MICROWAVE COOKING RECIPES
AND TABLES
How Your Microwave Oven
Works
Microwaves are a form of energy similar to
radio and television waves. Your microwave
oven is constructed in such a way as to take
advantage of microwave energy. Electricity is
converted into microwave energy by the mag-
netron tube, and microwaves are then sent into
the cooking area through openings at the top
of the oven. Microwaves reflect off the metal
walls of the oven. Since microwaves do not
penetrate metal, cooking utensils made of
metal are not used for cooking in the micro-
wave. They can neither reflect nor absorb the
microwaves. The microwaves can however be
transmitted through glass, paper, wicker and
microwavable cooking dishes. Microwaves do
not heat the cookware, though vessels will
eventually feel hot from the heat generated by
the food. Microwaves are attracted to the
moisture in foods and cause the water
molecules to vibrate, 2,450 million times per
second. This is called absorption. As the water
molecules vibrate they rub against each other,
producing fnction. This friction, in turn, causes
the food to get hot. If you have trouble imagin-
ing how this is possible, just think how hot your
hands would get if you rubbed your palms
together 2,450 million times per second!
A very safe appliance: Your microwave
oven is one of the safest of all home appli-
ances. When the door is opened, the oven
automatically stops producing microwaves. By
the time microwave energy has been con-
verted into heat in the process of making food
hot, the microwaves have completely dis-
sipated.
Getting the Best Results From
Your Microwave Oven
Keeping an eye on things: #The recipes in
this 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. Your microwave oven is
equipped with a light that turns on automati-
cally when the oven is in operation. You can
see inside the oven and check the progress of
your food. Directions given in recipes to “stir”,
“rotate”,
etc., should be thought of as the
minimum steps recommended for even cook-
ing and speed in the microwave.
Factors affecting cooking time: The cook-
ing times given in the recipes in this book are
approximate. Many factors affect cooking
times. The temperature of ingredients used in
a recipe makes a big difference in the cooking
time. For example a cake made with cold
butter, milk, and eggs will take considerably
longer to bake than one made with ingredients
that are at room temperature.
Range of cooking times: Most of the
recipes in this book give a range of cooking
times. In general, you will find that the food
remains undercooked at the lower end of the
time range. You may sometimes want to cook
your food beyond the maximum time given.
Personal preferences vary, as do the cooking
speeds of different ovens under different con-
ditions. While undercooked food may always
be cooked a bit more, overcooked food can be
ruined.
Transmission
