...a tribute to classic Amana microwave ovens.

Name one kitchen appliance that went from "unknown" to "ubiquitous" in the past 40 years. No, not the fondue pot. No, not the wok. Not the veg-o-matic either. I'm talking about microwave ovens!

While you can find plenty of resources on the web regarding old television sets, radios, automobiles, clocks, and even sewing machines and typewriters, I noticed that there really isn't that much out there regarding the history and evolution of microwave ovens.

This is currently a project in progress. Once I've finished getting this all suitiably in order, I'll replace this "placeholder" page with the "real" one.

Why am I even bothering with even a 'placeholder' right now?

Well, I figure what with it being sweet-corn season, it would be nice to prepare a timely "HowTo" cooking guide on how to prepare 'official' Amana Radarange Corn-In-The-Husk.

Otherwise, by the time I finally get the rest of this content put together, it might be too late in the season to enjoy this classic (not to mention super-easy and fun) Radarange recipe!

As far as I can tell, this basic recipe (with slight variations) appears in every edition and every version of the Amana Radarange Cookbook (in all its various incarnations and titles) ever printed, from the first Amana Radarange Microwave Cooking Guide from 1968, all the way through the Cookbook editions printed up through at least the late 1980's. This must have been a particularly well-liked early Radarange recipe, as the first version includes the following commentary: "Because corn fixed this way is exceptional, get a second batch started right away." Given Amana's location in the heart of corn-country, they should know what they were talking about, too. :-)

For the purpose of this site, I have reworded and greatly expanded the original instructions, and provided pictures.

NOTE: I have seen that old cookbooks from other microwave oven manufacturers also would often give instructions for cooking corn in the husk, but usually only as part of a table giving general cook-time guidelines for vegetables, rather than as a full recipe.

How to make Corn-In-The-Husk the Radarange way:

First, of course, you need some ears of sweet-corn. These should be fresh, and still in the husk! [If you absolutely must use already-husked corn from the supermarket, you can wrap the ears in wax paper, but what fun is that??] Also try to choose ears that still have at least an inch or so of the stalk still on them, but that's not mandatory. The stalk will provide a handle for eating the corn-- no corn-holders necessary!

Now peel back the outer layers of the husk. Make sure you leave at least one complete layer of husk still on the corn, so that none of the corn kernels are exposed yet. Leave on two layers if you want. You can cut the tassle off the end of the corn, but don't cut the tips of the husk.

Tear off the outer husk that you already peeled back. This will also expose more of the stalk, which will make it easier to hold. Then, peel back (but do not remove!) the remaining inner husk.

Carefully remove the silk. Then, if you wish, spread butter or margarine on the corn and/or add pepper and salt. It's easier to do this now than after the corn has cooked, plus the butter or margarine will melt and spread itself over the corn all by itself while it cooks.

Put the inner husk back on the corn, and use a rubber band or a piece of string on the very tip to keep the husk in place.

Put corn in your Amana Radarange [oh, I suppose other brands of microwave ovens will work too... :-) ]. If you're cooking only one ear, a paper plate works fine, but if you're cooking 4 or 5 ears at a time, you may want to place the corn in a shallow glass baking dish instead. Cooking times may vary depending on the oven, the moisture level of the corn, and the tenderness you prefer, but try about 1:30 - 2 minutes for one ear of corn, or 6 - 8 minutes for 4 or 5 ears. Be sure to let the corn stand at least a minute or two before removing it from the oven in order to allow the internal temperature to equalize. If the corn has been cooked sufficiently long enough, the corn stalk at the end will probably be a bit too hot to hold comfortably, so be careful not to burn yourself.

Once the stalk is cool enough to hold, grab it like a handle, peel back the husk, and you're ready to eat! How'd it taste?