[Sca-cooks] Playing with cazuelas...

[Suey]

Phil Troy / G. Tacitus Adamantius wrote:
> have been playing with the new toys
> my lovely wife got me yesterday: two smallish (maybe nine-inch?)
> earthenware cazuela casseroles that are dishwasher-safe (not that they
> will EVER go into the dishwasher), stovetop (gas or electric) safe,
> microwave safe (again, I don't THINK so) and attractive right on the table.
>
> After soaking in water and heating them for a while with water inside
> them, we dumped out the water, put them back on a gentle heat, and did a
> Spanish gambas al ajillo in one -- basically shrimp fried in
Hate to be a Christmas humbug and hope US standards on earthenware are 
stricter than around my stomping grounds.

First of all with all earthenware, pottery, whatever you call it, we 
soak it in water with traditional bleach overnight/12 hours every six 
months to prevent it from drying out. Since I have had a dishwasher I 
have always washed our pieces, which are numerous as our daily dishes 
are pottery. Among them pieces as old as my mother would be - 102!

Pomaire, a town some 50 km north of Santiago Chile, is a pottery center 
selling among other things earthenware frying pans. I gave one to my 
Whole Foods son a few years ago. He followed my instructions but it 
broke when frying within a short time, leaving me stumped because when 
preparing items for my blog I am seeing that earthenware was used on 
stove tops as you, otherwise you would not be looking at this feature.

It will be interesting to see how yours turn out and if they last more 
than a month, who the manufacturer is.

Sue