Panasonic THE GENIUS PREMIER NN-S789 - Manual (Page 24)

Cooking Techniques
. . .
Bone and Fat
Both bone and fat affect cooking. Bones may cause irregu­
lar 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.
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. Certeiin foods have centers made
with sugar, water or fat and these centers attract
microwaves (For ex., jelly donuts). When a jeliy donut is
heated, the jelly can become extremely hot while the exteri­
or remains warm to the touch. This could result in a burn if
the food is not allowed to cool properly in the center.
Quantity
Two potatoes take longer to cook than one potato. As the
quantity of the food increases so does the cooking time.
When cooking small amounts of food such as one or two
potatoes, do not leave oven unattended. The moisture con­
tent in the food may decrease and a fire could result.
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.
Size
Thin pieces cook more quickly than thick pieces.
Starting Temperature
Foods that are room temperature take less time to cook than
if they are chilled or refrigerated or frozen.
Piercing
Foods skins or membranes must be pierced, scored or
have a strip of skin peeled before cooking to allow steam to
escape. Pierce whole egg yolks and whites, clams, oysters,
chicken liveis, whole potatoes and whole vegetables. Whole
apples or new potatoes should have a 1-inch strip of skin
peeled before cooking. Score sausages and frankfurters.
Browning
Foods will not have the same brown appearance as con­
ventionally cooked foods or these foods which are cooked
utilizing a browning feature. Meats and poultry may be
coated with browning sauce, Worcestershire sauce, barbe­
cue sauce or shake-on browning sauce. To use, combine
browning sauce with melted butter or margarine; brush on
before cooking.
For quick breads or muffins, brown sugar can be used in
the recipe in place of granulated sugar, or the surface can
be sprinkled with dark spices before baking.
-
22
-