pyrolysis
This might be the first of rather too many but I do a lot of messing around in the kitchen so I have experienced the wild extremes of food technology.

Way back when I was a somewhat less than competent cook, I shared a house with a number of other students.

This being one of the more "elite" universities, with well-off students, one of the housemates (Gary) had a microwave (in 1988 this was not a cheap item). It had its own table within Gary's room. If any of the rest of us wanted to use it, we could, provided we asked first. I used it a fair bit.

One time, I was cooking for a female friend and decided to cook carrots. These, I thought would be quickly and well done within the microwave. After making some rather neat, ordered, and evenly shaped batons, I put them in a non metallic bowl and covered the bowl with cling film. I put them in the microwave and set the timer for 20 minutes (thats the time they take in water. right?).

As it turned out, 20 mins was a bit long. They had time to dehydrate and pyrolyse and actually create flames, which were dancing around the internal parts of the oven when I went to check on them (I had been alerted by a strange smell of burning from upstairs).

It was quite a while before I could bring myself to ask to use the microwave again, and in fact I got the one I already owned out of storage and brought it back to the house.

Gary went on to be my best man and reminds me of this moment at regular intervals.
(gearanach #wankwankwank, Thu 28 Jun 2012, 22:46, Reply)