This Week's Food Waste
a Carrot
One lone carrot shriveled up beyond hope this week. Luckily, the rest in the bag were good, but I promptly used them so they wouldn't have the same fate.
This Week's True Food Confessions
Years ago, Ward's grandmother gave me a set of microwave specialty cookware. She bought it for herself with great ideas that she was going to be doing all kinds of complicated cooking in her microwave. She had never been much interested in cooking, but microwave cooking (fairly new at the time) piqued her curiosity. However, she was already in her 80's and decided that if she had limited energy, she would use it to take care of her collies and tend her gardens. Thus after a little while, she passed the set on to me. I wasn't sure that I wanted it, but I took it anyway. I experimented a little and made potato chips, bacon and a cake in the microwave with some of the pieces However, I couldn't see myself using it with any regularity, so I gradually gave it away piece by piece. The last to go was the microwave pressure cooker. Now, I am totally comfortable cooking with a pressure cooker, but I had no interest in doing that in the microwave. Quite frankly, I thought that pot was a total waste. That was until I gave it to a friend. She didn't ask for it, but she got it anyway. (That's another story.) And she was thrilled. She didn't use it in the microwave, but soon figured out that it was the perfect pot/dish to take to a potluck dinner. You see, it was a good size--not too
big, not too small. It was made from thick plastic that provided
insulation to keep the food either hot or cold. And best of all, the lid
clamped on so it was easy to transport with no spilling. Who knew it was
such a perfect pot? I didn't when I thought of it only as a
microwave pressure cooker. But she opened my eyes and then I wanted it back. However, she won't give it to me. :) I guess instead of the pot, I'll have to
satisfied that I was reminded that it always pays to take a second look at
things. Oh wait, isn't a Second Look another one of my themes? That's a little ironic, isn't it? :)
I remember when everyone thought all cooking would be done in a microwave. My childhood family experimented with many recipes, but eventually decided that it would be best suited to heating water for instant coffee and reheating leftovers. My mom didn't even use it for hot tea water, but preferred to use a kettle on the stove. I do use mine more than my parents used theirs. But it still isn't the all-purpose cooking appliance Americans once thought it could be. You know, I think all of us are simply most comfortable with what we've spent the most time using.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't want to live without my microwave, but it is not suited for all types of cooking. However, it certainly is handy when you've forgotten to take something out of the freezer to thaw. :)
DeleteWhich I do on a regular basis! Our electrical supply was changed a bit when we moved the microwave over the stove, though, so I have learned the hard way not to have anything else going (griddle, coffee maker ... ) or I blow a fuse. ;)
DeleteTea water tastes funny to me in the microwave, which is why I boil mine in the morning and put it in a hot water carafe to use throughout the day.
That sounds pretty inconvenient to have to be careful with all of your appliances, but I understand. We had a similar situation until we had our electric upgraded a few years ago.
DeleteI've read that heating water is one thing that the microwave doesn't do that much faster than the regular stove top. So I don't know if the water tastes any different, but it sounds like you may be making water for your tea in an economical way especially if you are using the carafe.
Actually, it's the griddle usage that pulls a lot of power. We only use it on weekends for pancakes, so it's really not that big of a deal--it just means my husband needs to set the coffee timer for BEFORE breakfast or wait for his caffeine buzz. Oh, the joys of older homes ...
ReplyDelete