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Le Creuset Stoneware Petite Casserole Dish
by spiritwood
I am a cookware tart, especially when it comes to anything enameled or retro looking. These little pots come in a rainbow of colours to suit every taste and have a retro look and feel. I have two of this particular size in " cassis" which is has aubergine/purple colour glaze. Le Creuset are known from their solid (and very ... pricey) cast iron cookware range and these little stoneware dishes with lids mirror the classic design of the bigger pots. A large one of these lidded casserole dishes in cast iron from Le Creuset will set you back <gulp> £119.
This little pot measures just 8cm diameter at the base and just under 10cm at the top. Only really suitable for dips or small individual portions, these would not very practical for a large family unless you wanted to do a lot of washing up. For a single person or couple these are great and give your food presentation a real edge. With a total capacity of just 0.25 litres, these little dishes have the standard "Le Creuset" raised name on the lid. The bottom is unglazed which makes these feel very homely and rustic.
All cast iron Le Creuset cookware can be used on an oven hob or in a stove/aga etc but being ceramic these are only suitable for oven or microwave use.
QUALITY:
Le Creustet have a reputation for quality and this is no exception to that rule. The glaze is thickly applied and evenly fired and does not chip easily. They are dishwasher safe and can be placed in the freezer/ fridge with no issues. Despite having a lot of use mine have not experienced any cracking around the glaze which is common in most kitchen stoneware. The top and base are each made from a single lump of clay including the handles which gives stability and means that they are less likely to break. Le Creuset state that these are "stain and scratch resistant and will last a lifetime". I have never managed to keep stoneware cooking pots for more than a few years without them eventually chipping or breaking so the jury is out on that one. All Le Cruset mini casseroles come with a 5 year guarantee.
USE:
When I cook with these I place them in the oven on a tray because they are small and tricky to handle when very hot. Using a tray minimises risk of dropping and spilling. The handles are hard to grip in an oven if you are wearing oven gloves. The food stays hot in these for a good time and of course the food looks very appealing when served in one of these. I mainly use these for small side dishes when making curries, for cooking smaller portions for my 4 year old daughter and I have used these to make crumbles as well. If you are a keen chef then these would make perfect souffle dishes that look amazing.
These are not very practical if you have a lot of cooking to do but they are so damn cute that I forgive them. They are a frivolous buy rather than a practical one for me but I still recommend them.
PRODUCT FEATURES:
For oven and microwave use
Easy clean
Enamelled scratch resistant surfaces
A large range of attractive and bright colours
Design matches the other products in the Le Creuset range
Does not absorb odours or flavours
Strong and durable
Resists staining, chipping and cracking.
Very pleasing to serve food in- attractive and retro looking
Easy to hold, sure grip handles, knobs and rims
New colours available including pink, kiwi, dijon and lilac
Booklet of use & care instructions (multilingual)
PRICE AND AVAILABILITY:
Selfridges currently have these available in all colours for £12. On Amazon they start at £9.41 + £4.59 UK delivery.
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Lakeland Traditional Tagine
by spiritwood
This was given to me as a gift by somebody who knows how much I like to experiment with ethnic foods. I had never used a tagine in a kitchen before (I have used one over a fire with a bunch of hippies on a beach though) but had seen them used on cookery progs and in cookbooks. The problem for me was that so many recipes for the tagine ... are based around meat and we are staunch veggies. Eventually I found a couple of recipes online and once I had got the hang of those I made a few up. I have never been somebody who measures or weighs anything when cooking, it is all done by eye and guess work, so making it up as I go along came naturally to me...
This tagine is sold by Lakeland who are a well known company specialising in products for the home. It is an attractive two part ceramic pot which is glazed in terracotta and an olive green stripe pattern.
So what is a tagine?
A tajine or tagine is traditionally a North African dish which is named after the traditional earthenware pot in which it is cooked. Tagine pots are traditionally made from clay and are usually in two parts comprising a base pot which is shallow and large and the top part which is usually dome or cone shaped. This "lid" sits on the base during cooking and is designed to keep the condensation in the pot. When the food is cooked the lid is removed and the base is usually used to serve the food from. Tagines are used to slow-cook stews and vegetable dishes. The design of the pot means that very little liquid is needed to cook with. Traditionally the tagine would be placed over hot coals and this could be used outdoors on charcoal for summer cooking. If using coals or charcoal then raise the tagine up from the coals using either a diffuser of a small grate because you want the food to cook slowly and the tagine itself not to crack.
The Lakeland tagine:
This is a beautiful pot with very attractive colouring and a glossy glaze. The handmade terracotta ceramic is thick and good quality and the piece measures 28cm diameter and 22cm in height. This size is enough for two people or three when accompanied by a side dish. I have used mine for an array of veggie dishes involving ginger, honey and garlic. It seems to cope well with all different vegetables including ones with different density and water content. The finished product is butter soft and well cooked due to condensation effect, and the flavours of the herbs and spices are well infused into the food. Chickpeas cook well in a tagine and one of our favourite dishes is to mix the tagine cooked chickpeas and veggies into couscous with lime,honey and fresh coriander.
This pot is oven safe up to 200°C and can be used on a hob as well as inside the oven. As stated above, use a diffuser of some sort if using it on the hob. The tagine washes well and is sturdy. I have not managed to chip it yet and it cooks food beautifully. Most tagines seem to be in the £40 upwards price range so this one is an absolute steal. Not suitable for halogen, induction or ceramic hobs.
The Lakeland tagine is priced at £19.99 on Amazon and is also available from their website. Lakeland have sold over 100,000 of these and at this price I can see why. They also sell a heat diffuser for hobs and a starter kit so have a look on the website:
http://www.lakeland.co.uk/7184/Traditional-Tagine
Summary:
An excellent quality tagine from Lakeland which is an equally excellent price. Attractive and compact. Arrives very well packaged with a small recipe sheet.
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Poach Pod Green
by spiritwood
I have eyed the recent plethora of silicon based cooking moulds with suspicion ever since I noticed them in the shops. You cannot miss them, they are often garish and fluorescent and look like rejects from an Anne Summers catalogue.
I am old school when it comes to food preparation . I like to cook with enamel and pyrex pots ... and cast iron pans and glazed casseroles, none of this new fangled silicon malarkey. I like trivets and old salter scales, ancient measuring jugs and crackled cobalt roasters. These just look so "plastic".
So what the heck is silicon cookware anyway?
Silicone cookware is made from silicone rubber which is created from a mix of bonded silicone and oxygen. When heat is applied the silicone and oxygen mix it can be made into any shape you want it seems including cake cases, cake pans and spatulas. Some tools will have silicon rubber added via injection moulding. Now I know that silicon is a naturally occurring element but the cookware that I have seen looks anything but in its fluorescent colours and funny shapes... luckily for me the "Poach Pod" is a muted green colour.
THE GOOD SIDE:
Silicone cookware is tolerant of both heat and cold and amazingly can be used in the oven at temperatures up to 428 degrees Fahrenheit. Whereas glass, enamel and steel cookware must be cooled first, it is stated that silicone can be placed directly into the freezer from the oven (although I would not do this as it will reduce the efficiency of the freezer and partially defrost any food it touches). Silicone bake ware is microwave safe and easy to clean, no more scraping bits of cake or bread from stubborn metal pans. Silicone is not toxic to aquatic or soil organisms, it is not hazardous waste, and although not biodegradable, it can be recycled.
Sounds great so far....
THE QUESTION:
Is is safe?
There is a lot of info about this on the net so I will only touch on it here.
Silicone rubber is "considered" to be non reactive and inert. The FDA state that silicon "does not emit fumes, leech into food, or pose any health risks". However this is contradicted on the internet where you will find multiple reports of silicon leaking during use. There are also reports that silicon can and has emitted an odour when used which have seemingly been traced back to fillers used in the finished product. You can check for fillers by twisting the mould/ item and if you see any white or light colour then throw it away it because it means that fillers have been used. Buy from reputable manufacturers rather than pound shops to minimise the risk of this. Ultimately, the use of silicone in cookware is fairly new and there has been minimal research completed into its safety for food use. So it is your call.
AND SO ON TO THE "POACH POD"
I bought three of these in Sainsburys for £15.00. Wary of silicone for food use, I wanted them for making soap and melting candle wax. Although they are not listed as being suitable for this purpose they have been excellent. I did use the third one that I purchased to melt chocolate and it melted evenly without burning in a bain marie.
The comments made about silicone being easy to clean are certainly true and this is no exception. The cutely named Poach pod is a funny looking thing, made from green soft and pliable silicone. Designed to hold an egg safe for poaching (hence the name) and also useful for melting chocolate and steaming, the Poach pod is a user friendly squashed cup shaped item which can be used in water (bain marie) or the microwave.
They float about a bit when used in a saucepan of water which I imagine works fine for eggs but when making candles you do not want water in the wax at all so I did have to ensure that they did not bob around too much when the water boiled. They have little holes in the shaped top so that you can remove the pod safely which is a nice idea but I did find them a little unstable generally. They are also quite small, perfect egg size I guess but not too useful unless cooking for one. Measurements are 8cm high by 10cm diameter. They are lightweight, weighing in at just 37g and are made in China.
The silicone in these appears to be good quality and passed the "twist test" to check for fillers. The colour (green) is stable and level throughout and no colour or deposits came off in the water.
Of course these could be used in a traditional oven too but I will not be bothering to do this as I have a fetish for vintage enamel and shiny crocks. Silicone is wobbly and unlike a stable cake tin will need much more support when removing it from the oven. It is recommended that you place any silicone bake ware on a tray to minimise the instability. Despite this, the material is strong and you can stretch it all you like but it will not change shape.
GOOD POINTS:
Microwave, oven and dishwasher safe.
Compact
Easy to clean
Can be frozen
BAD POINTS:
Not enough research done on safety in food use
Cheaper versions can leak oil or dye
Somewhat wobbly!
Summary:
Useful for poaching eggs, fish etc.
Worked well for chocolate melting and soap making but a bit too wobbly for melting candles.
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