Monday, November 9, 2009

maximizing the microwave

After arriving at my friend Megan's apartment on Saturday night, with the makings of a fabulous little dinner for three, I was startled to hear that the stove was not working. Wait, what? How am I supposed to make a pot of rice with a gas-less gas stove?!

I glanced at the back of my box of Carolina rice to see, much to my apprehension and casual abhorrence, Microwave Directions.

I glanced over at Megan with a, "Welp, screw it," kind of look and a shrug of the shoulders as I started to fill my microwave-safe tupperware with water, a pat of butter, salt, and the uncooked rice. Worse comes to worse, we'd just have to enjoy a carb-less meal. Meh. Oh well.

After five minutes on high and then 15 minutes on 50% power, I opened the microwave door, frightened at what the final product would look like. Visions of dried out, hard pieces of rice filled my head. I slowly lifted the lid and began to inspect the rice...

It was some of the most perfect, fluffy, slightly sticky, rice cooker-style white rice I've ever made. I was beaming at this new found discovery which I had doubted, relentlessly, for the entire 20 minute trip it took in the microwave. Rice, for whatever reason, has always been a sort of Achilles Heel for me. Embarrassing, really, but it's just one of those things I feel like I don't have enough control over. Add the rice, stir, put lid on, cross your fingers and hope to God it doesn't stick and burn to the bottom of the pan. But fear no longer. Never did I ever think I'd default to Microwave Directions but you guys? It delivers a near perfect product.

Give it a shot. I think you'll be just as pleasantly surprised as I was. If not more.

But not more than Michelle. Because after taking a bite of my Asian Pork Tenderloin, Michelle, my friends, had eyes welled up with tears. She was having an ethereal food moment.

Hate to toot my own horn in front of you all. But. Toot, toot.

No comments:

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails