As long as the steam can escape as they cook, apples will not explode in the microwave and that can be done by scoring through the skin. Cut deeply into the skin around the center of some medium cooking apples, then core and place in a deep, microwave-safe dish, in batches of up to four. You can also fill the centers with sugar or fruit filling then add a few tablespoons of water or apple juice to the dish.

Cover with microwave-safe plastic wrap and ensure that it does not touch the apples. Then pull back one edge to vent. Cook the apples on High for 4-6 minutes or until they are tender but retain their shape. Before serving, let them stand for 2-3 minutes.

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Aniseed can be used as a substitution for caraway seeds in seed cake, added to rye or wholemeal bread, used in plain or spiced biscuits or even added in a Mediterranean fish soup. In the Middle East, aniseed is used to make an infusion with or without tea leaves.

During the medieval times, aniseed was widely used both as a medicament and as a food flavoring. However, its taste fell out of fashion and today aniseed balls are almost the only reminder of its past popularity. Nevertheless, Aniseed is still popular in the central Europe where it is widely used for flavoring sweet dishes, biscuits and cakes. In many Mediterranean countries, it is used to flavor absinthe-related drinks, called variously anisetter, arak, ouzo, Pernod and raki. In India and Southeast Asia, the seeds are used in curries, and are also chewed whole after a meal as a digestive.

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