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Food characteristics &
Microwave cooking
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 function 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 because 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 skillful 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 so that the outer
edges do not become dry and brittle.
Height of food
The upper portion of tall foods, particularly roasts, will cook more quickly than the lower
portion. Therefore, it is wise to turn tall food several during cooking.
Moisture content of food
Since the heat generated from microwaves causes moisture to evaporate, 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 in order to prevent unevenly or overcooked meat.
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
is 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 most
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
It is a looser cover than a lid or cling film, the food may dry out slightly. 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.
