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 I need to as my edition is out of date.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.”