MICRO WAVE, MACRO FILTH

The chef in our house often makes fun of me when I decide to take a stroll down easy street to reheat delicious left-overs.  In his opinion, microwaves are tacky eyesores that make food taste like plastic, over-processed muck.  Well, he hasn't said those words exactly, but he always seems to roll his eyes when I rotate my way to a yummy meal.  This weekend, however, he was in line right behind me to warm up something scrumptious from the night before, but just as quickly as that door popped open, his affair with the wave was over...it did, I'll admit, look like the inside of a babies diaper.  Meals, dips, teas, cups of coffee, popcorn and lord-only-knows what else had exploded on the walls of my gourmet kitchen in a box.  Master Chef Joe, though, had a solution...make cleaning a breeze by microwaving water to get rid of the cheese!
MICRO-MANAGING:
For the record, a recent online-tour of several famous chefs kitchens (including Martha Stewart, Bobby Flay and Ina Garten) showed microwaves standing proudly in the spotlight in these masters kitchens...SO, Mr. Joe....but, he was right indeed.  An incredibly easy way to get rid of that stuck on grime (I hate to admit that my late night popcorn started to taste like lasagna) is to microwave water.  Here's how to do it..fill a microwave safe dish with water and lemon juice (to get rid of the stink).  Microwave on high for at least three minutes (more likely 5-10).  This will create steam and soften anything stuck to the inside.  Here's your McDonald's coffee-spill warning...BE CAREFUL when removing the water as, GUESS WHAT, it's HOT!  Grab a sponge or paper towels and wipe that junk right outta the wave!