Here's an article from the NY Times by one of my favorite chefs, Mark Bittman, about, of all things, the microwave! I have had a bit of a renaissance with our microwave myself this past year, using it for all manner of vegetables. I've found the results surprisingly good - often better than stove top preparations. This article confirms my findings and gives me a ton of ideas. It seems that this appliance does, indeed, do more than pop popcorn and re-heat my tea!