Monday, December 19, 2011

Flameware


I know this is not food, but closely connected to it. A few weeks ago I spotted flameware clay in Berkeley, make by the same company that makes by regular 50/50 mix. They offered me a "rusty skillet" glaze too. It's a cone 8 clay, so St. Theresa (the kiln) really had to work hard to get this up to temperature, but as you can see, it is very pleasant in color and texture. More importantly, in case you don't understand what this stuff is - a stoneware that goes right on the stove top. (Not soft earthenware, which chips and scratches.) So for the trial run there's a chicken and vegetables simmering in the olla. Broccoli rabe in the cassola. The pipkin is untested, as is a bigger pentola still unfired. Oh and the little butter melting cup up front. Despite the fact that it's 30 bucks for a 25 lb. bag, I think this set was worth it. Well done Leslie's and IMCO.

11 comments:

Rachel Laudan said...

Beautiful Ken. You have a new career.

Ken Albala said...

Definitely not! But thanks. A firing now and then is enough for me. Heaven forfend I should ever need to sell anything.

Deana Sidney said...

NOw I know who to go to when I want a toupin for my garbure... or a cassole for my cassoulet!!! If I was brave I would fire up a brass pipkin.. it would be fun making the mold!!!

Glenn said...

So this stuff handles thermal shock better than regular pottery? Neat! How would it take being put over a charcoal fire, do you think?

And I work in glass, so my kiln uses "degrees F or C", not this arcane "Cone" thing--how hot is Cone 8? :)

Ken Albala said...

Hey Glenn, Yes, that's exactly the idea. You can apply flame directly, hot coals, anything. No thermal shock at all. Cone 8 is about 2200-2300 degrees. So it's high fired stoneware. I usually do mid range cone 6 firings, about 2100 degrees. I don't have a way to measure temp - oddly it's very unusual for potters to do so.

Unknown said...

An artist in the kitchen, in every way. Put me first on the list to inherit these gorgeous pots. -- Andrew

Ken Albala said...

Inherit? I have no intention of passing away yet, but I'm happy to make anything you like, especially if you come and visit, or even call me once in a while, why don't you? (You have to imagine this in my mother's voice of course!)

chrismatica said...

Damon and I were looking at the Joy of Cooking yesterday - so enamored was I of your TG goose that I bought one for the LA lads. To stuff the goose, I brought down some chestnuts and in the JOC Irma references not only several ways to prepare chestnuts but highlights steaming them with an oule. It's a fascinating entry overall, but she suggests placing the oule on fire to steam the chestnuts, rather pipkin like. But what caught my attention was your olla, which doesn't have legs like the oule. Other than sharing similar vowels, we want to know if there's a connection between them. PS: Valley Village sends its love and holiday huzzahs.

Ken Albala said...

Mais oui mon frere, c'est la meme chose. Je croix que le mot oule est en Occitan, et olla en Latin et Espagnole. C'et seulemnt un pot en Anglish.

Ken Albala said...

OH AND MERRY CHRISTMAS DUDES!

Anonymous said...

Pls what"s the sellers ingo