Cooking with Clay

SOME NOTES ABOUT A POTTER'S WARE FOR
“COOKING WITH CLAY

- First printed Fall, 1982

For mulcrowave ovens: The average oven is approximately
13 1/2" deep, 14 1/2" wide and 9 1/2" high.

Round dishes work best In microwave ovens. Food cooks
better and faster in ldded dishes or dishes with a top im
that will held plastic wrap well, With the newer ovens that
are cooking food more evenly, rotating & siirring is nol so
mended for cooking dense foods like meal boaf, some cosse-
roles, pucidiings & loaves. These are easy to throw on the
Wheel and can be bdded or not.

In microwave cooking the food heats the container by
convection (the opposite of conventional cooking) so the
vessel otil] requires adequate handles, keeping in mind the
amall area of the oven.

The microwave oven Is Ideal for re-heallng previously
cooked food, Small tdded containers would bbe ideal for this
purpose ard can go from the ‘fridge to oven’ with no problem.
The food will heat the container gradually, If without
handles shape them so they flare out enough that they can
be removed easily with oven mitts or pot-holders. In the floor
of the oven is a fitted, flat platter that all food of dishes are
placed on. Your customer would not want to have an
accident with your hard-in-handle dish and break this

Platter |... .. Very expensive ....

to be sure it is microwave safe: place a
Glass of water next fo your empty dish in the oven. Heat on
full power for 1 minute 15 seconds, Ai the end of this time
check the temperature of the dish - tt should be cool and (he
water in the glass hot. If the dish ia slightly warm it should
be recommended for short-term cooking only. Ifthe dish is
hot and the water cool. the dish must NOT be used in a
microwave oven. Dishes with cane or wooden handles are
not recommended for long tenm use ina microwave. Metallic
Glazes such as commercial busters, reduced metallic ral.
gold & sihver weed by “china painters” must not be used on
ware forthe microwave. Lfyou do not have access to an oven
try the nearest dealer - most would be willing to test your
pieces by the above method.

For conventional ovens; Well made containers of stone-
ware, porcelain, earthenware do conduct the oven's heat

more every than the thermal glass ware (auch as Pyrex,
Corning, etc.) The latter tend to over-cook the food next to
the Veasel while the center remains undercooked,

Casseroles with even walis will cook food evenly. The
thicker walls and base of a clay pol promote even cooking
bul give a heavier vessel eo there has to be a happy medium.
A nicely arched lid is important. Steam rising from the food
will condense on this arch and run down to the outer wail
preventing the food there from drying exoessvrly.

When testing your casseroles, cook in them, use pot-holders

to remove them from a hot oven to test your handles, Soak
casseroles. to ace if bakted-on food is easy to clean off, Tell
your customer that metal and wire scrapes are mot to be
used on glazed surfaces (plastic scrubbers are bent), Deep
throwing rings inside a casserole make it hard to remove the
food when serving and cleaning.

The comer where wall & base meet is important. It should
have a nice curve (not a sharp right angie) so that a serving
spoon can easiiy remove food in thal area. Casseroles
should be well-footed to prevent heat ransier when serving.

Tt would tee helpful to your customer if you measured the
capacity of cach plece tn cups, quarts or litres. This would
apply to storage containers, casseroles, teapots, gravy-
boats, sowlllé dishes - often recipes call for a certain
cHameter.

Dishwaslers ‘& dishwasher detergents vary greatly and
can have differing effects on ceramic ware. The consensus
seems that nearly all stoneware & porcelain competently
produced is “safe", These should not deteriorate or give off
toxic substances. During the washing and drying cycles the
high heat and motsture can damage relatively porous bodies
through expansion and contraction causing Vitri-
fied clay with a good glaze-to-body interface: fit not be
damaged by a dishwasher, A bard. completely melted and
insoluble glaze will not be attacked by the chemical action
of the strong alkaline detergents. Low-flred luster glanes,
decals ancl earthenware matt glazes are not cisheasher safe
and can be dissolved by the detergent.

Soaking your kiln near peak temperature for | /2 hour or
more scams to increase a glaze resistance to detergent.
Glaze recipes containing lithtum materials and xiroonium
oxide tend (o resist detergent attack giving greater durability
than recipes without. The composition of the detergents
vary and some may be more corrosive than others. Leave
your glare test pots or tiles in the dishwasher for up to 10

Compart the final result witha teat tile or pot not
treated to the dishwasher.

You have heard the old adage “build a better mousetrap—
etc.” well, the same applies to pots. Pay attention to the
shape, aioe, design of your ware - colour - will (t show off the
food it is to hold. If dishes are designer! for a specific ined or
recipe, they should be well thought out with purpose in
mind and not just what tradition dictates, For example,
quiche dishes have a vertical wall - why not 0 slanted wall
ke a ple plate? It is much easier to remove the food,
especially the crusiiess quiches so popular with dieters
row,

Be original, be practical and cooks will love you!
Anne Flee tham