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Amountof food
l If you increase or decrease the amount of food you prepare, the time it takes to cook that food will also change. For example, if you double a recipe, add a little more than half the original cooking time. Check for doneness and, if necessary, add more time in small increments.
Startinytemperatureof food
l The lower the temperature of the food being put into the microwave oven, the longer it takes to cook. Food at room temperature will be re- heated more quickly than food at refrigerator temperature.
Compositionof food
l Food with a lot of fat and sugar will be heated faster than food containing a lot of water. Fat and sugar will also reach a higher temperature than water in the cooking process.
l The more dense the food, the longer it takes to heat. “Verydense” food like meat takes longer to reheat than lighter, more porous food like sponge cakes.
Sizeandshape
l Smaller pieces of food will cook faster than larger pieces. Also,
0 With foods that have different thicknesses, the thinner parts will cook faster than the thicker parts. Place the thinner parts of chicken wings and legs in the center of the dish.
Stirring,turningfoods
0 Stirring and turning foods spreads heat quickly to the center of the dish and avoids overcooking at the outer edges of the food.
Coveringfood
Cover food to:
l Reduce splattering
l Shorten cooking times
l Keep food moist
You can use any covering that lets microwaves pass through.
Rebasinppressurein foods
l Several foods (for example: baked potatoes, sausages, egg yolks, and some fruits) are tightly covered by a skin or membrane. Steam can build up under the membrane during cooking, causing the food to burst. To relieve the pressure and to prevent bursting, pierce these foods before cooking with a fork, cocktail pick, or toothpick.
Usingstandinptime
0 Always allow food to stand after cooking. Stand- ing time after defrosting and cooking allows the temperature to evenly spread throughout the food, improving the cooking results.
0 The length of the standing time depends on how much food you are cooking and how dense it is. Sometimes it can be as short as the time it takes you to remove the food from the oven and take it to the serving table. However, with larger, denser food, the standing time may be as long as 10 minutes.
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