No pot tomato sauce!

I only cook one thing in my microwave; it's tomato sauce.


This is how:
Put the following ingredients into a microwave bowl (I never measure):

• tomato paste
• cut onion
• garlic, either granules or fresh
• oil
• water
• salt and pepper and any other spices, optional according to your preference

Zap* it! Then mix, and you may need to zap it again. It depends on how you're going to be using it. If it's going to be added to other food for more cooking, then you need less "zaps." If it's served separately, then the onions should be soft.

I make it almost every week for a Pasta with Tomato Sauce side dish. I add it to already-cooked (left-over) pasta and then zap again.

*Remember that every microwave is different, so I'm not giving times and settings.

And a special reminder,

The Baleboosteh is working hard to give you the greatest Kosher Cooking Carnival yet! So please send in your links ASAP.

the old-fashioned way

In pre-microwave times, the thawing of frozen food was done by soaking it in hot water.



Last night after wasting tons of time trying to thaw my vegetable soup in the microwave, I gave up and put the container in a pot of hot water. And in no time, I was able to spoon some out and heat it in a pot with added rice noodles.



I don't like using the microwave on raw meat, since it changes the consistency. In the winter, the meat doesn't thaw overnight, so Thursday mornings, inevitably, there are scenes like this one in the kitchen.



The only thing that thaws well in the microwave is bread, pita, or rolls for immediate consumption.