European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 21, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Quick by Julie Sahni new York times looking for a last Fri Ingle gift thanks to the microwave it s no too late to whip up a very special gift of homemade food _ homemade Gills Bear the giver s unique signature and flair and convey a message or caring that no other present can. A a a. A Jar of fragrant Chutney thick Wilh fruits a bottle of satiny sauce for ice Cream or waffles a tin of spicy and. Sweet nuts that look like jewels a All make spectacular presentations. The time it takes to make trials like these has often overcome Good intentions. Until recent years it was difficult if not impossible to do Good tasting food quickly. But nowadays microwave ovens can help make delicious treats in a snap. A. ,. The microwave oven is not a Miracle machine. Like the food processor pasta machine or blender it is a Gadget that excels at certain task s. Once its limitations Are accepted its strengths can be appreciated. Nuts for instance Toast brilliantly in the microwave. A a the trapped heat makes them  drying. A them out and gives them a sweeter More pronounced flavor. Spicy candied almonds so fragrant and Sweet Are a marvelous to nibble on at cocktail hour. A another Winner is an Emerald Pistachio fudge perfumed with the essence of Rose petals and aromatic cardamom. Ground Pistachio nuts Are cooked with milk sugar and butter to a fudge like consistency. In the microwave the mixture Cooks quickly and evenly without being stirred and the delicate and distinct flavor of the Pistachio becomes quite pronounced. Almonds cashews walnuts pecans and Pine nuts can be substituted. Chutneys the perfect flourish for a dinner of roast Goose can be intimidating because of the Long list of ingredients. But the microwave lets the Cook put in everything at once and Cook it until the fruit just softens. Pistachio fudge total time 17 minutes 1 cup whole milk 1v4 Sticks 7 ounces Sweet butter plus butter for greasing pan a cups Light Brown or White sugar 4 ounces Cream cheese Cut into Vic Inch cubes v2 Teaspoon cardamom powder 31/4 cups dry nonfat milk powder v4 cup finely ground unsalted raw Pistachio nuts 1a Teaspoon Rose water optional f/4 cup thinly sliced unsalted raw Pistachio nuts 4 Tablespoons heavy Cream approximately. Place milk butter and sugar in a 10-Inch microwave Safe Skillet Cook uncovered at 100 percent Power in a Quot 650-to 700-Watt Carous Toven for 8 minutes or until the milk is reduced to a creamy consistency stirring twice. Remove from oven. A a. ,. A a. A a a. Add Cream cheese and cardamom and  cheese is fully incorporated into the milk. Fold in dry i powder and ground Pistachio nuts. Cook uncovered 100 percent Power for 3 minutes and 30 seconds or u the mixture thickens to fudge consistency stirring one remove from oven. Stir in Rose water if desired,.and sliced Pistachio nut the fudge looks too dry and crumbly add a Little Cream bring it to fudge consistency. Pour the mixture while St warm into a greased 8-Inch-Square baking pan and using a greased Flat Spatula Pat it Down to an even thickness. When Cool Cut the fudge into 1 Inch Square and store in a tightly sealed . 641-Inch squares. Quot a. Quot pineapple Apricot Chutney total time 25 minutes 1 20-ounce can pineapple chunks in unsweetened pineapple juice is cup Lemon juice 1 a cups sugar 1 Teaspoon cumin seeds1 Teaspoon fennel seeds 1 Teaspoon Mustard seeds 1 Teaspoon Black Peppercorns Viz Teaspoon hot red Pepper flakes 1 Tablespoon Julienne fresh Ginger or 1 Teaspoon dry Ginger powder 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts 1 cup sliced dried apricots is cup dried fruits Black or red currants cranberries or raisins. Combine pineapple Lemon juice and sugar in a 2vfe. A quart microwave Safe dish Cook uncovered at 100 a percent Power in a 650 to 700-Watt Carousel oven for a a minutes until the Chutney is boiling and pineapple is. Cooked stirring three times. Remove from oven a a a a add cumin fennel Mustard Peppercorns,.pepper flakes and Ginger and mix Well Cooke uncovered at 1i percent Power for 10 minutes or until the syrup Thicke and the Chutney  Sheen. Flemore from Ove fold in walnuts apricots and Reed fruits and spoon in a sterilized jars. When completely Cool cover with the lid refrigerate. A a v a yield 2  /. A the european f a i a a of of a a keeping you in touch keeping you informed. Ken George recently spent a month in saudi Arabia covering army air Force Marine coast guard and Navy Seabee units in the persian Gulf area. He was also one of Only 30 Media members out of approximately 500 selected for the press Pool that flew with president Bush on his inspection tour thanksgiving Day 1990. George a staff photographer at the newspapers main office in Darmstadt Germany has been with the european stars and stripes for More than four years. Prior to that he worked for five years As photo chief at Pacific stars and stripes. George was a Navy photographer for 18 years and flew 180 photo recon missions during a two year Vietnam tour. His photography has won numerous photojournalism awards. George hails from Hardin  desert 15 the stars and stripes Friday december 21, 1990