Friday, March 29, 2013

Something You Don't Know About Me


I think the smell I dislike most in the world is the smell of burnt popcorn. Making popcorn in the microwave has to be one of the most annoying tasks too! Every package says it will be ready in 1-4 minutes and every microwave is different. So three minutes in one microwave with one brand will burn to a crisp and another, not even three kernels will pop!

It's maddening!

I reiterate that I am no Julia Child in the kitchen and while I am enjoying cooking a bit more it still isn't a hobby I enjoy. It doesn't bring some great joy. I still think of it as a "To Do" on my ever growing list of to-dos. I say this, because I include microwaving as a culinary skill. Now I know that microwaving isn't up there with souffle or Bearnaise sauce making...but a skill nonetheless people! A true chef knows his oven...and his microwave! 

I vividly remember asking my dad as a kid what I should set the microwave at to heat a roll leftover from Thanksgiving. He quickly answered eleven seconds. Not ten or fifteen, straight up eleven! It seemed so strange to me. How had he fallen on eleven seconds? So I asked.

Ten seconds would do the trick, he answered. But to punch in 1 and 0 you have to lift your finger from the 1 all the way to the 0, so it is more efficient and you get juust the same amount of heat if you hit 1 - 1. 

Huh?

Never thought about efficient microwave button pushing but...

Court asked me the other day when heating up a blueberry muffin, if I had used 11 or 22 seconds. 

"I used eleven and it wasn't hot enough so I'd go with twenty-two." I answered. 


It took me a second to realize that I implement my dad's 'efficient' microwaving techniques to this day and that Court has picked up on my crazy microwaving antics.

So yes. When microwaving, I use same digit numeral settings. And as long as I have our current microwave and we use Safeway brand popcorn, 1:44 will never result in burnt popcorn. 1:55 will. Trust me. 

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