Rules and General Suggestions for Using the Oven

1.9 RULES AND GENERAL SUGGESTIONS FOR USING THE OVEN

Microwaves consist of electromagnetic radiation found in nature under the form of light waves (e.g., sunlight). Inside the oven, these waves penetrate food from all directions and heat up the water, fatty and sugar molecules. Heat is produced very quickly only in the food itself, whereas the container being used warms up indirectly by means of heat given off by the heated food. This prevents food from sticking to its container, so you can use very little fatty substance or, in some cases, no fat at all during the cooking process. Therefore cooking in a microwave oven is considered to be healthy and good for one’s diet. And in contrast to traditional methods, cooking in a microwave foodstuffs are less dehydrated, lose less of their nutritional value, and retain more of their original flavour.

Basic rules for correct cooking with a microwave oven

1)In order to set cooking times correctly, remember (in referring to the charts on the fol- lowing pages) that when you increase the amount of foodstuffs the cooking temperatu- re must likewise be proportionately increased and vice-versa. It is important to respect the “standing” times: standing time means that period during which the food must be

left to “rest” after being cooked so as to allow an even greater spreading of the tem- perature within. The temperature of meat, for example, will rise about 5°-8° C. (approx. 9°-15° F.) during the standing time. Standing times may be observed either inside or outside the oven.

2) One of the main things you must do is stir the food several times while it is being cooked. This helps make the temperature distribution more uniform and thus short- ens the cooking time.

3)It is also advisable to turn the foodstuff over during its cooking process: this applies especially for meat, whether it is in large pieces (roasts, whole chickens, etc.) or small (chicken breasts, etc.).

4) Foods having a skin, shell or peel (e.g., apples, potatoes, tomatoes, frankfurters, fish) must be pierced with a fork in several points so as to permit steam to escape and to prevent those items from exploding.

5) If you are preparing a large number of portions of the same food item (e.g., boiled potatoes), place those portions in a Pyrex dish in order to have them cook in a uni- form manner:

6)The lower the temperature at which a foodstuff is placed in a microwave oven, the longer the cooking time required. Food having a room temperature will cook more quickly than food having a refrigerator temperature.

7)Always do your cooking by placing the food container in the centre of the turntable.

8)It is perfectly normal for condensation to form inside the oven and near the air out-

let. To reduce such condensation, cover the foodstuffs with clear-sheet, wax paper, a glass lid or simply an overturned plate. Then, too, foods having a water content (e.g., greens and vegetables) cook better when covered. The covering of food also helps keep the oven clean on the inside. Use clear-sheet made expressly for microwave ovens.

9) Do not cook eggs in their shells: the pressure which builds up on the inside would cause the egg to explode, even after cooking has finished. Do not heat up eggs which have already been cooked, unless they are scrambled.

10)Do not forget to open containers which are air-tight or sealed before heating or cooking food in the oven. The pressure on the inside of the container would rise, cau- sing them to explode even after cooking has finished.