Harold McGee spears the microwave myth with a metal fork

If you haven’t heard of or don’t have Harold McGee in your kitchen then I’m afraid you are not a serious cook. McGee on Food and Cooking is definitive guide to the science behind most of his subect matter and you should buy it now. I need to as my edition is out of date. But for nothing you can read his column in the New York Times or visit his blog. Last month he enlightened us on how to ensure octopus is tender. For April it is on what and how to cook in that much maligned appliance the microwave. That polenta is best cooked in one is a revelation and I’d never really thought about the dehydration and therefore dryness it causes of meats. Even for reheating he recommends removing meat from sauce.

And on metal in microwaves:

“Despite general warnings against using metal, metal containers and aluminum foil aren’t dangerous. They reflect microwaves away from foods and so slow their heating. That’s sometimes useful for preventing the edges of foods, like fish fillets or asparagus tips, from overcooking. Just don’t put foil or bowls too close to each other or to the oven walls, since that can cause sparking.”

Japanese knives: cool for chefs

Since beforeKill Bill Japanese knives have been cool. Hell, I’m obsessed with Japanese cabinet-making tools. They are very beautiful and sharp.
Now everything Japanese is going mainstream with chefs. As Harris Salat says in Salon:

“And not just those of the cooks. Since the mid-’90s, Japanese knives have become de rigueur in professional kitchens of all stripes — edging out, so to speak, German and French blades. Read more