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22
Keeping
an
eye
on
things
The
recipes
in the book have been formulated with
great
care,
but your
success
in
preparing
them
depends
on
how much attention you pay
to
the food
as
it cooks.
Always
watch your food while it cooks. Your microwave
oven
is
equipped
with
a
light
that
turns
on
automatically
when the
oven
is in
operation
so
that you
can see
inside and check the progress of your food. Directions
given
in
recipes
to
elevate,
stir,
and the like should be
thought
of
as
the minimum
steps
recommended. If the
food
seems
to
be
cooking unevenly, simply
make the necessary
adjustments
you think
appropriate
to correct
the
problem.
Factors
affecting
microwave
cooking
times
Many
factors affect
cooking
times. The
temperature
of
ingredients
used in
a
recipe
makes
a
big
difference in
cooking
times. For
example,
a
cake made with ice-cold
butter, milk,
and eggs will take
considerably longer
to
bake than
one
made with
ingredients
that
are
at
room
temperature.
All of the
recipes
in this book
give
a
range
of
cooking
times. In
general,
you will find that the food remains under-cooked
at
the
lower end of the time range, and you may sometimes
want to
cook your food
beyond
the maximum time
given, according
to
personal preference.
The
governing
philosophy
of this book is that it is best for
a
recipe
to
be conservative in
giving
cooking
times. While overcooked food is ruined for
good.
Some of the
recipes,
particularly
those for
bread, cake,
and
custards,
recommend that food be removed
from the
oven
when
they
are
slightly
undercooked. This is
not
a
mistake. When
allowed
to
stand,
usually
covered,
these foods will continue
to
cook outside of the
oven as
the heat
trapped
within the
outer
portions
of the food
gradually
travels
inward. If the food is left in the
oven
until it is cooked all the way
through,
the
outer
portions
will become overcooked
or even
burnt. You will become
increasingly
skilful
in
estimating
both
cooking
and
standing
times for various foods.
Density
of food
Light,
porous food such
as
cakes and breads cook
more
quickly
than
heavy,
dense
foods such
as
roasts
and casseroles. You
must
take
care
when
microwaving
porous
food that the
outer
edges
do
not
become
dry
and brittle.
Height
of food
The upper
portion
of tall
food,
particularly
roasts,
will cook
more
quickly
than the
lower
portion.
Therefore,
it is wise
to turn
tall food
during cooking,
sometimes several
times.
Moisture
content of food
Since the heat
generated
from microwaves tends
to
evaporate moisture,
relatively dry
food
such
as
roasts
and
some
vegetables
should either be
sprinkled
with
water
prior
to
cooking
or
covered
to
retain moisture.
Bone and fat content of food
Bones conduct heat and fat cooks
more
quickly
than
meat.
Care
must
be taken when
cooking bony
or
fatty
cuts
of
meat
that
they
do
not
cook
unevenly
and do
not
become
overcooked.
Quantity
of food
The number of microwaves in your
oven
remains
constant
regardless
of how much food is
being
cooked.
Therefore,
the
more
food you
place
in the
oven,
the
longer
the
cooking
time.
Remember
to
decrease
cooking
times
by
at
least
one
third when
halving
a
recipe.
Shape
of food
Microwaves
penetrate
only
about
2.cm
into
food,
the interior
portion
of thick foods
are
cooked
as
the heat
generated
on
the outside travels inward.
Only
the
outer
edge
of food in
cooked
by
microwave energy; the
rest
is cooked
by
conduction. The
worst
possible shape
for
a
food that is
to
be microwaved is
a
thick square. The
corners
will burn
long
before the
centre
is
even warm
.
Round thin foods and
ring shaped
foods cook
successfully
in the
microwave.
Covering
A
cover
traps
heat and
steam
which
causes
food
to
cook
more
quickly.
Use
a
lid
or
microwave
cling
film with
a corner
folded back
to
prevent
splitting.
Browning
Meats and
poultry
that
are
cooked fifteen minutes
or
longer
will brown
lightly
in their
own
fat. Foods that
are
cooked for
a
shorter
period
of time may be brushed with
a
browning
sauce
such
as
worcestershire
sauce,
soy
sauce or
barbecue
sauce
to
achieve
an
appetizing
colour. Since
relatively
small
amounts
of
browning
sauces are
added
to
food the
original
flavour of the
recipe
is
not
altered.
Covering
with
greaseproof
paper
Greaseproofing effectively
prevents
spattering
and
helps
food retain
some
heat. But
because it makes
a
looser
cover
than
a
lid
or
clingfilm,
it allows the food
to
dry
out
slightly.
Arranging
and
spacing
Individual foods such
as
baked
potatoes,
small cakes and hors d'oeuvres will heat
more
evenly
if
placed
in the
oven an
equal
distance
apart,
preferably
in
a
circular
pattern.
Never
stack foods
on
top
of
one
another.
Food characteristics &
Microwave
cooking
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