TDG: A Man & His Microwave

[Dave the Cook]

This article needs a correction. In the column, I say:

What really makes a microwave oven work is friction. Microwaves pass through food molecules at a rate of 2450 megahertz. The molecules attempt to align themselves with the waves. Since each wave has a positive and a negative phase, molecules are constantly being jostled back and forth, almost five million times per second. If you've ever been in a meeting with an indecisive supervisor and a gaggle of brown-nosers, you know the sort of energy this creates. Unlike your dysfunctional office, however, a microwave oven puts this energy to work. The friction created by molecules rubbing together generates heat, and heat cooks food.

With some assistance from Robert Wolke's What Einstein Told His Cook, I recently realized this isn't quite right.

When you think about it, the idea of friction in water is kind of far-fetched. And as it turns out, friction is irrelevant to microwave cooking. The rapid back-and-forth motion of the molecules is all that is necessary to generate the energy necessary to cook food. In fact, this movement defines heat.

I apologize for misinforming Daily Gullet readers.

[elyse]

Shame on you.

[alanamoana]

i'm having fun reading this thread and wanted to ask everyone:

can you tell the difference between bacon cooked traditionally (stove-top or oven) with bacon nuked in the microwave? i met someone who claims she can but she's a little neurotic.

also a post scriptum: you can microwave your mug of water with a stainless steel spoon in it. only in the united states do they warn people to never put metal in the micro. in germany, their microwaves warn you to put the spoon in the cup...to avoid scalded eyeballs i presume. just make sure that it is stainless steel. i guess, as usual, the reigning authorities can't trust us to be able to tell the difference between aluminum flatware and stainless!

i've microwaved stainless steel bowls of chocolate...the only warning being that the bowls heat up, so be careful

i microwave white rice all the time (before i had a rice cooker). a little less time (not much) and perfect results every time with little to no effort.

[Marmish]

i'm having fun reading this thread and wanted to ask everyone:

can you tell the difference between bacon cooked traditionally (stove-top or oven) with bacon nuked in the microwave?  i met someone who claims she can but she's a little neurotic.

Yes. Absolutely. I prefer mine done in the oven, but will microwave a few slices in a pinch, especially if they are being added to something else versus being eaten alone.

[rbm]

If you want to see serious recipes that use the special features of microwave ovens, check out Heston Blumenthal's article in the Guardian for 18 Oct 2003. It's online at the Guardian's web site and is called "We have Blastoff!".

The stuffed profiteroles are absurd! Frozen on the outside and piping hot on the inside. Serve these for desert and have your guests wondering how you did it. But it's all explained in the article. Check it out.

- Robert.