
DATE: Wednesday, September 24, 1997         TAG: 9709230040

SECTION: FLAVOR                  PAGE: F1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY BETTY DOUGLASS, CORRESPONDENT 

                                            LENGTH:  122 lines

TOOLS: APPLIANCE ABILITY EVEN IF YOU OWN THE BIG THREE PIECES OF HIGH-TECH KITCHEN GEAR, CHANCES ARE YOU'RE NOT USING THEM ENOUGH.

WE'VE ALL been there.

You buy a popular new kitchen appliance and use it for a while, only to allocate it to a remote part of the pantry. Remember the hot dog cooker? How about the sandwich griller or the crepe maker? Do you have a small deep-fat fryer tucked in a cabinet somewhere collecting dust?

But not all small appliances are destined to become kitchen junk. Some, such as the microwave oven, food processor and hand blender, aren't used nearly enough.

While the microwave oven is often used for reheating leftovers and popping popcorn, this appliance is useful for a wide variety of other tasks. The most important thing is to know how your microwave works. Check out the the do's and don'ts of the appliance by reading the use and care manual . (Some manufacturers don't recommend using the microwave for craft projects, including drying herbs, said a spokesman for Amana.) Keep the book on hand for referral.

Here are some ways to use your microwave, popcorn and leftovers excluded:

Make sauces and gravies using a 4- or 8-cup, microwave-safe, glass measure and a wire whisk to stir every minute. No more lumps. See recipe for white sauce.

Make 1 cup of pudding. My favorite is a three-minute chocolate pudding I can make when the urge strikes.

In a 2- or 4-cup glass measure combine 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar and 1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa with a wire whisk. Add 1 cup milk and whisk until all dry ingredients are wet. Microwave on high power for 3 minutes or until thickened, stirring every minute with whisk. Add a dab of butter and several drops of vanilla if desired.

Save time when baking potatoes and achieve a crisp skin by zapping the potato for half the normal microwave cooking time and finishing them off in a toaster oven. Pierce each potato in several places before microwaving.

Quickly cook ground beef and drain the fat in one easy step. Place crumbled ground beef in a plastic colander and set over a shallow dish. For each pound of meat, microwave on high power 5 to 6 minutes or until meat looses its pink color, stirring halfway through cooking time. Discard fat. Use meat in recipe as desired.

Melt one ounce of chocolate by microwaving for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. For each additional ounce of chocolate needed, add 10 seconds. Melt chocolate in a glass measure or bowl, stirring halfway through cooking time. Chocolate will not be smooth at the end of cooking time. After cooking, stir until chocolate is completely melted. Do not overcook.

Use the microwave to heat milk, water or other liquids for recipes so you don't have to use a burner on an already crowded stove.

Boneless chicken and fish will steam to a tender and moist doneness. Cover and cook following the directions in the use and care manual.

Scramble eggs using a medium to medium-high power setting for more volume than eggs scrambled at high power. To scramble one egg, melt 1/2 to 1 teaspoon butter in a 1-cup measure. Add 1 egg, stir with fork, add 1 to 2 teaspoons milk or sour cream, and stir to combine.

Microwave on 60 percent power for 1 minute. Stir, microwave for 20 to 30 more seconds, stir and serve.

Bacon cooks flat, brown and crisp when microwaved on high power. Place bacon on top of paper towels and cover with additional paper towels.

Partially bake pie crusts before filling by zapping in a microwave-safe pie plate for 4 to 6 minutes on 80 percent power. Fill with custard or quiche mixture and finish baking as usual. For microwave crumb crusts, see recipe.

Soften hard brown sugar by placing in a microwave-proof cup or container with a slice of apple. Cover or seal lightly and microwave 15 seconds or until mositure from apple softens the sugar.

Dry a quart of fresh bread crumbs or croutons by cooking on high power 6 to 8 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes.

When a recipe calls for sauted vegetables, cook without added fat by microwaving on high power.

Zap oranges, lemons or limes for 20 to 30 seconds before juicing to release more liquid. Microwaving the fruit also makes the rind easier to grate or zest.

Toast nuts on high power for 3 minutes for each cup of nuts.

Dry fresh herbs by placing the sprigs or leaves between layers of paper towel and microwaving until crumbly.

Make quick snacks for drop-in guests. See recipe for bacon-wrapped breadsticks.

Freshen cereal, crackers, chips and pretzels by microwaving uncovered for a few seconds. Let stand a minute or two to crisp.

Food processors are designed to chop, slice, shred and mix. Their key advantage is speed, and as long as you don't mind sacrificing uniformity, they saves time doing tedious chores.

Some people with small households prefer to use mini-processors. I like my standard-size processor with a mini bowl attachment. Follow the use and care book for your processor.

In addition to chopping vegetables, fruits and nuts, you can use your processor for these tasks:

Grate cheese. It is easier if the cheese is very cold.

Make salad dressings, salsas, chutneys and sauces. Add the ingredients to the processor in the order given in the recipe.

Mix yeast breads, quick breads, pizza dough and pasta.

Mix pie crusts. See recipe for pastry crust.

Puree hot fruits and vegetables for soups.

Chop meats, both raw and cooked.

Make fresh bread crumbs or cracker crumbs.

Hand blenders are used to puree and emulsify foods in seconds. To maintain texture, avoid overblending. Work in short bursts and watch the food carefully. Hand blenders work best if run in short bursts, never longer than one minute without interruption.

Hand blenders make fast work of many tasks, but to avoid splashing make sure the blender is immersed in the food when turning on or off.

Use your hand blender to:

Puree soups and vegetables in the pan. For safety, remove the pan from the heat before using the blender.

Blend sauces and dressings.

Make milk shakes.

Make pancake, popover, waffle and crepe batters.

Aerate frozen juices. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by Black and Decker

Food Processor...

Color photo by Amana

Microwave...

Color photo by Richard L. Dunston

Hand Blender