chef vs 1970's microwave recipe

Quick Overview

The chef successfully prepared a pineapple upside-down cake using a 1970s microwave recipe, despite initial struggles with the microwave's outdated interface and the recipe's overly complex instructions, resulting in a surprisingly delicious dessert.

Key Points: The chef tested three cursed recipes from 1970s microwave cookbooks, ultimately selecting the Pineapple Upside-Down Cake recipe for demonstration. The modern Panasonic microwave lacked an inverter and required manual entry for power levels, leading to an initial overcooked, burnt topping on the cake. The recipe called for a full cup of shredded coconut, which the chef deemed excessive, resulting in a final product with a notably crunchy, burnt texture on top. The cooking process was complicated by outdated instructions, such as manually filtering snail slime (escargot liquid) for an appetizer, which the chef skipped. The final pineapple upside-down cake was judged to be surprisingly good, with the yellow cake portion tasting great, although the topping was overly browned/burnt. The video emphasizes the complexity of older microwave cooking methods compared to modern appliances, which often hide advanced features behind simple buttons.

Context: The video features a chef, dressed in full whites and a toque, conducting an unusual cooking experiment outdoors under a carport. The main concept involves following recipes from vintage microwave cookbooks, specifically those from the 1970s, to test the difference between old and new microwave technology and cooking philosophies. The chef interacts with two other people, John and Sandra, who serve as tasters and commentators.

Detailed Analysis

The chef, dressed in a full chef uniform, sets up two microwaves outdoors to test recipes from 1970s microwave cookbooks. He initially reviews the recipes, noting one for Escargot requiring draining snail liquid, which he skips due to the expense ($20) and disgust. He then focuses on the Pineapple Upside-Down Cake recipe from the 'Tappan Microwave Cooking Guide' (copyright 1979). He mixes the batter in a measuring cup, using ingredients like cake mix, eggs, oil, Sprite Zero, butter, pineapple, and coconut. He notes that the recipe's method of mixing the wet ingredients first and then adding the dry ingredients resulted in a lumpy batter, which he mixed further with a knife. He microwaves the dish for 7 minutes on high (instead of the recommended 40 minutes for the savory rice dish he previously read about, showing confusion over the manual's structure). Upon checking, the pineapple topping is burnt on the edges, which he attributes to the old microwave cooking unevenly. He then tastes the savory escargot appetizer (which he previously prepared) and confirms the liquid tastes like escargot liquid, not savory broth. After the cake is done, he serves a slice, noting it looks delicious but tastes slightly burnt on the edges. He concludes that despite the outdated methods and the sheer volume of ingredients required for every recipe, the resulting cake was surprisingly good, though he would not cook it that way again. He also points out the complexity of old microwave interfaces, highlighting the lack of intuitive power level indicators compared to modern devices.