Dutch ovens are probably one of the most neglected pieces of cookware available. They also produce some of the tastiest dishes of American cuisine. Warm, satisfying comfort food is what you can expect to enjoy when cooking with a Dutch oven. While these treasures of heavy duty, hearty cooking remain somewhat forgotten by the everyday household, their capabilities should not go underappreciated.

What is a Dutch oven?

Traditional Dutch ovens are made of cast iron and are preferred by cooks who enjoy meals with a slight smoky flavor. They are also excellent heat conductors and retain their warmth throughout the cooking process.

Most Dutch ovens feature a lid, a handle and three or four legs on the bottom. While the lid and handle are necessary, legs are an added benefit and offer stability and balance to the oven.

A Little Bit of History

It was an Englishman by the name of Abraham Darby who in the early 1700’s introduced the Dutch oven to England and its American colonies after spending some time in Holland researching the manufacturing process of this piece of cookware.

Dutch ovens were among the most important cooking tools for pioneers. Their innovative design allowed coals to be piled on top of the oven, as well as underneath, providing the same temperatures and ability to cook evenly as a standard oven, even for people moving across the Wild West in covered wagons.

Do I Need to be Camping to Use a Dutch Oven?

Dutch oven cooking is popular with campers and other outdoorsmen today, because it is a simple way to cook a vast array of foods when electric ovens and gas ranges are unavailable. Everything from full roasts to piping hot biscuits can be whipped up over the hot coals of a campfire with one of these ovens.

However, Dutch oven cooking is not only for intrepid explorers anymore. A good sized Dutch oven for indoor cooking is a flexible and practical cooking tool for any kitchen. The large size of these ovens makes it easy to cook a roast, whip up a batch of stew, or to use them as a deep fryer.

Aluminum or Cast Iron?

Aluminum ovens can be used the same way in which cast iron ovens are used; that is, they can withstand being set atop open fires or inside barbeques. However, they do not spread heat as evenly, and can make food taste bland and chalky in contrast to the slightly smoky flavor that a cast iron Dutch oven will produce. The main benefit of aluminum ovens is that they weigh less and are therefore easier to handle.

The Benefits of Dutch Ovens

For outdoor entertaining, Dutch ovens are a unique and delicious way to give your guests something to remember. Roasts, quiches, breads and scrumptious casseroles are easy to create with these timeless cooking tools. Why have another boring barbeque when you can cook an entire meal within the warm pot of a Dutch oven?

Larger cookware takes up a lot of room in a kitchen. That’s why it’s useful to have a single piece that can perform a variety of different tasks: roasting, frying, baking, simmering, steaming, and poaching can be easily achieved in a single pot.

Not only is a Dutch oven a great size for cooking, but it also makes meat that is incredibly moist and tender. Even cuts of meat that are typically on the tough side will fall off the bone when you use this time-tested cookware.

Seasoning Your Dutch Oven

If you have a cast iron Dutch oven then you will need to care for it like any other piece of cast iron cookware. This means that you will need to season it to protect it from rust and provide a non-stick coating for cooking. Note that this won’t apply if you have a cast iron Dutch oven that is coated in enamel or you have purchased your Dutch oven pre-seasoned.

1. Wash your Dutch oven thoroughly with soap and warm water using a scourer. If your Dutch oven is new it will probably have a protective coating to prevent rust so this step is a must.
2. Dry thoroughly.
3. Coat your Dutch oven in a thin layer of oil using either bacon fat, Crisco or lard. Ensure that both the inside and the outside of the pot are evenly coated as well as the lid.
4. Place aluminum foil in the bottom of your oven to protect it from oil splatters.
5. Place the pot and the lid upside down in the oven at 300F for up to an hour.
6. For optimal results repeat the process.

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This weeks Blog of the Week is

‘Cook and Eat‘

This great cooking blog is written by Lara Ferroni and her style of writing and presentation of the recipes is excellent.  The recipes are accompanied by beautiful photographs of her mouthwatering creation.

If you love Udon noodles and want to give making them a go, then check out the post on ‘Udon with no shoes on‘. The part where you have to walk on the noodles -without shoes of course-turns making the noodles into fun.  Of course you can use a pasta maker if you have one, but as Lara says turn the exercise into a fun event and evenget the kids involved.

There are so many great recipes and another one that I was particularly taken with is the Three Cheese Cake.  Believe me if you are a cheesecake lover, then you will want to give this recipe a try, you won’t be disappointed with the result. And again, check out the fabulous photos of the finished cheesecake.

There is just so much interesting stuff to read on Lara’s blog and The Progressive Party is one that is full of great ideas for a neighbourhood progressive party and the recipe for Cheesy Rissotto Balls  from ’Jamie’s Italy’ is a great way to use up left over risotto.

So do yourself a favour and head over to Cook & Eat for a great read and some wonderful recipes.

Anyone who likes their food hot and spicy will be completely familiar with the role that chilies play in cooking. The chili is a fruit of the capsicum plant and is well known for enhancing the flavor of foods and providing a ‘kick’ to a variety of dishes worldwide.

Chillies come in a variety of shapes and sizes from the small birds’ eye chili to the larger bell pepper. In general, the smaller the chili the hotter the flavor.

The Scoville Scale

The Scoville Scale is used to measure the heat level of a chili. It was developed by Wilbur Scoville in 1912 and has been refined in more recent years to provide a more accurate reading.

Each chili contains a chemical compound called capsaicin which is actually what produces the hot sensation we all know and love. The greater the concentration of capsaicin in the chili, the higher the rating on the Scoville Scale which is rated from 0 to 16,000,000.

The Habenero chili has always been considered to be the hottest of chili varieties with the Red Sabina Habenero having a Scoville Heat Unit (SHU) value between 3520,000 and 577,000. This makes it 100 times hotter that the Jalapeno. However, the title of the hottest chili goes to the Naga Morich with an SHU of between 970,000 and 1,040,000 making it more than 300 times HOTTER than the Jalapeno

One thing to note is that the heat level within different varieties can vary greatly and even chilies found on the same plant can have a different intensity level.

Interesting Facts

• Chilies are a fruit.
• In some South American countries, crushed and ground chilies are used to treat spider bites and bee stings.
• Chilies were used as a weapon by Mayan warriors who would throw chili powder in the enemy’s eyes.
• Capsaicin survives both heating through the cooking process and freezing.
• Capsaicin triggers the brain to produce endorphins which are natural pain killers.
• Red Chilies are generally hotter than green.

Nutritional Value

Chilli is:
• Low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol, and Sodium
• High in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Potassium, Copper, Manganese, Dietary Fiber, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Folate, Iron, Magnesium and Phosphorus .

Tips for Using Chili

• Ensure you wash your hands thoroughly using soap and water after cutting and using chili. Keep fingers away from your face to avoid burning your mouth and eyes.
• Most of the ‘heat’ of a chili is found in the seeds and membrane – remove these and your chili will not be as hot.
• If you find that the heat of a chili dish is just too much for you then drink a glass of milk, have some yoghurt or eat a piece of bread. Drinking water will only intensify the heat.

Some Common Chili Types

 This weeks Blog of the Week  is

‘Too Many Chefs‘

This blog is put together by Meg in Paris, Barrett in Maryland,  Justin in Switzerland (formerly from Bogata) and Paul.

The recipes are well presented and accompanied by interesting chat on and off the topic,  and the photos are nice and clear so you get a good idea of how the meal should look when it is finished.  Always a plus for new cooks.

I just love the stories about Meg trying to get her toddler to eat a variety of foods and this story about sausages and mash  (hmmm, very tasty) is really amusing. Takes me back to when my own kids were toddlers and having one who was particularly finicky with food.

Some other great recipes that you will find on Too Many Chefs,  are  the Creamy Polenta with Mushroom Ragout,  Cilantro Pesto and Black Bean Cakes and the next dish which was presented a number of publications such as the Nashville Tenesseean -Mexican Black Bean Tart with Cornmeal Crust .

There are just so many wonderful recipes to try and stories to read, so do check out this great site.

All –Clad has built its reputation on consistently providing, high quality products. The 11″ square Grill Pan is just another in their range of excellent cookware.

This pan makes it easy to prepare healthy recipes because you need little or no fat and as your food grills, the excess fat collects at the bottom of the pan away from the food.

It is so easy to grill steaks or lamb chops, breasts of chicken or succulent fish, on the raised surface of this grill pan to cook them just how I like them and it is the perfect size for sandwiches as well.

I have become a real fan of square cookware; I find it to be very practical for how I like to cook.

I love the features of All-Clad cookware, and this pan is no exception. Even heating because of the highly conductive, heavy-gauge anodized aluminum, true non-stick performance and clean up non-stick surface is an absolute breeze.

The square grill pan has a cast stainless steel handle that remains cool and so makes it comfortable to work with on the stove and it fits my oven just fine, but it could be a problem for someone with a small oven as the handle measures 8.5 inches.

The pan is not recommended for use on ceramic or glass top stoves.

The Magic That Is Olive Oil

Homer called it “liquid gold”. Its mystical glow illuminated history.

Olive oil has been more than mere food to the peoples of the Mediterranean: it has been medicinal, magical, an endless source of fascination and wonder and the fountain of great wealth and power.

The olive tree is known as a symbol of abundance, glory and peace. Its leafy branches have been used to crown the victorious in friendly games and bloody war, and the oil of its fruit has anointed the noblest of heads throughout history.

Olive crowns and olive branches are emblems of benediction and purification that were ritually offered to deities and powerful figures: some were even found in Tutankhamen’s tomb.

Today we value extra-virgin olive oil for its nutritional and healthful virtues. It is the most digestible of the edible fats: it helps to assimilate vitamins A, D and K; it contains so-called essential acids that cannot be produced by our own bodies and slows down the aging process.

It is also valued for its culinary virtues and sensory properties of: flavor, bouquet, and color.

What is olive oil?

Olive oil is a fat extracted from olives. It is used in cooking to enhance the flavor of foods, as a dressing, and as an oil for sautéing and frying. It is also used as a moisturizer and in soaps. Olive oil is considered to be a healthy fat because of its high content of monounsaturated fat in the form of oleic fatty acid and polyphenols.

How is Olive Oil made?

Olive oil is made from pressing or crushing tree ripened olives. It can undergo a variety of different processes but at its simplest, the olives are picked, the leaves, stems and any dirt are removed and the olives are ground into a paste. A press then separates the oil from the paste and the oil is bottled.

Extra Virgin Olive oil is probably the only oil that can be eaten as soon as it has been pressed from the fruit and the oil retains the flavor, aroma and vitamins that it contained when it was in the raw state of being an olive on the tree.

Types of Olive Oil

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Is the oil that is extracted from the first pressing of the olives. This type of oil undergoes the least amount of processing and therefore has the richest flavor and aroma. Extra Virgin Olive Oil is generally considered to be the

best and is therefore the most expensive. No refined oil is added to this oil.

• Virgin

Is the oil extracted from the second pressing of the olives. It is slightly more acidic than extra virgin. The taste is good but not as flavorsome as extra virgin olive oil. No refined oil is added to this oil.

• Pure

Is generally a blend of refined olive oil with a mix of either extra virgin or virgin oil.

• Olive oil

Is a blend of refined oil and virgin oil and generally lacks a strong flavor.

There are other types of olive oil such as Olive-pomace oil which is a poor quality blend of refined pomace olive oil and possibly some virgin oil. It is made from the pips and ground flesh after the pressing and although is fit for consumption it may not be called olive oil. Olive pomace oil is often used in soap or for industrial purposes.
Check out the labels when you are buying Olive oil. If the label doesn’t state “virgin” then you are buying a lower grade produce. “100% Pure Olive Oil” is often the lowest quality available for purchase.

Where the label states “Made from refined olive oils” it generally means that although the essence of the olives were captured, the taste and acidity were chemically produced.

Don’t be taken in with a label that states “Light olive oil”. What this really means is that the product is a refined olive oil, not that it has a lower fat content. All Olive oil has a standard 120 calories per tablespoon (34 J/ml).

This weeks Blog of the Week is

‘FXcuisine’

I found this site through ‘Stumbleupon” and I am so glad I did.

Now here is a cooking blog with a difference. Firstly it is put together by François-Xavier (FX) who is a French-speaking Swiss man living on the shores of Lake Geneva, an hour from both France and Italy. Already I am totally jealous and intrigued. And secondly the recipes and articles are accompanied by great photos with full descriptions on how to achieve the desired result. 

I was captivated immediately by the intriguing banner and then my eye travelled down the page to all the interesting recipes and articles.

There are so many interesting recipes such as the Daube de beu saintongeaise or Beef with carrots or the Pumpkin Gnocchis, a recipe I must try as I have never been able to perfect this dish. For a refreshing yogurt salad try the Indian Raita

One article that I found to be very interesting, having lived on a farm where we killed our own meat was  about the killing of the pigs. This article may be disturbing to some and you are warned before reading it that there are graphic pictures of a pig being slaughtered in the Moldavian manner.

FXcuisine is a veritable feast for the senses.

I can’t believe that January is almost over. No sooner are we just over celebrating one special occasion and up pops another.

February 14th is Valentines Day, a special time for people in love.

So if you want to really impress your special friend why not plan the day ahead of time.

One the day you could send some red roses to let them know how you feel.
And if you decide to have an intimate meal at home why not light some candles to set the mood.

Next prepare a tasty casserole in a heart shaped casserole dish, especially one of those lovely casserole dishes that can be taken from the oven to the table. Heart shaped creme brulee is ideal for dessert and if you are going to pull out all stops then how about baking a heart shaped cake.

Chocolates and wine also add the right touch to the evening.