How a Microwave Works Then and Now

In 1945 Dr. Percy Spencer, a self-taught engineer working for the Raytheon Company in Massachusetts, discovered quite by accident that a chocolate candy bar in his lab coat pocket had melted while he was experimenting with magnetron tubes, a new kind of vacuum tube developed by the English during World War II.

Besides snacking on candy bars, Dr. Spencer was also fond of popcorn as an afternoon snack. So being a true scientist, he placed a few unpopped kernels next to magnetron tubes and was amazed when they begin to vibrate and then pop.

The next day he and his excited lab associates tried cooking an egg still in its shell.  It cooked and then exploded.

By 1947 his amazing discovery (minus the exploding egg) was transformed into the first microwave test model, which weighed 750 pounds, stood five feet tall and cost $5,000! It also required addition plumbing be installed as the heated magnetron tubes had to be cooled constantly by water.  

At this price range, Raytheon believed only professional chefs would consider purchasing this new cooking tool. In fact, the first field testing was done by valiant chefs in Boston. Thank you brave Chefs.

By the 1960’s the price had dropped to such a low point that microwaves began to appear on the kitchen counter in some homes.

But without the innovative focus of professional chefs, they were initially used largely to reheat and defrost foods quickly.

Then in the 1980’s Orville Redenbacher microwave popcorn packets, along with a host of microwave cookbooks for the home cook, appeared on the market. And the rest, as they sat, is culinary history.

Yet there is a problem, for as much as the microwave is now a part of any contemporary kitchen, few of us actually know how it works, except maybe for Chef Ferran Adrià and his amazing staff.

So here’s a quick tutorial – just remember to enjoy some popcorn while watching, thanks to Dr. Percy Spencer and, of course, Orville Redenbacher! 

Post Note, June 30, 2012: Is it our imagination, or is there a a very strong resemblance between Dr. Spencer and Orville Redenbacher?

Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2012

Enjoy Historic Food and Drink for an Honest Fourth of July This Election Year

Soon the U.S. will be celebrating its Independence Day. No president is more associated with American ideals than George Washington. Yet, similar to the current presidential campaign rhetoric, myths equally abound regarding the nation’s first president and Colonial War hero. Just consider...

Childhood

• Then: George Washington never chopped down a cherry tree.
• Now: Barack Obama was never born in Kenya.

Education

• Then: George Washington left formal education at 14.
• Now: Barack Obama attended Columbia University and Harvard University on work and grant scholarships.

Personal Wealth

• Then: George Washington refused his general’s salary of $48,000 while serving for 8 years as commander of the Continental Army. Instead, he billed Congress only for his expenses, which totaled $447,220!
• Now: Mitt Romney has accepted no public campaign donations, choosing instead to rely on Super PACS funded by millionaires.

Human Rights

• Then: George Washington was the only slave-owning President who ever freed his slaves – all 124 of them.
• Now: Despite current political ads, illegal immigration is down 60% since 2000.

 Religion

• Then: George Washington never knelt at Valley Forge or anywhere else. He occasionally attended the Episcopal Church but was known to never kneel with the Congregation or to receive Communion.
• Now: Barack Obama is a Christian. Period, end of discussion.

Temperance

• Then: Washington operated one of the new nation’s most commercial successful distilleries at Mt Vernon, producing rye whiskey, apple and peach brandies.
• Now: Religious guidelines aside, the White House needs to continue to represent the bounty of America to its many international guests, including California’s wines and Kentucky’s legendary whiskeys and bourbons.

Hospitality

• Then: George Washington hosted a nearly endless stream of guests. He also belonged to many social clubs and service organizations such as the Fish House Club and Masons.
• Now: Mitt Romney often restricts press and public access, limits questioning and won’t release multi-year income tax filings.

As you can see, the U.S. has come a long way, and yet, still has further to go. So, why not skip the patriotically named red-white-and-blue colored cocktails this Fourth, and drink what Washington drank, the famed Fish House Punch, matched with his favorite Colonial Hoe Cakes.

It’s a strong drink, but it’s honest – the way we still long for our politicians to be.

Fish House Punch

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 3 ½ cups water
• 1 ½ cups fresh lemon juice (6 to 8 lemons), strained
• 1 (750-ml) bottle Jamaican amber rum
• 12 oz. Cognac (1 1/2 cups)
• 2 oz. peach brandy (1/4 cup)
• Lemon Slices
• Special Equipment: Half Gallon Cardboard Juice or Milk Carton, Top end cut off

Directions

• To make ice block, fill carton with water and freeze until solid, about 8 hours.
• Stir together sugar and 31/2 cups water in a large bowl or pot until sugar is dissolved.
• Add lemon juice, rum, Cognac, and brandy and chill, covered, at least 3 hours.
• Put ice block in a punch bowl and pour punch over it.

Colonial Hoe Cakes

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups self-raising cornmeal
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• 1 ¼ cups buttermilk
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1 Tbsp melted shortening
• ¼ cup melted shortening

Directions

• Combine cornmeal and baking soda in a medium bowl.
• Add buttermilk, egg and 1 tbsp melted shortening.
• Stir until just moistened.
• Heat ¼ cup of shortening to 365 in large cast iron skillets. (Originally baked on a hoe’s metal surface, hence the name).
• Pour ¼ cup batter into skillet for each hoe cake.
• Fry 1 to 2 minutes until golden brown.
• Serve with butter and honey.

Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2012

Post Note, June 27, 2012: If you are looking for a great movie to honor the 4th that is historically accurate and entertaining, check out 1776, the Musical. It's a patriotic must.