeats and poultry that are cooked fifteen minutesor longer will brown lightly in their own fat. Foodthat is cooked for a shorter period of time may bebrushed with a browning sauce such asWorcestershire sauce, soy sauce or barbecuesauce to achieve an appetizing colour. Sincerelatively small amounts of browning sauce isadded to food, the original flavour of the recipe isnot altered.Covering with greaseproof paperGreaseproofing effectively prevents spatteringand helps food retain some heat. But because itmakes a looser cover than a lid or clingfilm, itallows the food to dry out slightly.Arranging and spacingIndividual foods such as baked potatoes, smallcakes and hors d’oeuvres will heat more evenly ifplaced in the oven an equal distance apart,preferably in a circular pattern. Never stack foodson top of one another.17