I didn't grow up with a microwave. They freaked out my dad, who, though he had some very progressive health ideas, was not generally known to distrust such innovations. His reluctance left an impression on me. So I hadn't really experienced one before my college-era roommate brought one to our flat. It was an older model, even then, and it came from someone in her family. It was really loud and we used to joke about what it might be leaking into our kitchen, but we kept it on top of the refrigerator so it didn't get a ton of use and was also so high that you couldn't inadvertently loiter in front of it.
But I've already started my story too far from its beginnings. 'Why wouldn't someone want a microwave?' you might ask. Or maybe you know generally that the emitted radiation doesn't necessarily jive with your body's own electromagnetic fields. I lived with that knowledge for a long time, using it to heat up a lot of our son's food when he was a baby/toddler, before he got somewhat (though still not totally) on the same page with what my husband and I eat for dinner.
After that I'd use it almost every morning to reheat the cup of coffee I'd invariably forget to finish while still hot. And there was a lot of popcorn popping and bun/tortilla steaming that went on. Until one day, after my usual request for my son to not stand near the microwave when it was turned on, I asked myself, "Why do I have a machine in my house that worries me whenever I use it?" And later that afternoon I ran across an article on everything I already feared about microwaving, in addition to its effects on what's inside your oven- the nutrients in your food! The next morning I suggested to my husband that we take it down to the basement and do a trial run of life without it. So here's how that went.
Non-microwave heating solutions
Challenge One: reheating coffee. Initially, I tried what any self-respecting coffee fan would be horrified by: I put my coffee in a saucepan and reheated it. The results were not stellar. Shortly thereafter I started drinking my coffee while it was hot the first time. A revelation! And problem solved.
Challenge Two: steaming hot dog buns. My son is a picky eater. And at a certain period he ate a lot of (nitrite-free) hot dogs. Heating a bun in the microwave was a matter of wrapping one in a paper towel and zapping it for 25 seconds. Since steaming is steaming, I simply put our stove-top double-boiler to work. The hot dog cooked in the bottom and the bun went on top for the last few minutes. Perfect.
Challenge Three: reheating rice and pasta. This one is a bit more labor intensive than its microwave counterpart. I go between reheating in a skillet with a bit of oil or clarified butter, putting food in a bowl on the top part of the double-boiler, or reheating it in an oven. This challenge is where not using a microwave requires the most time and planning.
Challenge Four: popcorn. I am, as you will learn in future posts, a cast iron NUT! One of the centerpieces of my collection is a hammered-finish chicken fryer, a deep skillet that was at least a century old when my aunt had it given to her by an old woman she was caring for who had had it her whole life, inherited from someone in her family. I've had it for more than 20 years and it is a very good popcorn popper! Sometimes I use my Dutch oven to pop, which also does a great job. Any heavy-bottomed covered pan or pot will be just as effective.
So what's the upshot of these findings? Well, we donated our microwave about six months ago, after it languished and took up space in the basement, clearly never to return to the kitchen. We haven't missed it. And what's more, all cooking is now anxiety-free! Do you have a microwave? Did you used to? Are you tempted to give it the old heave-ho?
Traveling Lighter Wellness is committed to helping people lose mind and body baggage. For programs that can help you create a customized approach to health, contact the author at http://www.travelinglighterwellness.com
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