3 replies to this topic

[skylarking]

Hello!
I was wondering if it's possible to cook Japanese sweet potatoes in the microwave. If so, do you have to poke them with a fork all over before cooking? Should you wrap them in plastic wrap?
Also, here in Japan silicone cookware seems to be very popular, especially the Spanish brand Lekue (sp?). Have you ever cooked in this type of cookware? Is it worth the price? Can you use them in the microwave?
Thank you!

[andiesenji]

You can cook sweet potatoes in the microwave - I wash and scrub them well, cut off both ends, make a few small slits in the skin all around. I put them in a Pyrex baking dish, cover (I have several splatter covers like this, and like this, and recently bought four of these.
You can also use plastic wrap but you have to make at least one slit in it to vent.

Depending on your microwave, cook one or two small (skinny) sweet potatoes for 8 minutes on high and test with a skewer to see if they are tender all the way through.
For larger or more potatoes it will take 10 to 15 minutes and half-way through the cooking you should shift the potatoes so the ones in the center are on the outside and so on.
If you have very large or jumbo sweet potatoes, cut them in half put a little water in the baking dish - no more than 1/4 inch deep and stand them on the cut side. This also works best with the more dense "white" sweet potatoes that are less sweet.

If you have a low-power microwave it will take longer.
Some microwaves have a "Potato" setting which alternates power from low to high but the times will be essentially the same.
It takes a little practice but once you get it, you won't have any problems.

I hope this covers your questions about sweet potatoes.


I have some silicone bakeware but really don't use it so much. I have a silicone microwave steamer and some poaching cups, a corn-on-the-cob cooker and a couple of other items but as I rarely use them, I really don't have a lot to say about them.
They work okay but as I am more comfortable with my traditional stuff, I usually stick to that.

I do have a set of silicone measures that were developed for microwave use and I do use those often. I have arthritis in my hands and they are easy to grip for someone with weak hands.
They clean up nicely, nothing sticks to them.

[_john]

silicon cookware is terrible. I know it is popular in Japan but I don't know anyone who bought some and still uses it. impossible to clean and not durable. An accident waiting to happen with hot liquids. I can't think of any advantages of traditional cookware.

[skylarking]

Thank you for your replies! The 100-yen Lawson's convenience store near my apartment sells yaki imo, but I still want to try to make them myself.