Microwave Cooking

I visited a friend one afternoon and found her looking harried.

"What's bothering you, Ahuva?" I asked.

"My microwave is at the repair shop and I have some friends who are coming for dinner today. I usually take food from the freezer and heat it in the microwave when I have guests in the middle of the week. You know," she went on, "I think I have to have two microwave ovens. I just can't be without one."

Well, I thought, that's really going too far...

Still, microwave cooking does have its advantages. Reheating food in a microwave helps the food retain more nutrients than it would if kept hot for a long time in a regular oven. Cooking food in a minimal amount of water for reduced time — as occurs with microwaving — ensures the retention of certain vitamins, particularly vitamin C and thiamin. Microwave cooking is more similar to steaming than to boiling, and minimizes the leaking of vitamins and minerals into the cooking water.

Cooking food in the microwave does not present a risk of radiation. Microwaves stop as soon as the power is switched off, unlike an oven which stays hot for awhile after you turn it off.

However, food cooked in a microwave does not heat uniformly, which may cause portions of the food to be undercooked or inadequately heated. Though fans and turntables help to alleviate this problem, it is still recommended to stir the food part way through cooking. Those dishes such as lasagna that cannot be stirred should be allowed to stand at least five minutes to reach a uniform temperature. Frozen food should be completely thawed before microwaving, since incomplete thawing causes uneven cooking. When cooking or heating large quantities of food, divide the food into smaller portions.

Remember- with a microwave you can have a hot meal to serve your family in a quarter of the time it would take to prepare in a regular oven.

Sara Finkel is a renowned chef, caterer and food columnist whose outstanding recipes and culinary expertise have delighted Jewish homemakers for decades. "Microwave Cooking" has been excerpted from her latest book, Classic Kosher Cooking Vol. 2: Simply Delicious: Winning Recipes for Every Day and Holidays (Targum Press)