Miso is often used for seasoning soups and sauces. It is a salty-tasting Japanese fermented soybean paste. During the fermentation process, a dark liquid rises to the top. Known as tamari, this dark liquid is a strong-tasting form of soy sauce. Miso is ordinarily sold in vacuum-sealed pouches or tubs. There are darker, stronger,and chunkier misos, and dozens of variations in between. Experiment and find the ones that you like best.

When choosing and using miso, keep in mind that the darker the color, the stronger, saltier, richer, and more robust the flavor will be. There are four basic varieties of miso, each with a different color and flavor. Aka (red miso) is dark reddish-brown in color and has the most intense, salty flavor. Shiro (white miso) has a gold color, a fine texture, and a mild, mellow, slightly sweet, less salty taste. Hatcho (dark brown miso) has a rich, mellow flavor.

To store miso after opening, seal tightly (in a separate jar with a tight-fitting lid, if necessary) and refrigerate for up to 2 years. Miso keeps well due to a very high sodium content. When using miso in heated mixtures, dissolve it first in a small amount of the hot liquid in a separate bowl (using 2 parts liquid to 1 part miso), then stir back into the entire mixture.

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Use a carousel, which will also speed cooking. Low-cost carousels or turntables are widely available; just make sure that the size fits the interior of your microwave oven. If you don't have one of these devices, turn the food twice during cooking. if you use your microwave oven often, it also helps to become familiar with how it distributes heat. Line the oven bottom with waxed paper, then cover the paper with pancake batter and cook on high power, stopping every 30 seconds to watch how and where the batter is and is not cooking. Use the hot spots and cold spots as a guide when arranging food in your microwave oven.

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To microwave foods faster, cover the dishes tightly which will trap steam for better heat penetration. Use glass dish covers, microwavable plastic, or waxed paper, and try to keep plastic wrap an inch or more above the food. It also helps to use room-temperature foods because they cook faster than cold foods. To warm foods to room temperature safely, take them directly from the refrigerator to the microwave oven, and microwave on medium power in 1-minute intervals until the surface loses its chill.

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To arrange foods for the most efficient cooking, arrange them in a circular or spoke pattern. Also, since microwave ovens cook hotter on the edges than in the center, arrange foods with the thicker or tougher portions toward the edges. Place the thickest ends of chicken breasts and drumsticks outward. For stalk vegetables such as broccoli, arrange them in a circular spoke pattern with the tougher stems pointing outward and the tender heads inward.

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To defrost food with a microwave oven, place the food in its wrapper on a microwaveable plate. If your microwave oven has a pre-programmed defrost cycle, use it. If not, defrost on medium power. Microwave in 5- to 8- minute intervals, turning the food between intervals, until the food is defrosted but still cold. When defrosting frozen blocks of smaller pieces, such as chicken parts, break them apart into individual pieces as soon as possible during the defrosting cycle to speed thawing.

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Ceramic, glass, or plastic containers are best for cooking with microwave oven. Make sure that any plastic containers are made specifically for microwave oven use; if not, they may melt. Also, use dishes that contain not traces of metal, including the trim and handles. If using plastic wrap or paper towels, be sure that they are clearly labeled as safe to use in a microwave oven.

Avoid using the following containers in a microwave oven: polystyrene (such as foam coffee cups and take-out dishes); glass bottles; cans; metal pots (or anything metal, for that matter); wooden bowls; mugs or ceramic ware with glued-on handles; and plastic storage containers that are not specifically intended for microwave use.

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Microwave Cooking
Microwave ovens emit short, high-frequency electromagnetic waves to make food vibrate at a spectacularly rapid rate, causing the food to heat up quickly. For accurate timing, it's essential to know the wattage and size of your oven, as timing varies according to these details. If you are unsure of how long to heat a food, lean toward caution. You can always continue to heat the food if it is not quite done.

To cook successfully in a microwave oven, follow the recipe directions exactly. The size and shape of the dish will affect the timing, as will the amount of food. By doubling the ingredients, you may need to double the cooking time. Also check the recommended oven wattage. Timing will need to be adjusted if you are using an oven with low wattage of less than 700 watts.

To convert recipes for low-wattage ovens
Most recipes are developed for a 700-watt microwave oven. If you have a 600-watt oven, add 10 seconds for each minute called for in the recipe. If you have a 500-watt oven, add 20 seconds for each minute called for in the recipe.

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Except for its shape, meat loaf is similar to meatballs in every way. It's usually a blend of ground meat, eggs, bread crumbs, onions, and seasonings. To make tender, moist, and juicy meatloaf, use a blend of beef, pork and veal. Using ground beef alone makes a dry, bland meat loaf. This mixture is often available in supermarkets, sold as meat loaf mixture. Make sure the beef isn't too lean; it should be at least 15 percent fat. Also, mix the ingredients with your hands until just combined. Avoid overhandling.

To make meat loaf with a greater portion of browned crust, shape the meat directly on a parchment-lined, rimmed baking sheet rather than patting it into a loaf pan. Meatloaf can be cooked faster if we skip the loaf pan and form meat loaf on a parchment-lined roasting pan, making the loaf as long and narrow as possible, which allows heat to penetrate into the center of the loaf faster.

When adding flavor to meatloaf, replace the tomato sauce in your favorite meat loaf recipe with bottled barbecue sauce, both in the meat mixture and for the topping. Wrap strips of bacon around the shaped loaf before baking to add more flavor and moisture. Meatloaf flavor and moisture could be sealed in by using a clay pot casserole. Soak an unglazed clay casserole in water for 10 minutes, then add the meat loaf. Cover and place in a cold oven, then follow the baking time instructions that come with your pot.

Fats can be reduced from the meatloaf by placing it on a rack over a roasting pan to drain excess fat. Or, replace half of the ground beef in your recipe with ground turkey or chicken.

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Similar to meat loaf, meatballs are versatile and easy to improvise. Meatballs are made from a seasoned mixture of ground meat, often including beef, veal, pork, lamb, or a combination. They can be cooked by practically any method: grilling, braising, poaching, or baking. In order to shape meatballs, wet your hands with cold water to keep the meat from sticking. Pinch off a small amount of the seasoned meat mixture and roll it gently into a ball between your hands.

To make evenly sized meatballs, form the meat mixture into a cylinder with a diameter equal to the desired diameter of the meatballs. Cut the cylinder crosswise into equal-size pieces and roll each piece into a ball. If you prefer tender and light-textured meatballs, handle the meat as little as possible. Overhandling makes for tough meatballs.

You can also prepared stewed meatballs that are crisp and browned crust. Just saute the meatballs until evenly browned before adding to the sauce. Or, broil the meatballs, turning frequently to brown completely. To help fried meatballs brown without sticking or crumbling, dredge the meatballs with flour before frying.

Meatballs can be prepared ahead of time. Put uncooked meatballs on a baking sheet and freeze them uncovered. Once frozen, transfer to a zipper-lock plastic bag. Defrost just the number of meatballs that you need in the refrigerator before cooking. Or freeze cooked meatballs. After cooking, cool them to room temperature, then freeze and store in the same way.

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Place unmeasured ingredients to the left of your work space and move to the right as they are measured. It also helps to count out loud while measuring. To keep track of the number of eggs you've cracked, move the exact number of eggs you need to one side of the egg carton and proceed to crack. Or, if the carton is full when you start, it's easy enough to keep track by the number of emptied cups.

Always ensure that you do not spill ingredients into a mixing bowl. Never measure over the mixing bowl. Instead measure over a piece of paper towel, parchment, or waxed paper, so that you can pour any spills back into the ingredient box or container. And to measure salt without spilling all over the counter as this always seems to happen with those metal spouts. To catch spilled salt, hold a larger measuring spoon under the spoon into which you are measuring. Any overflow will cascade into the larger spoon. Or, if you tend to measure a lot of salt, store it in a lidded container or salt box so that the pouring dilemma is eliminated. All you have to do is dip in with a spoon.

Preparation time could be saved too when measuring. Eyeball your measurements. Except in baking, where the structure of the finished product is dependent on an exact ratio of ingredients, precise measurement is not always essential in most recipes. Experienced cooks learn to approximate small measurements, such as teaspoons and tablespoons, by eyeballing them, a practice that is worth learning because it can greatly speed up the assemblage of ingredients.

To learn to eyeball measurements, measure a teaspoon of salt or sugar and pour it into your hand. Observe it and try to remember its shape and mass, feel how much it weights, and notice what area it takes up in your palm. Now, try pouring that much salt directly into your hand from a container. Test your accuracy by pouring the contents of your hand back into a measuring spoon.

When measuring flour and sugar, you can save time by keeping a 1/2-cup measure in the bin. That way, you'll always have an easily multipliable measure ready. For measurements of less than 1/2 cup, use spoon measures.

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While measuring ingredients may seem simple, the working of some recipes can be confusing and the best technique for measuring ingredients may not always be clear.

To measure liquids-
Always measure liquids by volume, expressed in teaspoons, tablespoons, cups, pints, quarts, and gallons. The number of fluid ounces of volume is the same as the number of ounces in weight. Place a clear glass or plastic spouted measuring cup on a flat surface and bend down so that you're at eye level with it (holding the measuring cup up tends to make the liquid slosh around). Pour in the liquid until it rises to the appropriate mark. For spoon measurements, hold the measuring spoon flat and pour in the liquid until it just reaches the top. Use liquid measuring cups for thick liquids such as honey and molasses too.

To measure viscous, sticky liquids-
To accurately measure honey, molasses, corn syrup, maple syrup, or jelly, lightly oil the measuring cup or spoon first. Or, if the recipe calls for oil, measure the oil first in the same measure. Then, every drop will slide right out.

To measure dry ingredients-
Use a metal or plastic dry cup, or graduated measuring spoons. Rather than dipping the cup or spoon into the ingredient, which compacts its volume, spoon the dry ingredient (such as flour, sugar, cornmeal, or baking powder) into the cup or measuring spoon until it's overflowing. Then, level off the ingredient with the flat side of a knife or a spatula. If the dry ingredient seems packed down in its container, fluff it gently with a spoon before measuring. Ingredients such as rice and nuts can be leveled off with your fingers instead.

To measure brown sugar-
Gently or firmly pack the sugar into a dry measure according to the recipe directions. Then, level it with a straight edge. Brown sugar should hold its shape when emptied from the cup or spoon.

For absolute accuracy with dry ingredients-
If the recipe lists both weights and volumes, go with the weights and weigh the ingredients on a kitchen scale. Dry ingredients have a different weight-to-volume ratio than liquid ingredients. For instance, 1 cup of flour may weigh as little as 4 ounces or as much as 6 ounces, depending on how much flour is compacted into the cup.

To properly interpret recipe measurements-
In an ingredient listing, any instruction that follows the comma should be done after measuring. For example, if a recipe calls for "1 cup sifted flour," sift the flour before measure. If it says "1 cup flour, sifted," measure the flour first and then sift it. If the recipe uses weight instead of volume, it doesn't matter when you sift. Six ounces of flour will always weight 6 ounces whether it's sifted or not; only the volume will change.

To easily measure sticky solid ingredients-
Use the displacement method. That is, if you need half cup peanut butter, fill a 2 cup liquid measure with 1 cup water. Add enough peanut butter to the water for the liquid level to rise to 1.5 cups. Pour off the water before using.

To accurately measure both wet and dry ingredients-
Keep 2 sets of measuring cups and spoons: one for dry ingredients (such as baking powder) and another for wet ingredients (such a vanilla extract). This saves time washing and drying as you assemble your ingredients. If you have only one set of measuring cups and spoons, measure dry ingredients first. Once a measuring vessel is wet, dry ingredients placed in it will stick to the cup or spoon, making it useless for accurate measurement.

To accurately divide doughs or butters into equal parts-
Use a scale to measure the total weight and then, accordingly the divided weight. For instance, to divide a dough into thirds, measure the dough's total weight, divide by 3, and divide the dough into 3 parts with equal weight.

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Saving preparation time when marinating
Use bottled salad dressing, the most convenient and basic marinade available. Choose a dressing that complements the flavor and tenderness of the food to be marinated. Mild, rich dressings such as ranch work well with delicate foods such as fish, seafood, or chicken. You can also use a light vinaigrette for chicken. Higher-acidity dressings with lots of vinegar are better for tougher meats such as beef. Alternatively, you can use yogurt or buttermilk as a base for dressings. These naturally balanced marinades need only some seasoning added.

Saving marinating time
Keep in mind that marinades are used both for imparting flavor and for tenderizing, but imparting flavor doesn't take very long. For instance, delicate fish fillets or boneless chicken breasts do not need tenderizing, so the only reason to marinate them is for flavor, which can be accomplished in 30 minutes or less. Even with denser meats, such as beef or pork, full flavoring takes less than an hour or two, especially with thin cuts, such as steaks and chops. Extended marinating (over 12 hours) is necessary only for very large roasts or very tough game meats.

Saving cleanup time when marinating
Mix up the marinade in a zipper-lock plastic bag, then marinate right in the bag by adding the food, squeezing out air, and sealing. Shake the bag to coat the food completely, then refrigerate, turning occasionally. Marinating in a bag works great for cookouts where you bring your own food because you can simply throw the bag away.

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Go easy on the acid in the marinade, which can toughen the proteins in food. Tender meats such as chicken breast will toughen fairly quickly in an overly acidic marinade. For beef, pork, or chicken, use no more than an equal part of acid to oil to make about half cup marinade per pound of meat.

To avoid tough seafood, use a marinade with little or no acidic ingredients (lemon juice, vinegar, and wine are common acidic ingredients). The acid virtually "cooks" the raw seafood. If acid is used, add no more than 2 tablespoons per quarter cup in the marinade. To marinate fish or seafood without using acid, use a non-acidic liquid such as a herb-infused oil, or use a spice rub instead. You can always add an acid for flavor once the fish is cooked.

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To avoid mushy marinated foods, always limit the amount of time that foods soak in the marinade. In general, foods with open-textured flesh, such as fish and seafood, need less than 45 minutes of soaking. Chicken breast break down after about 1 hour (skinless breast even faster), but thighs and wings can stand up to marinade for up to 2 hours. Foods with firmer flesh, such as beef and lamb, can spend several hours in a marinade without becoming mushy.

Also, ingredients such as yogurt, papaya, pineapple, and kiwifruit tenderize by enzymatic action. If your marinade includes any of these, marinate fish, seafood, and chicken for no more than 30 minutes, and marinate sturdier meats such as beef and lamb for no more than 24 hours.

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Typically blends of an acid (such as vinegar), plus oil, salt, and seasonings, marinades are a terrific way to boost the flavor of meats and fish. The acid and salt tenderize tough fibers, while the oil acts as a flavor carries. To marinate successfully, use a nonreactive container, such as one made of glass, ceramic, or even plastic. Avoid aluminum containers because the acid in your marinade will react with this metal and begin to corrode it, causing off flavors in the food. Also, always refrigerate foods while they marinate, and keep in mind that the larger the food, the longer its marinating time will be. If using the marinade for basting, avoid cross-contamination by setting aside a small amount of marinade before adding any raw meat, poultry, or fish to it. If you forget to do this, be sure to boil any used marinade for at least 5 minutes to kill harmful bacteria. Then, the leftover marinade can be used for basting. Or, you can boil it down to use as a sauce.

If you need the marinades to penetrate more deeply, prick the food with a skewer before adding to the marinade. Marinades can also be used to tenderize tough meats as well as delivering flavor. Avoid relying on them to make meat tender. Instead, choose naturally tender meats. That said, some marinade ingredients have a tenderizing effect that can be beneficial for tough cuts of meat. Yogurt, papaya, pineapple, and kiwifruit are natural meat tenderizers because of the enzymes that they contain. Add one quarter cup plain yogurt, fresh or canned papaya juice, pineapple juice, or pureed kiwifruit to the marinade for every 1 pound of meat being marinated. Marinate in the refrigerator at least 3 hours to allow the enzymes in the marinade to start to bread down the meat fibers. Or include buttermilk or sour cream in the marinade to help tenderize the meat.

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