The Basic Basics: Combination & Microwave Handbook

The original edition of this best-selling handbook was published in 1988 and has never been out of print. It has now been entirely revised and updated for today’s new higher-powered machines. This is THE essential guide and handy reference book for microwaves, combination microwaves and convection microwaves. It is NOT a recipe book; it provides an A-Z guide on how to plan, prepare and cook over 200 everyday foods on easy to read tables with settings and timings. Got a whole sea bass to cook? Look it up and you’ll know precisely at what temperature (for the combination oven), at what setting (for a microwave) and for how many minutes. The book is divided into sections for fish & shellfish, poultry & game, meat, vegetables, pasta & rice, eggs & cheese, grains, nuts & pulses, sauces, fruit & puddings, breads, cakes & sweets, savories, drinks and essential foods & ingredients.

Carol Bowen Ball is an established food writer with over 35 years experience in the food arena. A prolific author, she has written over 80 cookery books (mainly as Carol Bowen), on a variety of subjects from barbecue to range-style cooking, and a whole lot in between. She won the ‘Cookery Book of the Year Award’ for her ground-breaking book ‘Versatile Vegetables’ when bringing vegetables to the forefront of meal planning was in its infancy.

A former Household and Cookery Editor for ‘Homes & Gardens’ magazine she has always been on the look-out for new ideas, trends and chasing the latest advice on cooking and eating well. Her long association with the media, be it television, radio, magazines, newspapers, the internet or professional journals, means she is a popular and sought-after pundit on all things relating to food. It is for these same reasons that she has worked on ‘Masterchef’; with Keith Floyd in his hey day; and as an editorial food advisor to Nanette Newman and Diana Dors on food-related projects.

Carol is a member of the British Obesity Surgery Patient Association (BOSPA), the National Obesity Forum and the Guild of Food Writers.