While I don't fry often, a copious amount of olive oil disappears from my kitchen on a weekly basis. The ubiquitous non-stick coating does not do well with oil at high temperatures, and nor does standard stainless. I decided it was time for a new pan, and had a heavy-duty metal pot with an enamel lining in mind...like Le Creuset or something similar.
I looked at the market, but the best I could find was a flimsy thing that just didn't seem right.
This week, I finally got to our local kitchen goods shop (Michael doesn't usually allow me to enter, because it is a complete gimme store; I want EVERYTHING they sell, please!) and spent some time looking at their offerings. They had a nice-quality non-stick pan and lovely heavy-gauge metal pans, but not what I was seeking.
True confession time: my Italian was not up to asking them for the type of pot I was looking for. In fact, I forgot some of the basic words I did know in the heat of the moment. I stumbled around, talked about "ceramic" instead of enamel, and was generally just pathetic. Luckily, they know and love me as a customer who pays them a month's rent every time I go in there, so they took me back to the pots and pans section again. I explained everything. I looked pleadingly.
Aha! She had exactly the solution I was craving. She ferretted around in the shelves, pulled out a cardboard box, and...it was a flattish crock. You know, cooked clay with red glaze internally, brown glaze externally, to be put in the back of the fireplace. The dimensions were great, but duh, this is not an item you put on the stove.
I explained the problem. She looked "duh-ishly" right back at me and virtually patted me on the head, while telling me that all Italians use this cookware, it goes right on the stove no problem (not fridge to oven, however, but it can be used in the oven without a problem). I stuttered something about thermal shock and direct heat and she looked at me very kindly and told me to can it and the she knew what she was talking about.
What could I do? I whipped out my credit card, and brought it home. The instructions said to soak it for 12 hours before using the first time, so I took care of that part right away. I'm using it tonight for my greens, but true confession: after all the explosions I've had in my kitchen over the years, I'm staying well away until I trust this thing.
Love,
Alexandra
I looked at the market, but the best I could find was a flimsy thing that just didn't seem right.
This week, I finally got to our local kitchen goods shop (Michael doesn't usually allow me to enter, because it is a complete gimme store; I want EVERYTHING they sell, please!) and spent some time looking at their offerings. They had a nice-quality non-stick pan and lovely heavy-gauge metal pans, but not what I was seeking.
True confession time: my Italian was not up to asking them for the type of pot I was looking for. In fact, I forgot some of the basic words I did know in the heat of the moment. I stumbled around, talked about "ceramic" instead of enamel, and was generally just pathetic. Luckily, they know and love me as a customer who pays them a month's rent every time I go in there, so they took me back to the pots and pans section again. I explained everything. I looked pleadingly.
Aha! She had exactly the solution I was craving. She ferretted around in the shelves, pulled out a cardboard box, and...it was a flattish crock. You know, cooked clay with red glaze internally, brown glaze externally, to be put in the back of the fireplace. The dimensions were great, but duh, this is not an item you put on the stove.
I explained the problem. She looked "duh-ishly" right back at me and virtually patted me on the head, while telling me that all Italians use this cookware, it goes right on the stove no problem (not fridge to oven, however, but it can be used in the oven without a problem). I stuttered something about thermal shock and direct heat and she looked at me very kindly and told me to can it and the she knew what she was talking about.
What could I do? I whipped out my credit card, and brought it home. The instructions said to soak it for 12 hours before using the first time, so I took care of that part right away. I'm using it tonight for my greens, but true confession: after all the explosions I've had in my kitchen over the years, I'm staying well away until I trust this thing.
Love,
Alexandra
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