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Glossar~I
o f
M icrowave
Terms
JVIIeBI adapfi]]g
reci~)es
for
the
microwaYe,
it is best
to st:}rtwit]l a familiar recipe. KnowiIIghow tile
food sllou]d look and taste will help when adapting
recipes for microwaving. Foods that require
~>rowning or crisp, dry surfaces will cook better
co13;'entionally.
~
hfoist
foods, sLlchas vegetables, fruits, poultry and
seafood. micl"owavewell.
~Rich foods, such as bar cookies, moist cakes and
candies. are suitable for microwaving because of their
high fat and sugar content.
~Reduce conventional cooking time by one-half to
one-third. Check food after minimum time to avoid
overcooking.
" Small amounts of butter or oil can be used for
flavoring, but are not needed to prevent sticking.
* Seasonings may need to be reduced. Salt meats and
vegetables after
cooking.
Covering. In
both conventional and microwave
cooking, covers hold in moisture, allow for more even
heating and reduce cooking time. Conventionally,
partial covering allows excess steam to escape. Venting
plastic wrap or covering with wax paper serves the
same purpose when microwaving.
Venting.
A fter covering a dish with plastic wrap, you
vent the plastic wrap by turning back one corner so
excess steam can escape.
Arra]~gingFood in Oven. In conventional baking, you
position foods, such as cake layers or potatoes, so hot
air can flow around them. When microwaving, yoLl
arrange foods in a ring, so that all sides are exposed to
microwave energy.
Stirring.
In range-top cooking, you stir foods up from
the bottom to heat them evenly. When microwaving,
yoLlstir cooked portions from the outside to the center.
Foods that require constant stirring conventionally will
need only occasional stirring when microwaving.
~~~rningOver. In range-top cooking, you turn over
foods, sLlchas hamburgers, so both sides can directly
contact the hot pan. When microwaving, turning is
often needed during defrosting or when cooking certain
foods, such as frozen hamburgers,
Standing Time. In
conventional cooking, foods such as
roasts or cakes are allowed to stand to finish cocking or
to set. Standing time is especially important in
microwave cooking. Note that a microwaved cake is
not placed on a cooling rack.
Shielding. In a conventions] oven, yoLlshield chicken
breasts or baked foods to prevent over-browning. When
microwaving, you use small strips of foil to shield thin
parts,
SLICkas the tips of wings
and legs on poultry,
which woL~]d c ook before larger parts.
Arci~~g.Sparks c:tuscclby too much metal in the
microwave oven or metal touching the side of the oven
or foil that is not molded to food.
~rick roods to Release Pressure. Steam builds up
pressure in foods that are tightly covered by a skin or
membrane. Prick foods, such as potatoes (OS you do
conventionally), egg yolks and chicken livers, to
prevent bursting.
Rotating. Occasionally, repositioning a dish in the oven
helps food cook more evenly. To rotate 1/2 turn, turn
the dish until the side that was to the back of the oven is
to the front. To rotate 1/4 turn, turn the dish until the
side that was to the back of the oven is to the side.
Basic Microwave Guidelines
Density of Food. In both conventional and microwave
cooking, dense foods, such as potatoes, take longer to
cook than light, porous foods, such as rolls, bread or
pieces of cake.
Round Shapes. Since microwaves penetrate foods to
about one inch from top, bottom and sides, round
shapes and rings cook more evenly. Comers receive
more energy and may overcook. This may also happen
when cooking conventionally.
Delicacy. Foods with a delicate texture, sucil as
custards, are best cooked at lower power settings to
avoid toughening.
Natural Moisture of food affects how it cooks. Very
moist foods cook evenly because microwave energy is
attracted to water molecules. Food that is uneven in
moisture should be covered or allowed to stand so heat
can disperse evenly.
Piece Size. Small pieces cook faster than large ones.
Pieces that are similar in size and shape cook more
evenly. With large pieces of food, reduce the power
setting for even cooking.
Shape of Food. In both types of cooking, thin areas
cook faster than thick areas. This can be controlled in
microwaving by placing thick pieces near the outside
edge and thin pieces in the center.
Starting Temperature. Foods taken from the freezer or
refrigerator take longer to cook than foods at room
temperature. Timings in our recipes are based on the
temperatures at which you normally store the foods.
Quantity of Food.
In
both types of cooking, small
amounts usually take less time than large amounts. This
is most apparent in microwave cooking, where time is
directly related to the number of servings.
Shelf (on models so equipped). Use the shelf to heat
more than one dish at one time. Take the shelf out whe
yoLlare not using it.
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