Irony

It does seem strange that I who have made much of my career about getting people out of the kitchen in record time with my books, Roasting and Microwave Gourmet should find myself playing with slow cookers. I know this is a trend; but that is not what is driving me. I hope it will be one more way that I can help people to eat very good food made in the time that their busy lives have available.

It is by far the most time consuming and most difficult testing that I have done as each recipe requires tying up a machine for many hours and if things don't work out it is back to column A. My first attempt in this series a chicken stew with lentils was a modified disaster.

I am setting myself the challenge of meals that can be quickly put together and allowed to Slow cook while people are at work so that they come home to a delicious meal.

Wish me luck

Moved

It is sad but typical that my 20/20 segment on microwaves has been delayed until August 17th. It's too bad as I have been suggesting that people go to it over concerns about plastic in the microwave. If you cannot wait, hit the main web page: bkafka.com asnd go to Ask Barbara..Thank you.

more microwave

This morning I taped a segment for 20/20 to run on ABC on the 3rd. I don't know what it will be like as we taped for hours for what will be a 5 minute segment. I had forgotten just how much work that is.
We taped in my kitchen (you can catch a look) and each of three dishes: Easy Shrimp Risotto, Chicken Caprese and Spiffy French Country Pate had to be made numerous times and prepared in a variety of steps to show as continuos on television.
Each of these recipes was newly created for a 1,200 watt oven for those with newer more powerful models.
I will post all of them and hope that some of you will enjoy them and try them. Those who don't have one of these newer more powerful ovens can look in Microwave Gourmet for timings of similar recipes. You can see the recipes by clicking on the recipe entry.
I was surprised by some of the results. The risotto took less time as expected. The pate took longer due I think to my having drastically reduced the fat content. Microwave just love fat. The chicken dish I thought was a winner as it took only seven minutes of cooking to make dinner for two.
The recipes should be up in a few days as soon as I have time to write them up in final form.

Micro Retro

It isn't just clothing that has fashion cycles and retro moments; the same thing is true of food and cooking. Microwave cooking seems to be making a new run at popularity. Almost everybody has one and even uses it; but they don't tend to think of what they do in it as cooking. Cooking is what they do on saturday for eight people. They feed the kids; they give their spouse something; or the whip up something or partially prepare dinner--vegetables, chicken and fish are favorites.

Nevertheless, since Microwave Gourmet came out in 1987--twenty long years ago--I haven't had the number of media requests for info, recipes, interviews and demonstrations as I have in the past month. It may be the heat: microwave cooking is cool, or it may just be the right moment.

I'm about shoot a segment for 20/20--exciting. I will give information on when it will air when I know.