Our lives have not always been microwave free. There was one a college a room-mate brought to its knees after cooking a pork-chop in it. Regardless I would not have used the microwave afterward, but the fact that said room-mate managed to blow-up the microwave simultaneously made that decision even easier. Being on a skinnier than shoe-string budget during those years, there was no room in the budget to replace an ancillary appliance for my postage stamp-sized kitchen.
Somewhere along the way we were gifted a really cool combination microwave/toaster oven and we used it aggressively in the early years of our marriage and careers. But like all good things, it came to an end. We had loved that little appliance so much we called the manufacturer with the numbers from the bottom so we could order a new one right away. While still guarding the remains of our trusty little friend, we were dismissively told by the operator that Kenmore had never had a combination product but they would be happy to sell us both a microwave and a toaster oven separately. Outright perturbed, I decided we could once again live without a microwave/toaster oven.
Living without a microwave became a conscious choice after reading the beautiful memoir Miriam's Kitchen by Elizabeth Ehrlich http://www.amazon.com/Miriams-Kitchen-Memoir-Elizabeth-Ehrlich/dp/014026759X. The author tentatively enters the kitchen of her mother-in-law to learn to prepare kosher delicacies in order to preserve her Jewish heritage for herself and her children. It is there she takes a deep look at her very pricy yet much neglected, gadget cluttered kitchen used predominately to order take-out and compares it to that of her mother-in-law's who is not using a $400 mixer or an inversion blender, but rather a humble wooden spoon aged through the years and a simple pot. No microwave, no juicer, no salad spinner - which made me think of my Nana.
My Nana is a pragmatic sort. She has a knack for finding money when she is out in public and for winning stuff - and for making really good food. Her words of wisdom are if you look at the ground, you are going to find stuff that people have dropped. Seems reasonable. She always seems to find large money too - like $20s. Meanwhile, I am delighted when I find a dime. Perhaps I am not looking down at the ground enough. Once when we visited, she had a large new microwave perched in her kitchen. We were all taken back. Our Nana, born in 1913, had a microwave! We pelted her with questions and my brothers quickly went to check it out - only to find she was using it to file her mail and bills. Why Nana, we wanted to know, do you have a microwave? "I won it!" she told us, as isn't it obvious. That microwave burgeoning with my grandmother's paperwork taunted us from its roost. We kids so wanted to use it!
Finally, after several visits, we got my grandmother to acquiesce and allow us to make something in her fancy new microwave. We carefully removed all the items she had been storing. My brothers, excited to demonstrate the advent of technology to my most content grandmother, made sure she pushed the buttons to make it go. The carousel began to spin and not 10 seconds later there was a large crash as the lazy-Susan cracked into large shards."See!" she said, "I knew they were not good." That proved her point that the two pots, a paring knife, and the wooden spoon method of cooking is what made all those tasty meals we enjoyed at her house, not the microwave turned filing cabinet.
Now, my kids live in the 21st century sans microwave. I get such a kick when we check into a hotel and they get as excited by our room having a microwave as they do that the hotel has an indoor pool and hot tub. Yesterday my boys decided to make some decidedly un-Sephardic snack food for themselves. The first step in the directions was to microwave the chocolate chips for a minute. Without missing a beat, my son reached under the cabinet and whipped out the double boiler that belonged to his Bubbe and Zayde. My heart swelled.
In the honor of my grandmother and all our matriarchs who learned to cook delicious meals without a microwave, here is a most cherished and favorite recipe I learned from my Nana. The longer and slower it cooks, the better it is. In full disclosure I learned to make this recipe completely on taste and without measuring a thing. Nana, being the pragmatist she is, prides herself in using as few utensils as possible. I have included quantities to get you started until you have made this enough time to know the ‘taste’ you are going for. Now I am off to boil some water on my old-fashion stove to enjoy a glass of hot tea.
Nana’s Italian Green Beans ~best made with a wooden spoon (and no microwave!)
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Fresh Green Beans
- 1 can (28-ounce) peeled tomatoes
- Water
- 3 Cloves Garlic
- Olive Oil
- 1 Tbs Dried Oregano
- 1 Tbs Dried Parsley
- 1 tsp Dried Mint
- Salt to taste
- Cut cloves of garlic in half lengthwise. In a deep skillet, brown garlic gently in olive oil just until the oil is infused with the essence of garlic.
- Place fresh green beans in skillet. Pour entire contents of the canned tomatoes over the green beans. If the tomatoes are whole, it is my secret pleasure to crush them in my fist. A cleaner way is to use crushed canned tomatoes.
- Fill the can from the tomatoes half way with water and add it to the skillet.
- Crush the dried spices and add them to the skillet.
- Allow the beans to cook for a few minutes on medium heat. Then cover the skillet and turn to a simmer. Allow the beans to simmer at least an hour, however the longer they go the better they will taste. I probably simmer for closer to four hours. Check the pan periodically to make sure there is enough moisture. If the beans are too dry add a small amount of water (from the can you saved so you will not make anything more than necessary messy).
- Season to taste with salt and serve.
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