LG LWC3063ST Owners Manual - Page 19

Microwave Cooking Tips Keeping an Eye on Things Always watch your food while it cooks. The light inside the upper oven turns on automatically when the oven is cooking so you can monitor the cooking process. Directions given in recipes to elevate, stir, and the like should be thought of as the minimum steps recommended. If the food seems to be cooking unevenly, simply make the necessary adjustments you think appropriate to correct the problem. Factors Affecting Microwave Cooking Times Many factors affect cooking times. The temperature of ingredients used in a recipe makes a big difference in cooking times. For example, a cake made with ice-cold butter, milk, and eggs will take considerably longer to bake than one made with ingredients that are at room temperature. Some recipes, particularly those for bread, cake, and custards, recommend that food be removed from the oven when they are slightly undercooked. This is not a mistake. When allowed to stand, usually covered, these foods will continue to cook outside of the oven as the heat trapped within the outer portions of the food gradually travels inward. If the food is left in the oven until it is cooked all the way through, the outer portions will become overcooked or even burnt. Practice will improve your ability to estimate both cooking and standing times for various foods. Density of Food Light, porous food such as cakes and breads cook more quickly than heavy, dense foods such as roasts and casseroles. You must take care when microwaving porous food so that the outer edges do not become dry and brittle. Height of Food The upper portion of tall foods, particularly roasts, will cook more quickly than the lower portion. Therefore, it is wise to turn tall food several times during cooking. Moisture Content of Food Because the heat generated from microwaves causes moisture to evaporate, relatively dry food such as roasts and some vegetables should either be sprinkled with water prior to cooking or covered to retain moisture. OPERATION 19 Bone and Fat Content of Food Bones conduct heat and fat cooks more quickly than meat. Care must be taken when cooking bony or fatty cuts of meat in order to prevent unevenly cooked or overcooked meat. Quantity of Food The number of microwaves in your oven remains constant regardless of how much food is being cooked. Therefore, the more food you place in the oven, the longer the required cooking time. Remember to decrease cooking times by at least one third when halving a recipe. Shape of Food Microwaves penetrate only about 3/4 of an inch (2 cm) into food. The interior portion of thick foods is cooked as the heat generated on the outside travels inward. Only the outer edge of food is cooked by microwave energy; the rest is cooked by conduction. The worst possible shape for a food that is to be microwaved is a thick square. The corners will burn long before the center is even warm. Round thin foods and ring-shaped foods cook most successfully in the microwave. Covering A cover traps heat and steam which causes food to cook more quickly. Use a lid or microwave cling film with a corner folded back to prevent splitting. Covering with Parchment Paper Parchment paper (not waxed paper) is microwave safe. Because it makes a looser cover than a lid or clingfilm, greaseproof paper allows the food to dry out slightly. Stirring Stirring is one of the most important of all microwaving techniques. In conventional cooking, food is stirred for the purpose of blending. Microwaved food, however, is stirred in order to spread and redistribute heat. Always stir from the outside towards the centre as the outside of the food heats first. Placing Thicker Portions Facing Outward Place thicker cuts or portions of meat, poultry, and fish toward the outer edge of the baking dish so they absorb the most microwave energy and the food cooks more evenly. Using the Upper Oven ENGLISH