I called Barbara Kafka, who wrote the bible “Microwave Gourmet” (William Morrow, 1987), and has devoted a portion of her life to refining her technique ever since. What did she use her microwave for most, after a quarter century of experience and experiment?

“Vegetables,” she said, without hesitation. “Their color is better, their flavor is better, you have no water dripping, and there are studies that show they retain more vitamins.”