3 RULES TO OBSERVE WHILE USING THE MICROWAVE OVEN

Every modern kitchen has to have a microwave oven. Many households use it to defrost or reheat food but some have learnt to cook using the microwave. This key piece of equipment has made the life of a bachelor a lot easier where microwave dinners are the norm.

How a microwave works.

Compared to conventional cooking method where food is cooked from out to the inside due to an external source of energy, a microwave cooks food from the inside to the outside.

This phenomenon is possible because food contains a high water content. Water absorb micro- waves (electromagnetic waves just under the frequency of radio waves). Water molecules vibrate and rub against each other resulting in friction and this produces heat; heat which warms food from the inside.

3 rules to observe when using the microwave.

1. Water absorbs micro- waves,
2. Glass transmits micro- waves
3. Metal reflects micro- waves

With these 3 principles it is easy to see why you shouldn't put metal in a microwave oven and why doing so results in disaster. 

Glass is the recommended material to use in microwave ovens due to their property of transmitting micro- waves.

Plastics and microwave ovens.

The greatest concern with using plastics in microwaves is the potential for the plastics to melt or warp. Most plastics that are used are made for storing margarine, ice cream, yoghurt and other food stuffs. These plastics have not been tested for use in microwave ovens so they can warp or melt.

Consequently, concern has been shown with the use of plastics due to migrating chemicals such as bisphenol-A (BPA) and phthalates used as plasticizers and which mimic human hormones, and not for the good.

Microwave safe plastics are available if you must use plastics. They have been subjected to testing therefore are approved for use in microwave ovens. 

Please refrain from using "Blueband" plastics. 

MY FAVOURITE SPICES

Every kitchen has to have a cabinet or a pantry full of dried herbs and spices. Even the most conservative of homes, where food is cooked as plainly as possible, has a few spices lying around.

My cooking style borrows heavily from the Middle and Far East so those spices are always available in the house. I usually find that the culinary style from these regions use spices in such a way that they are overpowering. On the other hand, I prefer spices to be far away in the background, rather than it punching you in the face and melting your mouth

Below is my personal preference of spices that I use regularly.

Black pepper.

This spice NEVER misses in any of my cooking. If I can sneak it in then I will. I love it because it is hot but unlike chillies it is not overpowering. When used in moderate quantities, the heat hits at the back of the tongue as you swallow giving a good surprise at the end. Too much and the food becomes extremely hot.

Cayenne pepper and cinnamon.

The heat of the cayenne is balanced with the sweetness of the cinnamon. Yes, I know cinnamon is a bit odd since its mainly used in desserts but it works well with other dishes too. Use cayenne pepper sparingly. It is extremely hot and can turn a meal in to a disaster. About half a teaspoon of cayenne is enough followed by a teaspoon of cinnamon. Cayenne pepper comes to its own when you make jerk chicken.

Cumin and cloves.

 This is a winning combination. Its a marriage made in heaven and delivered to our taste buds. Cumin and cloves come to their own in njahi (black beans) and with the horrible tasteless soya meat. I would be careful with the cloves since it packs a little more punch in the flavour department and can be overpowering. Other than that you should try this combination. It is amazing.

Basil and oregano.

For when am feeling a little bit Italian. Okay, when am feeling like making fake Italian dishes. 2 spices cannot substitute for the culinary experience from Italy. Basil is great with minced meat. Oregano and basil go well in red sauce which when added to pasta makes a big difference from your usual boiled pasta. I hate plain boiled pasta.

Garam masala.

Green grams (ndengu) have never been the same since I discovered this spice. It can be used in pilau together with pilau masala but I highly recommend that you try it with ndengu.

Pilau masala and cardamon.

Cardamon is one of the most expensive spices that you can pick up from the shelves of your local supermarket, but its worth it. Orginally I found it being used in mandazi and cakes: I use cardamon and pilau masala in my fried rice (recipe coming soon). 

Bay leaf.

The underdog. I rarely use it because it is usually at the back of the spice cabinet. When the leaves are boiled, they infuse a lemon-like flavour in to the dish. Works great with soups and syrups as well as its a great way to put some flavour into boiled rice. Just remember to take them out before serving as they are not meant to eaten

These are some of the few spices that I love to use. What is your favourite spice?

AMERICAN PANCAKES

It is such a beautiful feeling to wake up to the sight of freshly made pancakes in the morning such as these.

Unfortunately, that is a feeling am yet to experience. I usually make these pancakes for others to enjoy. 

These pancakes are easy to make and have the ability to impress different groups of people. I have made the pancakes for breakfast, hikes, house parties and when I have friends over. The recipe is versatile and soon you will learn to make your own style of pancakes.

Ingredients

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½  teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar 
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil

Method

1. Combine the first 5 ingredients (dry ingredients) in a large bowl, mix well and make a well in the center of the mixture.
2. Add eggs, milk and oil to the dry ingredients, stir until the dry ingredients are moistened. A whisk or a hand mixer will be helpful to prevent lumps from forming.
3. Heat a griddle (thick-bottomed non-stick pan or chapati pan will do) add a little oil to prevent the pancake from sticking.
4. For each pancake, use a ¼ cup to pour the pancake batter onto the hot griddle. 
5. Cook pancakes until tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked; turn pancakes; and cook other side.

Yield: 7 pancakes

Serving size: 1 pancake

Optional: For those with a sweet tooth, add one more tablespoon of sugar.

For cinnamon pancakes: Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder in step 1.

ENJOY 

WHAT DO ADULT MALE MOSQUITOES EAT?

What do adult male mosquitoes eat?
(A) Blood
(B) Plant nectar and juices
(C) Feces
(D) All the above

Did you say blood? 

Well you were wrong.

The correct answer is plant nectar and juices.

Adult mosquitoes (both males and females) feed on plant nectar and juices to obtain glucose which provides the nourishment needed.

However, the female mosquito requires a blood meal in order to obtain proteins that are required to produce eggs. Only a few species of mosquitoes are able to store enough energy as larvae, to produce eggs when they are adults, without the needing a blood meal.  For every blood meal, a female mosquito lays a batch of eggs. The blood can come from humans, mammals, birds or reptiles with different species having different preference for sources.

Male mosquitoes do not take a blood meal at any point in their life.

Further reading on what mosquitoes eat

Watch video of Male mosquito (Culex spp) feeding on plant nectar

MICRO-COMRADES

During the last week of 2014 I had the pleasure of staying in one of the public universities. While there, I had my first encounter with bed bugs (Cimex lectularius and Cimex hemipterus) Obviously the Kenyan student community doesn't  know these nasty little critters by their scientific names but they are known as “micro-comrades”

I talked to various people and I found out that bed bug infestations are not limited to only public universities but to also private institutions, homes, apartments, hospitals, dormitories and hotel rooms. In fact, bed bug infestations are a worldwide problem since bed bugs are found in both temperate and tropical climates.

Adult bugs are easily identifiable. These are oval shaped, flat, wingless and approximately 5 mm long. Adults are reddish brown (chestnut) in colour, whereas immatures are smaller and may be light yellow. They have a pyramid-shaped head with prominent compound eyes, slender antennae and a long proboscis tucked underneath the head and thorax.

 Bed bugs are ectoparasites that feed exclusively on blood (obligate hematophagous) and can live for 12 months without feeding and up to 1.5-2 years in colder environments.

In addition to being able to live for long periods without food these critters excel in hiding during the day, and feeding at night. Hiding places are usually within 1 to 2 metres of suitable host and include seams of mattresses, backside of headboards and even behind hanging wall pictures and in cracks in the wall.

For those lucky enough to have shared a bed with these bugs then they will understand how irritating the bites are. The bite causes an itchy maculopapular wheal. A raised bump in the skin area. In severe cases, urticarial reactions and anaphylaxis (allergy) can also occur. There is no known literature showing that bed bugs are transmitters of pathogens so we should be able to rest easy at night. The main problem caused by bed bugs is that they cause irritation when they bite and as a result disturb sleep.

  

I once tried to crush a bed bug but I couldn't. Their flat bodies make them hard to squash with the power of a slipper. So control of these bugs is by fumigation and use of pesticides. Special attention is paid to the mattresses but it is necessary to consider other hiding places so as to effectively get rid of infestations.

After my week had ended and I got back home, none of my bags went into the house. Bed bugs are easily transmitted through movement of luggage and furniture so I made sure that my luggage was properly washed and disinfected before reintroduction back into the house.

I am sure that after the holidays the "micro-comrades" will be happy with the return of the student community. I am hoping that our paths will never cross again with these "micro-comrades."

NO NEED FOR ALL THAT MEAT

I love meat. Being a vegetarian scares me. That is how much I love meat.

One of my professors could not stress enough the fact that the human body has no way to store excess dietary proteins. In essence, the human body has no way to store the element nitrogen which is the main component of proteins. Proteins are unique because they contain nitrogen.

The human body stores excess carbohydrates as glycogen in the liver and when that store is full, it is converted to fat and stored. Fat is stored in the adipose tissue which has infinite storage. Proteins are used where there is need and the excess is excreted.

Nitrogen the main component of proteins is removed by a process called deamination and is excreted in humans as urea via urine as the main route. The remaining backbone resembles carbohydrates and has lost its function as a protein.

Proteins are used to build and repair tissue and perform other cellular functions and the excess is excreted as soon as possible.

For this reason, it is foolhardy to eat a whole kg of meat as it will all end up being wasted. A normal person requires only a few grams of meat to meet their daily requirement. As a biochemist I know this, but as a meat lover I ignore it especially around the holidays. It is time to eat meat.

FOOD SAFETY THIS FESTIVE SEASON

Self experimentation is an archaic method that the science community left. 21st Century scientist boost of no longer using such "stupid" methods; unless you are me.

I decided to eat food that had been reheated and left covered all day in the microwave.

Your asking yourself  "Why did I do it?" I don't know. It is pretty obvious the end result.

Maybe I hate seeing food going to waste so I decided to eat it. Needless to say it is the reason for this post.

I pride myself in having a strong stomach, so after 4 hours, at 1:30 AM on Sunday morning my troubles began. I did not require hospitalization but it interrupted my sweet sleep.

Never again. But I know myself. I cannot resist experiments. That same day I carried out a control and at food that was reheated properly. I was okay. My troubles were over.

Safety tips 

Reheat food only once. Once food is cooked it should be reheated only once. It doesn't matter if it is using the microwave or the stove. Only once.

Freezing and refrigeration. Low temperatures SLOW growth of microorganisms but it DOES NOT STOP growth of microorganisms. This means that as soon as you raise the temperatures the microorganisms start to grow. Also you cannot store food indefinitely in the freezer.

Heat. This is the only sure way of killing microorganisms and at the same time leaving the food palatable. Talk about having your cake and eating it too.
I am yet to see other methods such as disinfectant and UV light employed without risks involved.
To be sure that all microorganisms are killed, heat food to temp above 70 degrees Celsius for about 10 minutes, i.e. at simmering point.

Eat cold food. Before the invention of the microwave we ate cold food if you didn't have the time to use the stove. Some food lose their flavour, nutrients and texture when reheated. For example fish dishes and some vegetable  are rarely reheated to prevent them from becoming flaky and overcooked.

Danger Zone

This is where microrganism growth is favoured and food spoilage is accelerated. 

Food left covered at room temperature (20⁰C – 27⁰C) or maintained at lukewarm temperature for a long time is a hazard. Results from my self experiment show that even reheating in the microwave for long periods (more than 5 minutes) does nothing to stop the inevitable.

Lastly, during this festive season stay safe and make sure you watch what you eat. If food has a strange taste/flavour that you associate with spoiled food then leave it. It is better to stay hungry and waste food rather than make the loo your best friend: best case scenario.

Wishing you a happy festive season

The Kenyan Food Biochemist

Brian Kibue