I've been making roux routinely in the following fashion for several years.

4 TB all purposes flour or whatever you want

4 TB extra virgin olive oil - same as flour

Place into small pyrex bowl with steep sizes, 2.5" by 2.5" or so. In 1000
watt microwave cook 3 1/2 minutes at #3 power level. It's VERY important to
cook at a low power level. Oil absorbs microwave energy more than other
ingredients.

Remove: The roux will be light brown and drier than what you'd expect. The
flour will be cooked, and that's what you want. If you want a brown roux mix
it up, put it back and repeat. One cooking is fine for any white sauce, or
even a brown sauce.

This works better a butter based roux because there isn't the 18% water
component that there is in butter. Your sauce is smoother and glistens more
than with traditional butter-based roux. And it's healthier.

I haven't seen this in a cookbook. I keep roux in the refrigerator all the
time, ready to use anytime. You end up with a much nicer smoother sauce.

Kent

Kent wrote:
> This works better a butter based roux because there isn't the 18% water
> component that there is in butter. Your sauce is smoother and glistens more
> than with traditional butter-based roux. And it's healthier.

But what does it taste like?

Olive oil has a very distinct and pronounced flavour.
--
JL
>
> I haven't seen this in a cookbook. I keep roux in the refrigerator all the
> time, ready to use anytime. You end up with a much nicer smoother sauce.
>
> Kent
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

"M. JL Esq." > wrote in message
...
> Kent wrote:
>> This works better a butter based roux because there isn't the 18% water
>> component that there is in butter. Your sauce is smoother and glistens
>> more than with traditional butter-based roux. And it's healthier.
>
> But what does it taste like?
>
> Olive oil has a very distinct and pronounced flavour.
> --
> JL
>>
>>
Extra virgin olive doesn't add any taste. You can use any oil you want,
including butter. Butter will work fine, but it has a water fraction with
milk products that makes everything a bit less clear. If you want the butter
taste, to use that is fine. I now and then use half butter and half olive
oil.

Kent

Kent wrote:
> "M. JL Esq." > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>Kent wrote:
>>
>>>This works better a butter based roux because there isn't the 18% water
>>>component that there is in butter. Your sauce is smoother and glistens
>>>more than with traditional butter-based roux. And it's healthier.
>>
>>But what does it taste like?
>>
>>Olive oil has a very distinct and pronounced flavour.
>>--
>>JL
>>
>>>
> Extra virgin olive doesn't add any taste.

That may be your experience but its not mine.

Even the finest EVOO has a distinct flavour imo.
--
JL

"M. JL Esq." > wrote in message
...
> Kent wrote:
>> "M. JL Esq." > wrote in message
>> ...
>>
>>>Kent wrote:
>>>
>>>>This works better a butter based roux because there isn't the 18% water
>>>>component that there is in butter. Your sauce is smoother and glistens
>>>>more than with traditional butter-based roux. And it's healthier.
>>>
>>>But what does it taste like?
>>>
>>>Olive oil has a very distinct and pronounced flavour.
>>>--
>>>JL
>>>
>>>>
>> Extra virgin olive doesn't add any taste.
>
> That may be your experience but its not mine.
>
> Even the finest EVOO has a distinct flavour imo.
> --
> JL
>
>
The roux[1 TB EVOO, with 1TB flour] added to one cup of stock doesn't do
anything. Buttered roux adds a little richness, not much else. The finest
EVOO has more flavor than the cheap EVOO and you wouldn't use it. You can
use any oil you want. Canola is OK.

Kent

Andy wrote:
> "Kent" > wrote:
>
>
>>"M. JL Esq." > wrote in message
...
>>
>>>Kent wrote:
>>>
>>>>"M. JL Esq." > wrote in message
...
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>Kent wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>This works better a butter based roux because there isn't the 18%
>>>>>>water component that there is in butter. Your sauce is smoother and
>>>>>>glistens more than with traditional butter-based roux. And it's
>>>>>>healthier.
>>>>>
>>>>>But what does it taste like?
>>>>>
>>>>>Olive oil has a very distinct and pronounced flavour.
>>>>>--
>>>>>JL
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>Extra virgin olive doesn't add any taste.
>>>
>>>That may be your experience but its not mine.
>>>
>>>Even the finest EVOO has a distinct flavour imo.
>>>--
>>>JL
>>>
>>>
>>
>>The roux[1 TB EVOO, with 1TB flour] added to one cup of stock doesn't
>>do anything. Buttered roux adds a little richness, not much else. The
>>finest EVOO has more flavor than the cheap EVOO and you wouldn't use
>>it. You can use any oil you want. Canola is OK.
>>
>>Kent
>
>
>
> Why do folks use a flavored oil like EVOO for a roux? I use safflower
> oil (neutral flavored) so a roux doesn't get overrun by olive flavor.
>
> Would you use EVOO in pancake batter? I wouldn't.
>
> EVOO is OK in salad oil and vinegar dressing or saut�d spinach, maybe,
> but NOT saut�d onions, etc.. EVOO is not the end all/be all to every
> dish on Earth requiring oil as the FoodTV cooks would like you to think.
>
> Safflower oil is nutritionally on a par with EVOO.
>
> Andy

I once made popcorn with olive oil because i had no other oil on hand
and i had forgot one can pop corn in a pan with no oil.

But the olive oil popped corn was inedible, i threw it away, though to
be fair, i might have burnt the olive oil.

On the other hand, i have never found an olive oil i like the taste of.
--
JL

"Andy" > wrote in message ...
> "Kent" > wrote:
>
>>
>> "M. JL Esq." > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> Kent wrote:
>>>> "M. JL Esq." > wrote in message
>>>> ...
>>>>
>>>>>Kent wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>This works better a butter based roux because there isn't the 18%
>>>>>>water component that there is in butter. Your sauce is smoother and
>>>>>>glistens more than with traditional butter-based roux. And it's
>>>>>>healthier.
>>>>>
>>>>>But what does it taste like?
>>>>>
>>>>>Olive oil has a very distinct and pronounced flavour.
>>>>>--
>>>>>JL
>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>> Extra virgin olive doesn't add any taste.
>>>
>>> That may be your experience but its not mine.
>>>
>>> Even the finest EVOO has a distinct flavour imo.
>>> --
>>> JL
>>>
>>>
>> The roux[1 TB EVOO, with 1TB flour] added to one cup of stock doesn't
>> do anything. Buttered roux adds a little richness, not much else. The
>> finest EVOO has more flavor than the cheap EVOO and you wouldn't use
>> it. You can use any oil you want. Canola is OK.
>>
>> Kent
>
>
> Why do folks use a flavored oil like EVOO for a roux? I use safflower
> oil (neutral flavored) so a roux doesn't get overrun by olive flavor.
>
> Would you use EVOO in pancake batter? I wouldn't.
>
> EVOO is OK in salad oil and vinegar dressing or sautéd spinach, maybe,
> but NOT sautéd onions, etc.. EVOO is not the end all/be all to every
> dish on Earth requiring oil as the FoodTV cooks would like you to think.
>
> Safflower oil is nutritionally on a par with EVOO.
>
> Andy
>
>
Are you making your roux with safflower oil in the microwave, or in the
usual fashion on top of the stove? My whole point about roux has nothing to
do with EVOO. That's just what I use. The point is cooking it in the
microwave. The other point is using something other than butter with its 18%
water.

Kent

On 3/26/2011 3:37 PM, Kent wrote:
> I've been making roux routinely in the following fashion for several years.
>
> 4 TB all purposes flour or whatever you want
>
> 4 TB extra virgin olive oil - same as flour
>
> Place into small pyrex bowl with steep sizes, 2.5" by 2.5" or so. In 1000
> watt microwave cook 3 1/2 minutes at #3 power level. It's VERY important to
> cook at a low power level. Oil absorbs microwave energy more than other
> ingredients.
>
> Remove: The roux will be light brown and drier than what you'd expect. The
> flour will be cooked, and that's what you want. If you want a brown roux mix
> it up, put it back and repeat. One cooking is fine for any white sauce, or


To my thinking if you are gonna nuke your roux, you might as well buy it
in a jar in the supermarket.



--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.

"Janet Wilder" > wrote in message
eb.com...
> On 3/26/2011 3:37 PM, Kent wrote:
>> I've been making roux routinely in the following fashion for several
>> years.
>>
>> 4 TB all purposes flour or whatever you want
>>
>> 4 TB extra virgin olive oil - same as flour
>>
>> Place into small pyrex bowl with steep sizes, 2.5" by 2.5" or so. In 1000
>> watt microwave cook 3 1/2 minutes at #3 power level. It's VERY important
>> to
>> cook at a low power level. Oil absorbs microwave energy more than other
>> ingredients.
>>
>> Remove: The roux will be light brown and drier than what you'd expect.
>> The
>> flour will be cooked, and that's what you want. If you want a brown roux
>> mix
>> it up, put it back and repeat. One cooking is fine for any white sauce,
>> or
>
>
> To my thinking if you are gonna nuke your roux, you might as well buy it
> in a jar in the supermarket.
>
>
Where and what brand of roux is there in a market? At what price?

Kent

In article >, "Kent" >
wrote:

> "Janet Wilder" > wrote in message

> > To my thinking if you are gonna nuke your roux, you might as well buy it
> > in a jar in the supermarket.
> >
> >
> Where and what brand of roux is there in a market? At what price?

I got 29 hits from Amazon for "roux":

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss...%3Dgrocery&fie
ld-keywords=roux&sprefix=roux

About half looked like jars (the others were mixes), most were priceless
but one was US$60 for a dozen bottles of 16 ounces.

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

On Mon, 28 Mar 2011 17:16:10 -0700, Dan Abel > wrote:

> In article >, "Kent" >
> wrote:
>
> > "Janet Wilder" > wrote in message
>
> > > To my thinking if you are gonna nuke your roux, you might as well buy it
> > > in a jar in the supermarket.
> > >
> > >
> > Where and what brand of roux is there in a market? At what price?
>
> I got 29 hits from Amazon for "roux":
>
> http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss...%3Dgrocery&fie
> ld-keywords=roux&sprefix=roux
>
> About half looked like jars (the others were mixes), most were priceless
> but one was US$60 for a dozen bottles of 16 ounces.

Why buy it, especially at that price? Dark roux isn't hard to make.

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

"Dan Abel" > wrote in message
...
> In article >, "Kent" >
> wrote:
>
>> "Janet Wilder" > wrote in message
>
>> > To my thinking if you are gonna nuke your roux, you might as well buy
>> > it
>> > in a jar in the supermarket.
>> >
>> >
>> Where and what brand of roux is there in a market? At what price?
>
> I got 29 hits from Amazon for "roux":
>
> http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss...%3Dgrocery&fie
> ld-keywords=roux&sprefix=roux
>
> About half looked like jars (the others were mixes), most were priceless
> but one was US$60 for a dozen bottles of 16 ounces.
>
> --
> Dan Abel
>
>
I was asking where could you buy it in a market when you needed it. I've
never seen it. I'm sure neither of us are surprised someone would try to
peddle $5/lb for flour and oil.

Kent

"l, not -l" > wrote in message
eb.com...
>
> On 26-Mar-2011, Janet Wilder > wrote:
>
>> > Place into small pyrex bowl with steep sizes, 2.5" by 2.5" or so. In
>> > 1000
>> > watt microwave cook 3 1/2 minutes at #3 power level. It's VERY
>> > important
>> > to
>> > cook at a low power level. Oil absorbs microwave energy more than other
>> > ingredients.
>> >
>> > Remove: The roux will be light brown and drier than what you'd expect.
>> > The
>> > flour will be cooked, and that's what you want. If you want a brown
>> > roux
>> > mix
>> > it up, put it back and repeat. One cooking is fine for any white sauce,
>> > or
>>
>>
>> To my thinking if you are gonna nuke your roux, you might as well buy it
>> in a jar in the supermarket.
>
> All that whisking of a typical roux was something that kept me from making
> a
> lot of dishes for a long time; then, I learned about oven roux. Oven
> roux
> requires less dedicated time to it making, but is just as good as its
> stove-top, high-maintenance twin.
>
> Equal parts flour and fat, in a cast iron skillet (or dutch oven) at 350F;
> check on it every now and then until it reaches the color you need. Make
> extra and store it in the freezer.
> --
> Change Cujo to Juno in email address.
>
>
Doing the above in a microwave accomplishes the same thing. The advantage is
that microwave heat is distributed more equally throughout the flour fat
mixture. The fat-flour isn't cooked just on the bottom of the pan, as it
will be, even in the oven. The major advantage is that I walk away from it
for 3.5 minutes, return, and I have a good roux.

Kent

On 3/27/2011 9:10 AM, l, not -l wrote:
> On 26-Mar-2011, > wrote:
>
>> Doing the above in a microwave accomplishes the same thing. The advantage
>> is
>> that microwave heat is distributed more equally throughout the flour fat
>> mixture. The fat-flour isn't cooked just on the bottom of the pan, as it
>> will be, even in the oven. The major advantage is that I walk away from it
>>
>> for 3.5 minutes, return, and I have a good roux.
>>
>> Kent
>
> I doubt microwave heat is distributed more equally than oven heat in this
> application.
>
> The speed of microwave roux is, in my opinion, its most serious problem.
> Roux notoriously moves from one "color" to another very quickly; doing so at
> 10 times the speed of oven/stove-top method is a serious issue. While it
> may be fine for the roux "colors" you use, many of us prefer better control
> of the final "color".

Exactly. I take my time with my roux. One recipe I have calls for the
roux to be the color of peanut butter. I keep a jar of peanut butter
nearby just to match the color. Prolly a little anal of me <vbg>

--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.

On Sun, 27 Mar 2011 10:09:52 -0500, Janet Wilder
> wrote:

>On 3/27/2011 9:10 AM, l, not -l wrote:
>> On 26-Mar-2011, > wrote:
>>
>>> Doing the above in a microwave accomplishes the same thing. The advantage
>>> is
>>> that microwave heat is distributed more equally throughout the flour fat
>>> mixture. The fat-flour isn't cooked just on the bottom of the pan, as it
>>> will be, even in the oven. The major advantage is that I walk away from it
>>>
>>> for 3.5 minutes, return, and I have a good roux.
>>>
>>> Kent
>>
>> I doubt microwave heat is distributed more equally than oven heat in this
>> application.
>>
>> The speed of microwave roux is, in my opinion, its most serious problem.
>> Roux notoriously moves from one "color" to another very quickly; doing so at
>> 10 times the speed of oven/stove-top method is a serious issue. While it
>> may be fine for the roux "colors" you use, many of us prefer better control
>> of the final "color".
>
>Exactly. I take my time with my roux. One recipe I have calls for the
>roux to be the color of peanut butter. I keep a jar of peanut butter
>nearby just to match the color. Prolly a little anal of me <vbg>

Also peanut butter hued... all you need is a mirror! hehe

On Sun, 27 Mar 2011 10:09:52 -0500 in rec.food.cooking, Janet Wilder
> wrote,
>Exactly. I take my time with my roux. One recipe I have calls for the
>roux to be the color of peanut butter. I keep a jar of peanut butter
>nearby just to match the color. Prolly a little anal of me <vbg>

Peanut butter is made from roasted peanuts. I assume that the
recipe calls for them to be roasted until they are the color of
peanut butter.

David Harmon wrote:
> On Sun, 27 Mar 2011 10:09:52 -0500 in rec.food.cooking, Janet Wilder
> > wrote,
>
>>Exactly. I take my time with my roux. One recipe I have calls for the
>>roux to be the color of peanut butter. I keep a jar of peanut butter
>>nearby just to match the color. Prolly a little anal of me <vbg>
>
>
> Peanut butter is made from roasted peanuts. I assume that the
> recipe calls for them to be roasted until they are the color of
> peanut butter.
>
>

It can be made from raw, unroasted peanuts, some people prefer it.

I like to use a bit of garlic in my home made peanut butter, i got
hooked on it after purchasing garlic roasted peanuts in our local China
town.

And if using the Chinese 5 spices peanuts a bit of dark sesame oil
complements any peanut oil nicely.
--
JL

"Janet Wilder" > wrote in message
b.com...
> On 3/27/2011 9:10 AM, l, not -l wrote:
>> On 26-Mar-2011, > wrote:
>>
>>> Doing the above in a microwave accomplishes the same thing. The
>>> advantage
>>> is
>>> that microwave heat is distributed more equally throughout the flour fat
>>> mixture. The fat-flour isn't cooked just on the bottom of the pan, as it
>>> will be, even in the oven. The major advantage is that I walk away from
>>> it
>>>
>>> for 3.5 minutes, return, and I have a good roux.
>>>
>>> Kent
>>
>> I doubt microwave heat is distributed more equally than oven heat in this
>> application.
>>
>> The speed of microwave roux is, in my opinion, its most serious problem.
>> Roux notoriously moves from one "color" to another very quickly; doing so
>> at
>> 10 times the speed of oven/stove-top method is a serious issue. While it
>> may be fine for the roux "colors" you use, many of us prefer better
>> control
>> of the final "color".
>
> Exactly. I take my time with my roux. One recipe I have calls for the
> roux to be the color of peanut butter. I keep a jar of peanut butter
> nearby just to match the color. Prolly a little anal of me <vbg>
>
> --
I'm curious. What dishes need dark roux?

On 03/27/2011 11:38 AM, Kent wrote:

> I'm curious. What dishes need dark roux?

Gumbo *requires* it.

See http://www.nola.com/food/patout/reci...sics/roux.html for more.

Serene

--
http://www.momfoodproject.com

"l, not -l" > wrote in message
b.com...
>
> On 26-Mar-2011, "Kent" > wrote:
>
>> Doing the above in a microwave accomplishes the same thing. The advantage
>> is
>> that microwave heat is distributed more equally throughout the flour fat
>> mixture. The fat-flour isn't cooked just on the bottom of the pan, as it
>> will be, even in the oven. The major advantage is that I walk away from
>> it
>>
>> for 3.5 minutes, return, and I have a good roux.
>>
>> Kent
>
> I doubt microwave heat is distributed more equally than oven heat in this
> application.
>
> The speed of microwave roux is, in my opinion, its most serious problem.
> Roux notoriously moves from one "color" to another very quickly; doing so
> at
> 10 times the speed of oven/stove-top method is a serious issue. While it
> may be fine for the roux "colors" you use, many of us prefer better
> control
> of the final "color".
> --
>
You can control the speed. As I've said fat takes up microwave energy more
and more uniformly than other food ingredients. You have to play with your
microwave and make the roux take as long as you want to get the degree of
brown you want.

One important point: you must use more oil than is usually used. What you
put into the microwave should be oilier than what you start with on top of
the stove. After 3.33 minutes it will be the consistency you want.

Kent

On Tue, 29 Mar 2011 02:02:30 -0500, Sqwertz >
wrote:

>On Sat, 26 Mar 2011 23:25:35 GMT, l, not -l wrote:
>
>> Equal parts flour and fat, in a cast iron skillet (or dutch oven) at 350F;
>> check on it every now and then until it reaches the color you need. Make
>> extra and store it in the freezer.
>
>I've heard from a reputable source that you can just skip the oil and
>bake flour in the oven in a pie pan.

That be me... I posted the link for instructions more than once...
it's sold in the various shades in and about NOLA.

On Tue, 29 Mar 2011 13:42:17 -0500, Sqwertz >
wrote:

>On Tue, 29 Mar 2011 10:00:16 -0400, Brooklyn1 wrote:
>
>> On Tue, 29 Mar 2011 02:02:30 -0500, Sqwertz >
>> wrote:
>>
>>>I've heard from a reputable source that you can just skip the oil and
>>>bake flour in the oven in a pie pan.
>>
>> That be me... I posted the link for instructions more than once...
>> it's sold in the various shades in and about NOLA.
>
>No, I said a REPUTABLE source. It was a cooking program or cookbook
>of somebody I trusted. Now that you endorse it I now have doubts.

The link I posted was to a reputable web site, one of those lousianna
foodtv personalities that talks funny.

On 3/29/2011 1:42 PM, Sqwertz wrote:
> On Tue, 29 Mar 2011 10:00:16 -0400, Brooklyn1 wrote:
>
>> On Tue, 29 Mar 2011 02:02:30 -0500, >
>> wrote:
>>
>>> I've heard from a reputable source that you can just skip the oil and
>>> bake flour in the oven in a pie pan.
>> That be me... I posted the link for instructions more than once...
>> it's sold in the various shades in and about NOLA.
> No, I said a REPUTABLE source. It was a cooking program or cookbook
> of somebody I trusted. Now that you endorse it I now have doubts.
>
> -sw
This message was posted 13 years ago, and I bet they talked it before I
came along. I cooked roux this way when I was on a low fat diet, but I
only did that a couple of times.

Becca

Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: Becca
Date: 1998/03/16
Subject: What's "roux"??

Another way to make a fat free roux is to brown the flour using your
oven. Careful trying this if your oven is convection (Yikes!). You
can stir periodically, but it does not require constant stirring, like
it does over direct heat.

Becca <-----tries not to make the same mistake twice...

Kent wrote, in part > In 1000 watt microwave cook 3 1/2 minutes at #3 power
level. It's VERY important to cook at a low power level. Oil absorbs
microwave energy more than other ingredients.>

I don't know what watts our microwave is but it can petrify anything at
full power; level #3 is about all we use unless we have the fire dept. on
speed dial.
Another way to make roux is oven baked dry. Just spread 2 cups or so of
flour evenly over the dry bottom of a big iron skillet. Put in a 400° oven.
Stir every 15 minutes for about an hour. This is from 'The Little Gumbo
Book' by Gwen McKee. Her recipe for turkey gumbo is very good and saved our
family from turkey-chip cookies and turkey popsicles. You 'can' have too
much holiday turkey. Polly

On Mar 26, 4:37*pm, "Kent" > wrote:
> I've been making roux routinely in the following fashion for several years.
>
> 4 TB all purposes flour or whatever you want
>
> 4 TB extra virgin olive oil - same as flour
>
> Place into small pyrex bowl with steep sizes, 2.5" by 2.5" or so. In 1000
> watt microwave cook 3 1/2 minutes at #3 power level. It's VERY important to
> cook at a low power level. Oil absorbs microwave energy more than other
> ingredients.
>
> Remove: The roux will be light brown and drier than what you'd expect. The
> flour will be cooked, and that's what you want. If you want a brown roux mix
> it up, put it back and repeat. One cooking is fine for any white sauce, or
> even a brown sauce.
>
> This works better a butter based roux because there isn't the 18% water
> component that there is in butter. Your sauce is smoother and glistens more
> than with traditional butter-based roux. And it's healthier.
>
> I haven't seen this in a cookbook. I keep roux in the refrigerator all the
> time, ready to use anytime. You end up with a much nicer smoother sauce.
>
> Kent

If this is anything like using a mike to melt chocolate - forget it.
I'll stick to the old method.

On Sun, 27 Mar 2011 13:49:55 -0700 (PDT), Kalmia
> wrote:

>On Mar 26, 4:37*pm, "Kent" > wrote:

>>
>> I haven't seen this in a cookbook. I keep roux in the refrigerator all the
>> time, ready to use anytime. You end up with a much nicer smoother sauce.
>>
>> Kent
>
>If this is anything like using a mike to melt chocolate - forget it.
>I'll stick to the old method.

You don't melt chocolate in the microwave? What do you use, a double
boiler? I'd have a microwave around if all it did was melt chocolate.

Boron

Gloria wrote:

> You don't melt chocolate in the microwave? What do you use, a double
> boiler? I'd have a microwave around if all it did was melt chocolate.

I use a microwave. Chocolatiers shun double boilers because they're afraid
of getting water into the chocolate. Alton Brown uses a heating pad wrapped
around a glass bowl, which seems like a nifty way to do it if you're not
afraid of getting chocolate on your heating pad. The heating pad method can
also be used to temper the chocolate, which is something a microwave can't
do.

Bob

On Wed, 30 Mar 2011 18:36:10 -0700, "Bob Terwilliger"
> wrote:

> Gloria wrote:
>
> > You don't melt chocolate in the microwave? What do you use, a double
> > boiler? I'd have a microwave around if all it did was melt chocolate.
>
> I use a microwave. Chocolatiers shun double boilers because they're afraid
> of getting water into the chocolate.

Commercial chocolatiers? Yeah, the people who take something simple
and make it complicated, like Alton Brown, do it differently. A
microwave is fine for "melting" a home amount of chocolate, but if I
was doing it in any significant amount - I'd find another way.

> Alton Brown uses a heating pad wrapped
> around a glass bowl, which seems like a nifty way to do it if you're not
> afraid of getting chocolate on your heating pad. The heating pad method can
> also be used to temper the chocolate, which is something a microwave can't
> do.
>


--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.