Are Microwaves Safe?

By Kate Heyhoe

A Reader’s Question…

Hi Kate,

I admire you so much, and use many, many of your recipes and ideas. I have a question and do not mean to be disrespectful, but really want to understand. Do you really use the microwave as much as it appears? Do you think we should use microwaves? Being an Austin gal, I figure I can straight out ask you. I actually bought my first microwave from a small chef’s shop in Austin in 1986, one of those huge Amana Radar Range monsters, bought the bacon fryer, Nordicware bundt pan, the whole shebang. Dyed my food brown with caramel coloring—you know what I mean )

But I haven’t used microwaves for many years now because of green information that they destroy nutrients in foods and are unhealthy in our environments. I didn’t even feel comfortable heating my Kashi frozen dinners, although I think they are in PETE 1 containers. I want to be green and healthy. Please let me know what you think.

Most sincerely, and with great gratitude for all I have learned from you,

CB
Reference Librarian

Dear CB,

Thanks for the kind words. This passage is from my book and relates to radiation heat. It speaks to the issue of microwaves, one particular wave form of radiation, which is all around us, and for more info, seek out the works of Harold McGee.

Radiation heat transfers by electromagnetic waves (not the same thing as nuclear radiation). More accurately, thermal radiation happens when atoms and molecules release energy they’ve absorbed in the form of infrared waves. When the waves hit a food’s atoms, they spark movement within those atoms. They work without a medium (like a pan or liquid) to come between the food and the heat source. The energy literally beams into the food. Microwave ovens, for instance, agitate water molecules. All things emit radiation constantly, but mostly at levels so low they’re inconsequential. When cooking at higher temperatures, like those of a barbecue grill, broiler, or very hot oven, infrared radiation generates waves that are potent enough to cook foods; however, at lower temperatures, conduction and/or convection methods are more efficient ways to cook. (The spectrum of radiation isn’t just about cooking. Starting at the lower end of the scale, your car radio emits weak waves; and higher up, microwave towers relay cell phone calls, and microwave ovens heat frozen dinners. On the upper end of the spectrum, ultraviolet waves cause sunburns, and x-rays show us our bones.) Not all materials absorb radiation in the same way, and radiation waves themselves differ in their capacity to generate heat. For more details on the infinite nuances of radiation, dial up curiouscook.com and explore the works of Harold McGee, the cook’s authority on kitchen science.

     —Kate Heyhoe

40 Ways to Shrink Your Cookprint

By Kate Heyhoe

Reduce, reuse, recycle, repurpose, and rethink how you cook, shop, and eat. Learn all about cookprints here.

To shrink > think:

• 1. Energy-efficient kitchen zones
• 2. Water conservation and reuse
• 3. Lower hot-water usage and temperature
• 4. Energy-Star appliances

• 5. Small appliances as fuel-savers
• 6. Electric teapots over cooktop boiling
• 7. Avoiding peak power hours
• 8. Unplugging appliances
• 9. Renewable energy sources
• 10. Lower-emission grilling
• 11. Nontoxic, biodegradable cleansers
• 12. Regular over antibiotic cleansers
• 13. Reusable cloth napkins
• 14. Recycled and recyclable products
• 15. Plants over animals
• 16. Non-CAFO products
• 17. Local
• 18. Organic
• 19. Seasonal
• 20. Sustainable
• 21. Energy-efficient ingredients
• 22. Weather-sensitive cooking
• 23. Cooktop before oven
• 24. Induction burners
• 25. Passive cooking over active fuel use
• 26. Skipping the preheat when possible
• 27. Toaster ovens
• 28. Convection cooking
• 29. Microwave cooking
• 30. Simultaneous baking
• 31. Multitasking boiling water
• 32. Fuel-efficient cookware
• 33. Nontoxic cookware
• 34. Farmers markets and direct from farms
• 35. Fewer grocery trips
• 36. Shelf-stable over frozen
• 37. Minimal packaging
• 38. Bulk-buying
• 39. Aseptic and glass over cans
• 40. Extending food storage
• 41. No food waste
• 42. Green-conscious grocery stores
• 43. Low-carbon restaurants

You’ll find more details about why each action works in Cooking Green, which is full of recipes, tips and strategies.

by Kate Hehyoe

Hold Onto Your Heat: Want to keep a cooked dish warm until serving? Use your microwave oven as a warming oven but don’t fire it up. A microwave oven’s insulation is good enough to retain heat for quite a while. If your dinner is finished in stages, put the ready dishes in the microwave and close the door; just don’t turn it on, especially with metal cookware in it.

Quick Tips

Find more tips to shrink your cookprint in Kate Heyhoe’s book Cooking Green

by Kate Hehyoe

Broiler Quickies: Gruyere-Toasted French Bread
Another Recipe to Cook While the Broiler’s Hot

Pop this goosed-up version of a cheese melt under a hot broiler, right after you’ve broiled a main dish. Slice a loaf of French bread in half lengthwise. Slice each length into pieces, about 3 inches long. Drizzle or brush 2 tablespoons walnut oil on the cut surfaces. Combine 4 ounces shredded Gruyere cheese, 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons coarse-ground mustard, and 1/8 teaspoon white pepper. Distribute on the bread. Broil until cheese bubbles and serve hot. (Serves 4)

Quick Tips

Find more tips to shrink your cookprint in Kate Heyhoe’s book Cooking Green

By Kate Heyhoe

A One-Pot, Fast and Fabulous Meal

This is one of my favorite pressure cooker recipes, and was intended to be part of Cooking Green, but we ran out of space. So I’m sharing it now. It’s a good example of the types of recipes found in the book.

This is an economical, one-pot dish, but my family loves it simply for the way it tastes: rich with creamy Brie cheese and cozy with toothy bites of barley. As a bonus, it meets all my requirements for being green: it’s meat-free, use ingredients you can buy in bulk to reduce packaging waste, and requires little cooking fuel.

For the cook, it’s a model of carefree cooking, needing only 12 minutes of active prep. And if you keep a wedge of Brie in the fridge, most of the remaining ingredients are staples or pantry-ready, so you can whip up an easy, no-brainer dinner without planning or stress. There’s almost no chopping involved, so it’s almost as fast as waiting for take-out (and perhaps more nutritious and delicious). Try it. I think you’ll like it, as a meat-free main course, side dish, or lunch.

Barley-Brie Risotto

A New Green Basics Recipe

Serves 4 as a side; 2 as a main

Green Meter:

• Green Goodness: Pressure cooker saves fuel and time. Meat-free entree or side
• Prep/Cooking Times: 12 minutes prep +30 minutes unattended
• Prime Season: All year
• Conveniences: One-pot meal, little chopping, mostly pantry ingredients

Shrink your cookprint with this meat-free main course, which my husband even prefers to traditional risotto. Toothsome, tasty barley cooks in half the usual time with a pressure cooker, and stands in for rice in this robust risotto-style dish. Brie adds a cheesy spin different from the usual Parmesan (but feel free to gild the lily with Parmesan on the side, if you like). Unless the rind is hard or tough, I leave the rind on the brie; it falls apart with heat, but you may remove it if you prefer. Domestic Brie works fine in this recipe, or experiment with other types of cheeses made close to home.

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup pearl barley
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2-1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or tamari)
• 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced (optional)
• 1/4 pound Brie, in small chunks
• Freshly ground black pepper

1. In a pressure cooker, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Stir in the barley. Cook 3-4 minutes, shaking the pan or stirring occasionally, until toasted. Stir in the onion and garlic. Cook until the onion softens, about 2 minutes. Slowly pour in the broth and soy sauce (they’ll splatter at first) and add the rosemary, if using.

2. Lock the lid in place. Cook over high heat and bring the cooker to full pressure. Reduce the heat to medium-low, or adjust as needed to maintain even pressure. Cook 18 minutes, remove the pan from the heat. Let the pressure drop naturally. The barley should be tender but pleasantly chewy; if not done, add more broth or water and cook a few minutes without pressure, stirring occasionally. (If not serving right away, cover the pot. Reheat before adding the Brie, thinning with more stock if the mixture seems dry.)

3. Stir the Brie into the hot barley until melted and absorbed. Serve with a generous grinding of pepper.

These make me jump for joy. Electromagnetic energy drives these burners, though you need pans made of ferrous materials (like cast iron or stainless steel). They consume less than half the energy of standard coil burners, and they’re superior in cooking performance to gas or electric burners. Single induction burners make handy portable appliances, and some conventional cooktops add a separate induction burner. Details on Portable Induction Burners follow.

Portable Induction Burners:
Energy-Efficiency in a Box

Full induction cooktops, with fully-loaded price tags, are creeping into the marketplace. But a single induction burner can supplement your existing gas or electric cooktop more affordably.

Induction cooking works by sending a magnetic field through ferrous metal (as in cookware made of iron, steel, or a combination). The reaction creates heat, and it’s this heat that cooks the food. The heat is created from within the pan’s own material; think friction and fast-moving, excited molecules (like the heat generated between your hands when you rub your palms together).

The result: a near instant transfer of energy, with efficient absorption of over 90 percent of this energy (compared to around 40 percent efficiency with gas burners, and 74 percent of conventional electric burners). Plus, the cooker’s surface stays cool, very little heat is released into the kitchen, and the food can actually cook quicker. Since the cooker surface stays cool, absorbing heat only from the cooking vessel, it’s easy to clean (no stuck muck). Plus, with a nifty portable unit, I can cook anywhere there’s a plug. Like out on our wide country deck, in fresh air, with grazing deer and wild turkeys watching.

The first time I boiled pasta or fried steaks on the induction element, I noticed the differences from conventional electric or gas cooking right off the bat. The water boiled sooner, and the fry pan reached perfect searing heat in a flash. Plus, I had instant control; when I turned the dial from high to low, the unit powered down to the lower setting immediately (essentially adjusting the strength of the magnetic field). No waiting for a hot gas or electric element to slug down in speed. And you can maintain constant simmering and very low temperatures (good for melting chocolate) better with induction.

With induction, there’s no learning curve to get the cook up to speed (unlike microwave ovens or speed ovens). You do need to check your cookware: only ferrous metals are induction-compatible, but fortunately this includes everyday iron and steel based cookware. Basic rule: If a magnet sticks to the pan, it will work with induction. (This eliminates glass, copper, and purely aluminum pans.) Most portable units run between 1400 and 2000 watts, on a standard 120 volt power outlet.

For more info or to buy one, visit Fissler Cookstar Induction Pro.

Trendwatch: Less Meat is Hip

By Kate Heyhoe

Get ready: a new wave of cookbooks geared at cutting back (or cutting out) meat will soon hit the shelves. Hurrah! The reduced-meat diet is seriously catching on. Hopefully, we can all adapt the meat-free trend into our daily lifestyle, another step towards making “being green” into the new normal.

This month, I’ve picked four basic meat-free recipes to inspire you (one per week), no matter how busy you are. And I’ve got a handful of main dish recipes where only a handful of meat is used.

People ask me all the time: what are the fastest, easiest ways to go greener in the kitchen? Simple: consume less meat. Eating less meat shrinks your cookprint in big ways, reducing a whole chain of emissions that start at the farm, ride into your store, and end up at your table.

As I mention in Cooking Green, producing a single serving of beef requires more than 2600 gallons of water. Plus all the other global warming issues, like methane release and pollutants from livestock and factory farms. Plant based foods are the way to go, with loads of variety for wonderful flavor, texture, and nutrition: grains, nuts, leafy greens, root vegetables, legumes, and all the other fruits and veggies that fill our world. Don’t forget sea vegetables too, which are rich in nutrients, easy to prepare and great tasting, like my Wakame Salad.

Making a vow to eat less meat doesn’t mean committing to a total vegetarian diet, unless you want to. A meal that uses small amounts of meat as flavoring is still a great step to take if it replaces a meatier meal, where the steak, chop or chicken breast was at the center of the plate. Think fried rice, stir-fry, sausage and beans, pizza, paella, tamales, tacos and enchiladas, quiche and such.

Less is more, as they say. Gradually move from meaty meals to meat-free meals most days of the week. Cook fewer steaks and roasts, and more grains, beans and pastas. (And if you’re already a vegetarian, invite your carnivorous friends over and show them how to cook meat-free with style.) To get started, try the simple but delicious recipes below, from leading cookbook authors; they’re good templates, too, to customize with your own favorite ingredients. (And check out our archives of Pasta, Risotto and You for scads more recipes.)

DIY Basic Meat-Free Main Courses

• Hominy and Kidney Bean Chili
• Quinoa Pilaf (and Quinoa with Pecans)
• Polenta Lasagne with Spinach, Zucchini, Herbs, and Fontina
• Leek and Mushroom Strudel

Meat-Reduced and Fish Recipes

• Fish Tacos with Cucumber Salsa
• Fried Rice with Chinese Sausage
• Oregon Salmon Hash
• Pizza with White Beans, Prosciutto and Rosemary

by Kate Hehyoe

Double Up: Roasting two chickens uses about the same amount of energy as one. So roast two at the same time, enjoy one for dinner and save the other for sandwiches, tacos, or simply another meal. Freeze the meat for chicken salad.

Do the same with turkeys at Thanksgiving; after all, aren’t the leftovers the best part of the Thanksgiving dinner?

Quick Tips

Find more tips to shrink your cookprint in Kate Heyhoe’s book Cooking Green

by Kate Hehyoe

More Double Up: Two smaller, shallower baking dishes and pans cook quicker than one large one. A lasagna recipe, for instance, can be cooked in two baking dishes, and shave off about ten minutes baking time. Enjoy one casserole the first night, and save the other for reheating on another night (it will fit easier in your fridge as well).

Pie Pan Casseroles: Don’t have two baking dishes? Glass pie pans (especially deep-dish) work great as baking dish alternatives and go right into the microwave. I even simultaneously roast two small chickens or pork roasts using two glass pie pans, and save one for leftovers.

Quick Tips

Find more tips to shrink your cookprint in Kate Heyhoe’s book Cooking Green

Yippee! My book Cooking Green has gone back for a second printing—which in this era of ailing publishing is a major event. Reviewers have praised the book for its solid, well-researched content presented in a very absorbable, thought-provoking fashion (not fluffy or green-lite, but not dry or taxing either). It also won the 2009 Green Book Award for cookbooks. Discover more about Cooking Green: Reducing Your Carbon Footprint in the Kitchen, and how to shrink your own cookprint.

Which brings me to another book that often appeared with mine, as part of several Earth Day book reviews: Big Green Cookbook. Both this book and Cooking Green have the same goal: greener cooking by using fewer resources and reducing emissions. Both books tackle the subject matter well, as reviewers have said, and deserve a hot spot in the new green kitchen. But the authors take markedly different approaches.

In Big Green Cookbook, Jackie Newgent, a registered dietitian, presents a great collection of 200 recipes, each with a nutritional profile. A 37-page introduction highlights the basics of practical green cooking. Her other green tips are solid, short and snappy, scattered throughout the book as sidebars or brief textboxes. My book, Cooking Green, presents 50 green-model recipes but devotes 160 pages to understanding the hows and whys of cooking and greener strategies, and the impact, presented chapter by chapter in a logical sequence.

Cooking Green and Big Green Cookbook are really more complementary than competitive. By this I mean each book is different from the other in a good way, and each one has much to offer without duplicating the other. Taken together, the sum of the whole is bigger than the sum of the parts.

If you’re truly interested in shrinking your cookprint and shifting into a greener lifestyle, these two books will get you quickly on your way. Big Green Cookbook lives up to its promise: it’s plump with recipes, and readers can get greener tip by tip, rather than topic by topic. Cooking Green takes a more comprehensive approach: it gives you the tools you need to understand how to cook, shop, and live greener—even beyond the kitchen—so you can make your own decisions every day, in any circumstance.

As I often say, going greener is all about making choices, and in this case (and even though I could be biased), the choice on these two books should be “yes” and “yes.”

• Big Green Cookbook:
  Hundreds of Planet-Pleasing Recipes and Tips for a Luscious, Low-Carbon Lifestyle
• by Jackie Newgent
• Wiley 2009
• Paperback; 400 pages
• ISBN: 978-0-470-40449-2