Bl4—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, Novambar 26,1983
BY KIMBERLY HERR
LANCASTER Gone is the idea
that microwave ovens can only be
used to reheat food. Many women,
especially those with busy farm
schedules, are using their
microwaves to cook everything
from pudding to turkey dinners.
“There are so many really good
things you can make in a
microwave with a gourmet touch,”
said Audrey Hallgren, who
recently started the Microwave
Gourmets’ Cooking School, in
cooperation with another
microwaver, JoAnn Gastello.
Audrey’s school is located on the
second floor of the Allen G. Musser
Inc. store at 101 E. Main St.,
Ephrata. The classes last for two
hours, and best of all, the par
ticipants get to eat everything they
make.
“We Just had a feeling that the
"Got More Time For Misbehavin Since I Started
Microwavin'' is the messiage written on Audrey Hallgren’s
apron. Audrey recently opened a microwave cooking school
in Ephrata, Lancaster County.
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Microwave Christmas Treats
Christmas is an excellent time to put that microwave to use as you are probably often
pressed for time, but at the same time you want to have some tasty food for holiday dinners and
drop-in guests. Try one of these and make your holiday recipes quick, but delicious.
Cranberry Cake
y< cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
Microwave (on high) butter in uncovered glass mixing bowl for 30 to 45 seconds or until
melted. Blend in 1 cup sugar. Mix in milk and vanilla. (Mixture may appear curdled.) Add
flour, baking powder and salt; beat until smooth. Stir in cranberries. Spread in 8-inch square
glass baking dish, greased on bottom only. Combine sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over cake.
Microwave (on medium - 50 percent) uncovered, for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating dish once or
twice. Then microwave (on high) for 4 to 5 minutes or until cake springs back when touched
lightly, rotating dish once. Serve warm or cool with Butter Sauce.
hi cup butter
% cup half and half
Microwave (on high) butter in uncovered 1-quart glass mix ’n pour bowl for 7 to 9 minutes or
until lightly browned, stirring 2 or 3 times. Stir in sugar. Gradually blend in half and half.
Microwave (on high) uncovered I*6 to 2 minutes or until boiling, stirring once. Stir in vanilla.
Serve warm over Cranberry Cake. This can also be used on ice cream or pound cake.
1 quart apple cider
1 teaspoon ground allspice
hi teaspoon ground cloves
V* teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cinnamon sticks
In a 3-quart casserole place cider, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon sticks, orange juice,
lemon juice, sugar and apples. Microwave at high for 15 to 18 minutes until hot. Strain and
serve.
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Be a Microwave Gourmet
time was right,” said Audrey when
asked why they started the school.
According to Audrey, more and
more women are going into the
work force, which makes the need
for quicker meal preparation
greater.
“Older homemakers have been
used to the conventional way of
cooking for so long, but now they
are being influenced by their
daughters and daughter-in-laws,”
Audrey said.
Audrey, who claims to love to
cook, has had no problem swit
ching from the conventional oven
to the microwave.
“I don’t know what I’d do
without it,” she said. “I never
worry about what I’m going to
have anymore.”
In addition to her cooking school,
Audrey works for Amana and often
goes into the homes of those who
Butter Sauce
Wassail
have purchased a microwave in
order to show them the proper way
of using it.
“Right now I’m really busy
because of Christmas,” Audrey
said, explaining that Christmas
and Mother’s Day are the peak
times because so many women get
the ovens for gifts.
JoAnn is also a representative
for Amana, and this is how the two
women met.
Audrey’s last child - she has
three - had gone to college, and she
was left with time on her hands.
When JoAnn called and asked her
to work for Amana, she jumped at
the chance, and from there the
cooking school was bom, as both
women recognized the need for
such classes.
Audrey described herself as the
“lark" of the partnership, while
JoAnn is the “owl.” Audrey likes to
be busy in the morning, while
JoAnn prefers to be busy in the
evenings. This works out well,
especially during this time of year
when various organizations ask
them to do microwave demon
strations, and they have to split up
in order to attend all of their
engagements.
One of Audrey’s favorite parts of
her job is going into the homes to
do demonstrations.
“I love to go out in their homes,”
she said. “That is my favorite. I
never know what I’m going to get
into.”
Before she goes to the home,
however, she likes the person to
have had a chance to experiment
with the microwave.
“If they haven’t had that chance,
they don’t get as much out of it
(her demonstration),” she said.
Audrey explained that she
usually mixes up a meatloaf for the
microwave owner to cook, because
“that’s easy for everyone.” She
also shows them how to cook by
time and how to use a temperature
probe. She will also show them the
utensil test, which determines
whether a utensil can be used in
the microwave.
To determine that, she fills a cup
half full of water and puts it next to
the container being tested. After
cooking for a minute and a half, the
water should be hot and the utensil
being tested should remain cool. If
not, the utensil should not be used
in the microwave.
“The people are really nice,”
Audrey said. “I leam a lot from
them.”
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh cranberries
1 teaspoon sugar
V* teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup sugar
hi teaspoon vanilla
hi cup orange juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
hi cug sugar
2 tart medium apples, unpeeled
and thinly sliced
Pouring over the many microwave cookbooks now on the
market is one of Audrey’s pastimes.
One of the most important facts
that the microwave owners learn
from Audrey is that microwave
cooking is a moist heat, while
conventional cooking is a drier
heat. Because of that, Audrey
learned that when making cup
cakes, it is important to use two
cupcake papers instead of one.
Another lesson learned about
cupcakes, according to Audrey, is
that you only have to fill the papers
half full because you get a lot more
volume in the microwave. Because
of that, you actually get more
cupcakes from the batter, if you
cook it in the microwave.
Another plus is that the
“microwaves make beautiful
sauces. I never get lumps when I
make sauces in a microwave.”
According to Audrey, it is im
portant that you use a pan of the
Your Freezer Helps
During Holidays
LANCASTER Your home food
freezer can be your best friend
during the holidays. The freezer
can hold a number of regular
meals, special party foods and
festive dishes. The freezer can also
preserve left-overs after the
holiday meal, says Greta C. Vairo,
Extension home economist. In the
days before the holidays, make
extra quantities of casseroles and
one-dish main meals as you
prepare your regular meals.
Line the pans with aluminum foil
and allow extra foil to fold over the
top. Cook the food in the usual way
until almost done. Use a light touch
with seasoning because some
spices become stronger during
freezing. After baking, cook the
food quickly. Wrap it in moisture
vapor-proof material, label and
freeze at zero degrees Fahrenheit
or below. With this method you’ll
be able to use the caserole in which
you froze the food while the plan
ahead meal is in your freezer.
When you’re ready to serve that
frozen meal, lust pop it back into
the dish you originally froze it in
proper shape. She recommends
using round or oval pans. If you use
a square pan, the corners tend to
get done before the center, which
leads to overdone corners.
“One of the best dishes is a pie
plate,” she said.
“There’s no reason why people
can’t adapt their recipes to a
microwave,” Audrey explained.
“We’ve enjoyed it so, having a
time saver.”
“Microwave ovens will not do
everything, but they will do 70 to 75
percent of whatever you have to
do,” Audrey said.
Audrey and JoAnn will be of
fering a special Christmas
demonstration from 6:30 to 8:30
p.m. on Dec. 5 at their school. The
fee will be $lO. For more in
formation contact JoAnn Gastello,
808 Colony Circle, Lancaster, Pa.
17601.
and heat. Use containers that will
hold as much food as you intend to
serve at one time.
When preparing special occasion
foods for the freezer, remember
that certain ingredients do not
freeze well. Avoid freezing cooked
egg white (meringues and fluffy
frostings), raw vegetables and
mayonnaise. Cakes may be frozen
when frosted - just remember to
unwrap before thawing, or freeze
cake unfrosted. You can also
freeze baked or unbaked pies.
Rolls can be frozen partially
baked, similar to commercial
brown-and-serve products.
Large quantities of leftovers
after holiday meals or parties are
better stored in the freezer than
the refrigerator. Freeze leftover
turkey, stuffing and gravy if they
won’t be used within a day. Label
foods clearly. The label should
include the name of food, freezing
date and number of servings in the
packets. For maximum quality,
use frozen foods within two or
three months.