So, like, a month ago, Elyse was going through some of her mother’s storage, and found a General Electric Microwave Guide and Cookbook from 1977, and began sending me pictures of the recipes.
And I, being a masochist, send SEND IT TO ME and she did (after I’d forgotten about the whole thing, so it was a pleasant surprise to get bookmail from the 1970s).
Even though she KNOWS that I will probably hurt myself with this thing and I DID.
Look, this thing is absurd. “Hey, you know what you want to do? COOK A DUCK IN YOUR MICROWAVE.”
Readers, I did not cook a duck.
First, duck is fucking expensive.
Second, my microwave isn’t big enough for a duck.
Third, I WOULD NEVER DO THAT TO AN INNOCENT DUCK. DUCK IS DELICIOUS.
No, I did that to a pork chop.
So this was “Golden Breaded Pork Cutlets” where you dredge a piece of meat in crushed crackers and nuke for FOREVERS and then go to town.
The pork chop was on sale (which was good) and I used saltines instead of “butter crackers” (aka Ritz) but I did use more butter than one pork chop would have required.
Trust me, the lack of butter cracker wasn’t the problem.
I cut the bone off the chop, and I pounded the sucker for a while. I don’t have a meat mallet, and while the cookbook DOES suggest a foil covered brick as a substitute, I am fresh out of spare bricks. I used a can of condensed milk.
Then you dredge your meat in crushed crackers, then in melted butter and egg, then back in the crackers. Sure, I could have crushed the crackers better, but that would not have made anything better.
Because the next thing you do is nuke your meat for 12-14 minutes. Did I do any research into the amount of power my 2015 microwave puts out versus a 1977 model? Of course not.
It occurs to me now, writing this, that maybe less time would have been prudent given that I was cooking one piece of meat versus the six, but the fact is this: It was a breaded, malformed hockey puck.
Reader, it was bad. It was over-cooked, tough, and tasteless. Sure, I was able to throw the chop into the microwave and virtuously do my physical therapy homework for 12 minutes, but it doesn’t take any more time to pan fry a pork chop in oil and butter (and then deglaze the pan with apple butter and mustard omg it’s so good).
So…. this is not something I’ll be adding to my repertoire.
You know what the worst part is?
The dredge that fell off the chop onto the plate and cooked on it has been a PAIN IN THE ASS to clean.
How about you? Got any unexpectedly good recipes for your microwave? (Please, no duck.)
Pretty sure that’s the same book that came with our microwave when I was about 12. I remember how excited the whole family was that my mom would be able to cook a whole meal in minutes!! She was a working mom pre-1980 so this was seen as a miraculous machine. The pressure to deliver meals that resembled the book did is all in. To this day we only “nuke” frozen veggies, defrost and make popcorn.
My parent believes claims such as “This pan makes microwaved food taste just like it came off the grill!”, so I have more experience than I would like with microwaved meat. I’d rather eat an actual hockey puck (cold, since microwaving would undoubtedly make it worse).
I also have lots of experience with saltine-breaded meats, and I’m kind of pissed to know all this time they could have been Ritz-breaded. Why do you hate us, Mom?
Got any unexpectedly good recipes for your microwave?
Popcorn? Sometimes I melt butter or chocolate to put in otherwise properly cooked recipes? I guess I prefer broccoli and cauliflower nuked over a damp paper towel because they pick up less water than using a steamer basket on the stovetop, but I’m stumped for other occasions in which microwaving is a superior cooking method.
We had a dad who not only was an early adopter of microwaves he also bought those “build a library of recipes in weekly magazines” that you put in folders. We tried SO MANY recipes, all abject failures. The best one was a regular chocolate cake that we cooked in the microwave that turned out like a steamed pudding. Oh and hollowing out bread rolls, stuffing them with cheese and then nuking for a minute.
Good times.
I did successfully cook a piece of salmon in the microwave, and would do so again if in a hurry, but I’m not sure where the cookbook is. (I think it was: put on plate, add some butter and dill, cover, nuke)
But, back to your cookbook, why would anyone microwave duck? Flabby skin and hot fat covering every surface, YUM!
You can make a faaaabulous hot oil in the microwave, as described here: http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/006812.html
For real food, though, I prefer the stove or the oven.
Queso? If there’s not time for the crockpot, dump your cubed velveeta and rotel in a bowl, and nuke on medium, stirring every 2 minutes.
That’s as close as I can get to real food in the microwave.
We had a very similar cookbook, and I remember that it had a recipe for Divinity that was quite good.
We use our microwave for reheating things, popcorn, & steaming vegetables. Steaming vegetables is really easy: just put them in a covered dish after rinsing them with water. Asparagus takes 2 -3 minutes, broccoli & cauliflower about 3 – 3.5 minutes. Really easy & really good.
We used to use an old, empty, heavy champagne bottle as a meat mallet.
Eggs. Scrambled eggs in the microwave are light and fluffy. Bonus is the boy, age 10, can make them himself without burning down the house.
My husband uses the microwave to heat up the milk for his coffee. I think it takes up a ridiculous amount of space to do one tiny job, but he loves it.
I got my first microwave in 1985 and, in order to justify spending all that money I really didn’t have, I damn well learned how to use it beyond popcorn and melting stuff. I could produce an entire meal including poached scallops, asparagus with lemon sauce, rice pilaf, stuffed chicken breasts and cheesecake. I had a recipe for something that came pretty darn close to a souffle and I used to make omelettes as well. Then there’s the overnight tuna casserole, which can still get the nostalgia taste buds going. My current microwave has dozens of buttons (including 3 separate settings for softening cream cheese), but I still miss the old one.
Fish in the microwave! Salmon works, but I generally cook flounder. I dredge it in flour or bisquick, drizzle on a little butter, and can cook a whole plate of it in about 5 minutes. (Until or flakes with a fork.) Tastes the same as when I bake it, but the baking takes 20 minutes.
I use mine for heating soup for one, warming up sandwiches or pastries, pre-cooking chopped onions (hate them when they’re half-cooked, e.g. meatloaf. Ewww) and of course, re-heating leftover Chinese food or pasta. My nuker is a behemoth from the days when appliances were built to last decades, but I never tried to actually cook anything in it. That food’s too pale and limp.
Oh yeah, the old guy uses it for bacon.
I remember getting a microwave in the late seventies, it was so exciting!
My dad, knowing his monster children well, put together a comprehensive list of things not to put in the microwave. I definitely remember: whole eggs, potatoes, animals, and the important caveat that worms, spiders and insects were all animals. My brother and I immediately exploded a sweet potato in it. The list got longer. I’d say it was less than a week before it we were forbidden to use it full stop.
(This was after but around the same time he made us carry our own laundry to the laundromat -I was 8, btw, and this punishment continued until I was at least 15- all because we used dish soap in the washing machine, which was an innocent mistake. Or so we claimed, and I honestly can’t remember the actuality any more, only the story we stuck to.)
I have a friend who poaches eggs in a cup in the microwave but the one time I tried it there were alarming popping noises and a weird watery explosion, so I can’t advise on how that actually works.
I have known people to claim you can make delicious fudge in the microwave, and supposedly you can make like a single serving lava type cake in a mug? I decided I was better off not knowing.
Idk, I mostly use mine for softening butter.
I agree that that book looks remarkably like the one my mother had with her first microwave. She and her best friend would drive into Dallas to the Agricultural Extension office to take classes in the use of it. That said, her favorite thing to make for any meal was reservations, so I’m not sure that at her house it was used for anything beyond popcorn for the grandkids.
We use ours to reheat and steam, defrost or bake a potato or corn on the cob in this little cloth pouch I bought at a church bazaar. No matter its cooking disuse, I wouldn’t want to do without one.
Vege steamers for the microwave are great. You cook your main dish the regular way, then pop veggies in the microwave and steam while you are setting the table.
Of course, as a single working grandma raising an early adolescent, mostly we make Annie’s Chinese Noodles – remove cardboard box, make slit in covering, microwave for five minutes, let sit one minute, put on plate. Best ever!
Ah, how I remember my family get our first “radar range”! It took up most of the counter and we ended up mostly using it for that newfangled microwave popcorn. Still, there are a few things I prefer to make in the microwave. Bacon cooked on a microwave grill plate is crispy and as non-greasy as bacon can be. Just make sure you use lots of paper towels to cover the plate. And cleaned ears of corn sealed in plastic wrap. Just microwave for two-three minutes and you have great corn on the cob. Be careful, though, when you unwrap it, as steam builds up inside. I also use it for melting butter, chocolate, and the all-important cream cheese and salsa dip.
My grandmother had one of those giant early microwaves (super powerful) until it finally died in the 1990s or early 2000s. I have fond memories of making cheese bread, tuna melts, and s’mores. No joke…graham cracker, chocolate, marshmallow, graham cracker. Just be careful cause if you heat the marshmallow too long it WILL explode and scraping nuked exploded marshmallow off the sides and ceiling and floor of a microwave is not fun. Trust me.
I no longer own a microwave. I’m not joking. I gave away my last one after attempting to quick-cook rice and making a lump of charcoal instead. I have an electric kettle, and dishes that can be stuck in the oven (up to 400F) to reheat food. I don’t miss it. Stovetop popcorn is delicious. 🙂
I have a whole Pinterest page for microwave desserts and some of them are pretty tasty! I live alone so making an actual cake/pan of brownies/apple crisp means I am tempted to eat WAY too much of said treat. And sometimes putting on pants and making the trek to the store is too much of a hassle.
I have that book and the recipe for peanut brittle is fantastic! The Hawaiian meatballs were a family favorite.
LOL. You made me laugh.
Oh no! As someone who has ventured into the modern foray of microwave cooking, I can feel your pain. If you want a great modern cookware approach, I suggest the Lekue microwave steamers or the sistema rice cooker. Both are made of modern non-toxic materials (medical grade silicone for the steamer, so it’s pretty nonstick). I’ve made salmon, chicken, ‘stir fry’, veggies and such in the steamer with little to no work. Believe me, a real food and healthy meal in a few minutes beats leftovers or fast food every time. (Also recommend the as seen on tv fasta pasta maker… but the that can lead to pasta every day if you are a huge pasta fan like me). Even the Cook’s magazine people recommended if!
My favorite 70s cookbook was my mom’s old Betty Crocker. Great crazy drawings and overprocessed pictures, easy recipes for my pre-teen and teen self to make cookies from.
@kay sisk “…her favorite thing to make for any meal was reservations.” LOLOLOL. Mine too.
Not exactly a meal but this is pretty tasty (get the free trial to see the recipe).
https://www.cookscountry.com/recipes/7591-coffee-mug-molten-chocolate-cake-for-two
Young me was fond of microwaving stacks of marshmallows so that they turned into giant gooey snowmen.
Adult me uses the microwave for pre-cooking baked potatoes, steaming vegetables and re-heating tea.
I used to make meringues in the microwave, with icing sugar and egg white. They were lovely, but you had to be careful with the timing.
I cook oatmeal in the microwave. The only “secret” is to use a deep enough bowl that the oatmeal doesn’t get all over everything. Since I’m making it for one person, it means I don’t have to clean a pot and a bowl, just a bowl, which is a plus because I like to eat oatmeal, but it’s a pain to clean.
I make a great English muffin egg sandwich with the microwave. I beat the egg lightly to break the yolk, then cook it in the microwave in a bowl sprayed with olive oil cooking spray (45 seconds for one egg – don’t add any milk or cream, and do cover the bowl with a paper towel, otherwise when the egg pops as it cooks, eggs bits will get all over the inside of the microwave). Meanwhile, I cheat a little and toast an English muffin in the toaster. When it’s toasted, I layer both sides with some cheese (Cheddar, Swiss, goat, Brie, etc) then pop it in the microwave for 18-20 seconds to melt the cheese, pull it out, slide the cooked egg onto it, and viola, one yummy egg/cheese English muffin sandwich. The entire process takes 5 minutes and is my go to weekend breakfast treat. If you like a bit of spice, a bit of Tabasco or siracha works well.
Our microwave is about 25 years old and probably better suited to this book, I still wouldn’t try any of these recipes. I am a believer in the idea that microwaves are mainly only for popcorn and warming things, though I have been tempted to try a mug cake.
I love cooking in the microwave! I inherited a full set of microwave-friendly cookware (roasting pan, muffin pan, cake pan, etc.) and it’s pretty cool. Usually the front of the book says what wattage of microwave they used when creating the recipes, and depending on the recipe you can either reduce the cooking time or reduce the power (I find this is most effective for actually cooking things through, reducing to 60% power or so.)
My favourite full-meal recipe is microwave risotto. It’s great and takes less than half an hour!
One of my favorite childhood memories was going to my grandmas house, playing in her huge yard, and coming back in to have bread that she baked in the microwave. She had this huge microwave where two loaves could rotate and bake evenly. She would bake them in the pans for half the time, and for the second half of the time, she had built these little wooden frames that you lined with nylon so that you could flip the Bradd over so that it would cook evenly. The result was soft, fine grained, almost crustless bread.
Unfortunately, I was fairly young when she got severe dementia, so I didn’t get the full recipe with cooking times written down. Plus, microwaves do seem to have increased in power since the 80s. I did however manage to end up with the wooden frames she made. I haven’t managed to get the bread perfect yet, but I’ve become pretty darn close. I can’t tell if it’s objectively good or not, because they’re so much childhood nostalgia involved, but it’s just about my favorite bread out there. I think I’ll try making it this weekend!
I have an aunt who, for years, never shared recipes at family gatherings. Then she hosted a birthday party for one of her kids and everyone started asking. Now, she’s the “Microwave Cooking Expert”.
Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to learn anything beyond steaming veggies and brownies.
*flip the bread, not the Bradd. That’s what I get for using voice to text and not proofreading carefully. -_-
And I also didn’t notice I posted right after another sabrina! ::waves::
I remember those horrible nuke-em-wave recipes. I do have a microwave recipe book that I still use and is pretty good if I do say so myself. “Microwave Gourmet” by Barbara Kafka is still a very good reference. There is a recipe in there for a chicken liver mousse pate that my family loves and I figured out years ago how to make a fantastic hollandaise sauce in the microwave that I serve every major holiday.
My mother-in-law had a beast of a microwave. She cooked entire meals in it, including chicken and roasts. I think it was 700 watts. Back in my newlywed days, Duncan Hines had a microwave lemon cake mix I loved to make “fresh” and serve with sorbet and fresh berries.
My microwave recipe is for baking potatoes. I microwave baking or sweet potatoes (after poking them with a fork) for 7-8 minutes, then wrap them in foil and bake or put them on the grill for 10-15 minutes. The baking crisps up the skins.
Mug Cakes! When you are craving some cake, but do not want to make or eat an entire cake. It is messy and indulgent, and satisfies the chocolate lava cake craving.
I make regular popcorn in the microwave. Just pour some in a brown paper grocery bag, which I always have some of because my weekly veggie share comes in one, nuke it 3-5 minutes in increments.
I also cook potatoes in it. I don’t even like oven baked potatoes any more. There’s that baked taste that I used to love, now it tastes sour that way & I’d rather eat the microwave kind.
My own invention: a slice of kabocha squash (or other winter squash) with jack cheese and some form of chile on it (jalapeno en escabeche, or salsa fresca, whatever). First cook thee pumpkin till it’s nearly done (like 6-8 minutes), then add the rest and cook another minute or two till the cheese is gooey.
Also I use it instead of grilling quesadillas and cheese sandwiches, the later frequently having some sort of pickle, like sauerkraut or whatever, on it.
Or heating things up, too.
My family was one of the first in the neighborhood to have a microwave. My dad was Navy, and he brought one back after a business trip to Hong Kong. I would treat my friends to watching water boil in 3 minutes or less.
I use my microwave to cook eggs, potatoes, or veggies. But mostly to make tea or reheat frozen foods. Given my super busy life, it is currently the most used appliance in my kitchen.
My mom took lessons too! The turkey she cooked in it was actually very good. The small covered microwave pan from Pampered Chef is my best friend. I do oatmeal, canned soup, veggies, whatever in it. A larger one for the microwave recipe for Rice a Roni (directions on side of box). Comes out perfect every time when before I often burned it. Corn on the cob? I leave the leaves on – nuke it 5 minutes. Leaves pull off and the silk nearly melts off. Hot to handle, but omg so good. The micro and the crockpot are my cooking appliances 90% of the time.