March is here and it’s time for the monthly In My Kitchen series. IMK posts give you glimpse into kitchens around the world. There are new cookbooks, new pots and pans, spices, flavorings, recipes, plus musings about cooking and the world. I think you will find the selection of posts fascinating. Stop by Liz’s blog to see the links. If you’d like to write an In My Kitchen post, send your link in a comment to Liz of Bizzy Lizzy’s Good Things by the 10th of the month.
In my kitchen I have a new tagine clay pot. This one is made by Emile Henry in France, they make very high quality ceramic cookware. You can use them directly on the stove (with the exception of induction) and in the oven.
I was first introduced to the joys of cooking in clay by Celia of Fig Jam and Lime Custard who is a very big fan.
- The special clay from Burgundy evenly and slowly diffuses cooking heat to the very center of the dish. Food is cooked evenly, bringing out the flavors and aromas.
- All Emile Henry products can go directly from the freezer to the oven. You can use them under the broiler and in the microwave.
- The surfaces are very easily cleanable, they do not hold burnt food. All their products can go in the dishwasher.
- All Emile Henry products meet the strict standards of California Prop 65, they do not contain any lead or cadmium and are 100% food safe.
- All products come with a 10 year warranty.
Emile Henry Tajine
The tagine has been used for centuries in Morocco. In fact the name of the pot and that of the dishes it produces are the same. A tagine consists of chicken, lamb, fish and/or vegetables cooked in a sauce which is rich in spices and often contains fruit. Stewing food in a tagine helps it to cook evenly without drying out. The conical lid allows steam to rise, and slowly fall as the food inside bakes.
I made the same stew in both a tagine and a traditional casserole dish, the lamb cooked in the tagine was definitely more succulent although both were delicious. Look for those posts in the next week.
Lamb Tagine with Apricots
In my kitchen I have a couple of new cookbooks.
Tagines and Couscous by Ghillie Basan
I adore the spices used in Moroccan cooking and am looking forward to trying more recipes in my new pot. I will post the recipe for the lamb tagine, it was amazing!
In my kitchen I have another new cookbook, Small Victories by Julia Turshen.
Small Victories by Julia Turshen
I consider this a very practical cookbook, the recipes are fairly basic but include spin-offs for creating many new meals from the original. Each recipe also includes a tip that might be very useful (the small victory in the title), mastering the first recipe gives you access to many variations.
The recipe for turkey ricotta meatballs came from this book.
Turkey and Ricotta Meatballs with Tomato Sauce and Pasta
In my kitchen I have a new silicone spatula. i couldn’t resist it as we leave for Paris on the 23rd of this month, back in early April. Next months post may come from our vacation kitchen in France.
Silicone spatula
What is new in your kitchen this month?
I love my tagine too and all those Moroccan spices. Mine came with a book too, I must try making some vegetarian options in the tagine. Love the lamb and apricots, I could do with a bowl right about now.
The lamb was wonderful, I would have loved sharing with you. I wasn’t sure the tagine would make a difference but the lamb did seem to be more succulent and moist.
Hi Liz, happy March to you! Emile Henry make great products, don’t they. I’m loving the chicken soup on the cover of the book by Julia Turshen and could dive right into that on this chilly autumnal morning. Happy travels to you, and thank you for the very kind shout out xx
You are welcome Liz, I love the IMK posts. As we sneak into a very wet spring, you are entering autumn. Both are good seasons for soup. This book is useful to people with a range of kitchen expertise, I found that very unusual and inspiring.
Your tagine looks practical — I purchased a beautiful hand-decorated one that split in two the first time I tried to use it. Money back from amazon! But now I make the recipes for my experiments in Moroccan cuisine in other cookware. I’ve been using recipes from the cookbook classics by Paula Wolfert and Claudia Roden.
best…mae at maefood.blogspot.com
This dish is very sturdy, sorry your own broke. I think a casserole with a tight fitting lid works very well.I have Paula Wolfert’s cookbook, The Food of Morocco, but haven’t used it much till now. Do you have a favorite from the book? I will now be inspired.
Hi Liz, love tagine flavours and pots but I must warn you to take care placing the dish straight from the fridge onto heat, it will crack. I’ve lost more than one that ways. Look forward to the lamb recipe.
Thank you for the tip, I have treated it very carefully by heating is slowly but will take extra care if it is very cold. Sorry about your own pots though!
Enjoy your time in Paris. It is one of my favourite cities and the markets are amazing! I think a tagine is a great addition to any kitchen 🙂
Love the Paris spatula! Interesting that you cooked the same dish in a tagine and in a regular pot and found the one cooked in the tagine to be a little more succulent. What a good idea to compare them in this way.
I wish I could claim such brilliance. But, I ordered the tagine dish for a dinner party and it was over a week late arriving. The lamb had already been purchased so I used a regular casserole with foil to make a tight fitting lid. There were so many complements on the dish (and not a spoon full of leftovers) that I made it again once the tagine dish arrived for a second set of dinner guests. So, it was not exactly a side by side comparison as the meals were about 10 days apart.
Lovely Liz and new in my kitchen this month is an Emile Henry loaf tin – I knew it was good quality but just learnt so much more about their products reading your post. Sounds like I made a good choice!
You made a good choice, they are of such good quality. I have a covered baking dish as well and I love it. I have been selective because they are quite pricy but I think you will be very happy with the results of using it.
Thanks Liz and good news I used it yesterday for the first time to make a loaf and the result was fantastic 😄
How wonderful to be heading to Paris. Have a great time. Yes I love Moroccan tastes too. Yum to the tagine.
Love the tagine, and I can easily imagine the wonderful aromas from your dish 🙂
Liz, your tagine is gorgeous! Love that color. All of your food photos and new cookbooks looked scrumptious. Your Paris-themed spatula will be fun to use with memories attached after your upcoming trip. Bon voyage!
Thank you Kim.
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Hi Liz, your lovely post inspired me to feature my new Emile Henry loaf pan and also to give your new tagine a shout out! I thought you may like to see it – https://feastwisely.com/2017/03/28/sweet-potato-bread-with-psyllium-husk/
I look forward to reading it, thank you! And greetings from Paris. My next IMK will be from Normandy, we leave tomorrow for a week in the country.
Lucky you Liz – enjoy!