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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 following pages)
that when you increase the amount of foodstuffs the cooking temperature must likewise be pro-
portionately 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 temperature within. The temperature of meat, for exam-
ple, 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 shortens 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 chick-
ens, 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
(see Fig. 5).
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 uniform manner (see Fig. 6):
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 tempera-
ture 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 outlet. 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.
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 sub-
stance or, in some cases, no fat at all during the
cooking process.
Therefore cooking in a microwave oven is con-
sidered 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.
fig. 5
fig. 6
ADVICE ON USING YOUR OVEN CORRECTLY
