Green Beans steamed in a 700-watt microwave oven

Place a microwave-safe package of green beans in a dish, cut off one corner, and microwave for the amount of time suggested in the directions.  This is a one-pound bag and the directions specify 3 minutes.

A pound of "French Beans" microwaved in the bag

Because this oven is only 700 watts, I gave them 3 minutes, tried one when they had cooled for a few minutes, then gave them another three minutes.  They were still crunchy but not raw.  I think 5 minutes with no pause might be better.

The beans should still be crunchy enough to enjoy chilled with lemon, oil, and
garlic, or served warm with butter.  A versatile food,  easily prepared!

To see a full set of photographs showing how this dish was made, go to this set on flickr.   (It will open in a new tab or window; to return to this page, just close it.) The small pictures are thumbnails; click on each one to see it full-size, and to read the comments under it.  If you prefer to use the slideshow feature, you won't see the captions unless you click on "show info" (top right).

More experiments

Yes, it works.  Angel Hair pasta can be cooked in a coffee pot!

Higher up on the scale of iffy equipment, we've been trying various combinations of pasta, water, and time in the small microwave oven.  This is all working out pretty well too; The 2-quart Pyrex measuring pitcher is doing the heavy lifting again.

P.S. Alice has reminded me about Johnnie Depp ironing cheese sandwiches for Joon.

Rice Steamed in a Hot Pot

Another successful dormitory work-around!  Rice, steamed in the lowly hot pot.

We usually simmer rice in water, but in Asia, people sometimes soak the rice first, then steam it above boiling water.  It was worth a try!

Soak one and a half cups of medium grain white rice in 2 cups of water for 4 hours or more.  Drain, rinse, and drain again.

Set a steamer basket into the hot pot over a cup of water.  We lined the basket, bottom only, loosely with foil. (I suspect large leaves, such as cabbage leaves, would give better results as the steam could rise through the rice but haven't yet tried it.)

Distribute soaked rice around the steamer basket.

Steam with lid tightly shut until rice has softened - half an hour or more, adding water to the bottom of the pot in trickles as needed.

Hot Pot with fluffed white rice

Unplug the pot, fluff the rice with a fork, and close the lid.  Let the rice sit for awhile before serving, to steam and soften some more.

To see a full set of photographs showing how this dish was made, go to this set on flickr.   (It will open in a new tab or window; to return to this page, just close it.) The small pictures are thumbnails; click on each one to see it full-size, and to read the comments under it.  If you prefer to use the slideshow feature, you won't see the captions unless you click on "show info" (top right).

Sweet Potatoes Steamed in a Hot Pot

Peel and dice one large or two smaller sweet potatoes.

Place a steamer basket in a Hot Pot, and add a scant 2 cups of water or enough water to fill the space below the steamer.

Arrange sweet potato cubes to fill the basket.

Sweet Potatoes steaming in a Hot Pot with basket insert

Close lid, turn the pot on high, and steam 15 minutes.  Listen to the sounds the pot is making.  Occasionally trickle water into the closed pot through the spout so it doesn't boil dry.  If it is boiling violently, lower the heat setting.  If it stalls, raise the setting.  If it's already on high and stalling, add an ounce of cold water to get it going again.

Open the lid (carefully, the steam is hot!)  and test for doneness.  If you are planning to puree the potatoes, give them more time.  The potatoes in the photographs cooked for 30 minutes.

When the potatoes are done, pour the water out into a container with the lid closed, then turn the whole thing, steamer basket and all, upside down onto a plate, then lift off the steamer.  Season and otherwise prepare the sweet potatoes for serving.


To see a full set of photographs showing how this dish was made, go to this set on flickr.   (It will open in a new tab or window; to return to this page, just close it.) The small pictures are thumbnails; click on each one to see it full-size, and to read the comments under it.  If you prefer to use the slideshow feature, you won't see the captions unless you click on "show info" (top right).

Dorm Food Survival

Many college students have to feed themselves with only limited funds, difficult conditions, and little experience.  How many George Foreman Grills go to school with Johnny Freshman, only to make the return trip home with the parents when they check into the dorm and discover that nearly all cooking appliances are forbidden?

American students often live in college dormitories, where there may be one snack room per floor.  It's generally assumed that students will participate in a "Meal Plan" which is paid by the semester, and can be expensive as well as starchy; after all, the student is paying not just for food but also for preparation.  Therefore, many students buy the minimum meal plan and then attempt to manage as many meals as possible in their rooms.

Food preparation in a dormitory room is not easy, because schools severely limit what appliances can be brought in (and the internet is rife with tricky and time-honored work-arounds - which we won't get into here.)

Texas A&M Corps of Cadets housing has published this online.  It's more thorough and concise than the usual but rules are typical:

...prohibited appliances and equipment include, but are not limited to, the following:

    •    Air-conditioners

    •    Halogen Torchiere Lamps

    •    Camping Stoves

    •    Hot Oil Popcorn Poppers

    •    Ceiling Fans

    •    Hot Plates

    •    Crock Pots

    •    Oven Broilers

    •    Electric Skillets

    •    Rice Cookers

    •    Gas Power Tools

    •    Steamers

    •    Griddles

    •    Space Heaters

    •    Grills (George Foreman type, electrical, charcoal or propane)

    •    Toasters

    •    Toaster Ovens

    •    Electric Power Tools (with the exception of storage for use outside the halls)

    •    Sandwich Makers

    •    Smoke/Fog Machines

APPROVED COOKING APPLIANCES

Approved cooking appliances will have closed coil elements and are limited to: Coffee pots; Hot pots; Hot air popcorn poppers; Blenders; and microwaves up to a stated FCC rating of not more than 700 watts.

Thus, the students are limited to cooking in hot pots and small microwave ovens. (Popcorn poppers aren't very flexible.) Actually it's worse, because in TAMU cadet housing a maximum of 2 appliances is allowed, so assuming that one will be a small refrigerator, the only other possibility is a microwave oven.  One might make an arrangement with the room next door to share appliances, perhaps.

If there is a hot pot, it's good for two things that I have discovered: boiling water and making hard-boiled eggs.  That second thing is not to be scoffed at because it's something you can't do in a microwave oven, and hard-boiled eggs are great take-along food.  You can boil water in a microwave oven.

If the student is fortunate to have access to a decent snack kitchen on his floor, then the constraints will be time, storage, and mess -- not enough time and storage, and no tolerance for mess.  A student with an apartment (and, presumably, roommates) is constrained by storage and his own finances.

As we consider ways to manage the best possible diet for the student at the least possible expense and difficulty, we will need to focus primarily on microwave cooking.

[This is the first in a planned series on students and meals.]

This article first appeared in The Baker's Dozen.

Eating in the Dorm and Living to Tell About It

It has lately come to our attention that students who need to skimp on the "Food Plan" for all the obvious reasons are presented with rather awful rules for legal eating in the dorm.  We think we can help!  Give us a few weeks to think about this; then, our Student Food Survival Handbook will begin right here.