Is Microwave Cooking About to Make a Comeback?

On night one of my experiment, I started with something familiar: “baked” potatoes with vegetarian chili. Microwave potatoes are well-known for a reason. Ten minutes on high delivers a chewy skin and fluffy interior. Also, you don’t need to run the oven for an hour. The chili was less exciting. Microwaving onion, garlic, and spices in a little butter felt wrong. And dumping in the beans and tomatoes then zapping them for a few minutes didn’t hold the same satisfaction as gazing into a saucepan.

My second attempt was a more successful vegetable curry. I’d worried this would be a disaster, knowing the magic of Indian food comes from layering flavors and giving them time to develop—two things microwave cooking obliterates. Also, the recipe only asked for a couple of tablespoons of curry powder, with no reference to anything in my lovingly curated spice cupboard. Still, the meal came together quickly and easily. Dressed up with yogurt and a nice chutney, it was a comforting mush.

Rice is another ingredient microwaves do consistently well, so next I tried a recipe for “fried” rice and miso bok choy. Use of the termwas generous, it turns out. The reality was regular microwaved rice seasoned with soy sauce and studded with frozen vegetables. Still, again, it was solidly fine and easily tossed together while feeding a baby and answering emails.

My final experiment was risotto. The microwave version took about 15 minutes, not 50, and sacrificed some quality for the sake of that convenience. The meal was gluey, but not totally unpleasant, and I ate it while finishing a TV show I wouldn’t have had time to catch up on if I had been cooking a proper meal, which seemed like a fair trade-off.

While the experiment was broadly positive, there were limitations. Microwaving something for 15 minutes will never return the deep flavors that come from nursing a pot on the stove for an hour. I also missed the ritual of cooking. Staring at a glowing box, wondering “Is that ‘microwave-safe’ bowl about to explode?” isn’t as relaxing as witnessing a pan, laden with molten cheese, crown in the oven.

United States Latest News, United States Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Cooking Up A Storm: Saltwater Coastal Maryland-style crab cakes recipeWe are cooking up a storm with a new spot near O'Hare Airport!
Source: ABC7Chicago - 🏆 284. / 63 Read more »

L.E.E. High School students learn best culinary practices with top notch instructionCulinary program students at L.E.E. High School are focusing on cooking, baking, safety and sanitation practices.
Source: ksatnews - 🏆 442. / 53 Read more »

Dallas Apartment Tenants Go Weeks Without Gas for Hot Water or CookingTenants of a Dallas apartment complex complain they’ve gone three weeks without gas for hot water or cooking.
Source: NBCDFW - 🏆 288. / 63 Read more »

Is this Koreatown upstart the future of fine dining in L.A.?What does modern Korean cooking taste like in Los Angeles? A chef with a tiny restaurant and concise tasting menu offers a compelling answer.
Source: latimesfood - 🏆 699. / 51 Read more »

5 Asian ingredients you should be cooking with, according to one of L.A.'s greatest Korean restaurantsChef Ki Kim took a trip to his native South Korea to reconnect with the ingredients that drive his seasonal menus at Koreatown's Kinn. He shares what he's using for his spring-into-summer menu.
Source: latimesfood - 🏆 699. / 51 Read more »