Arcing Arcing is the microwave term for sparks in the oven. Arcing iscaused by:• the metal shelf being installed incorrectly and touching themicrowave walls.• metal or foil touching the side of the oven.• foil that is not molded to food (upturned edges act likeantennas).• metal such as twist ties, poultry pins, gold-rimmed dishes.• recycled paper towels containing small metal pieces.Covering Covers hold in moisture, allow for more even heating and reducecooking time. Venting plastic wrap or covering with wax paperallows excess steam to escape.Shielding In a regular oven, you shield chicken breasts or baked foods toprevent over-browning. When microwaving, you use small strips offoil to shield thin parts, such as the tips of wings and legs on poultry,which would cook before larger parts.Standing Time When you cook with regular ovens, foods such as roasts or cakes areallowed to stand to finish cooking or to set. Standing time isespecially important in microwave cooking. Note that a microwavedcake is not placed on a cooling rack.Venting After covering a dish with plastic wrap, you vent the plastic wrap byturning back one corner so excess steam can escape.31Term DefinitionMicrowave Terms