Panasonic NN-CD87KS Operating Manual - Page 51

Food Characteristics Bone and Fat Both bone and fat affect cooking. Bones may cause irregular cooking. Meat next to the tips of bones may overcook while meat positioned under a large bone, such as a ham bone, may be undercooked. Large amounts of fat absorb microwave energy and the meat next to these areas may overcook. Shape Uniform sizes heat more evenly. The thin end of a drumstick will cook more quickly than the meaty end. To compensate for irregular shapes, place thin parts toward the center of the dish and thick pieces toward the edge. Density Porous, airy foods such as breads, cakes or rolls take less time to cook than heavy, dense foods such as potatoes and roasts. When reheating donuts or other foods with different centers be very careful. Certain foods have centers made with sugar, water, or fat and these centers attract microwaves (for example, jelly donuts). When a jelly donut is heated, the jelly can become extremely hot while the exterior remains warm to the touch. This could result in a burn if the food is not allowed to cool properly in the center. Size Thin pieces cook more quickly than thick pieces. Starting Temperature Foods that are at room temperature take less time to cook than if they are chilled, refrigerated or frozen. Quantity Two potatoes take longer to cook than one potato. As the quantity of the food decreases so does the cooking time. Overcooking will cause the moisture content in the food to decrease and a fire could result. Never leave microwave unattended while in use. 51 '$%"1@&/@JOEE