CorningWare 411

I figured it was about time that I dispense with talking about the pieces I have found or tragic demises involving transportation of said pieces of said found-ness and start to concentrate on the actual USE of said found pieces. After all, what's the use in collecting Corningware and rescuing it from the clutches of a landfill if it's just going to sit around and collect dust. Vintage Corningware should be allowed to fulfill it's culinary destiny or it could get depressed. Granted, I am anthropomorphizing it a little bit. But I am sure that if Corningware did have feelings, it would be really upset to simply be ensconced on a shelf somewhere.

So Tuesday evening, I decided to roast a chicken... Which, in all honesty, I don't do as much as I probably should. It's a fairly healthy way to go, as far as a main dish. Especially with my rack and roaster, so all the fat can simply drip away (and be saved for unctuous gravy at a later date).

Roasting is pretty straight forward. I find that the wing tips often burn, so I put the chicken in a yoga pose, with the tips of the wings behind it's back, then set the chicken on the rack, breast side up.

Season with salt and cracked pepper and place in a preheated 400F (200C) degree oven for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 375 (190C) and continue roasting for about 20 minutes per pound, minus 1lb. (i.e. 5 lb chicken... 15 minutes on 400 then 1 hour 20 minutes on 375 for the remaining 4 lbs) Then again, if you have a temperature probe, simply roast until the inner thigh reaches 165F (75C) degrees.

Either way, a roasted chicken is a beautiful thing to behold. Especially when it is resting languidly in a Corningware P-21 Roaster. I'm just sayin'.

So what do you have with said roasted chicken? Well, it's time to take a walk on the Middle Eastern/Mediterranean side. Bulgar Pilaf. True, when thinking of Pilaf most people think of rice, and that is the typical rendition. But me being me, I like to change things up a little every once in awhile. Not to mention that I get "riced" out simply because I make Risotto ALL the time. Thus, Bulgar Pilaf fits the bill quite nicely.

So what exactly IS Pilaf... Well, all I can really tell ya is that it is fairly common in the Balkans & Southeastern Asia where it is known by many names such as pilav, pulaw, pulao, polow, or plov. It is basically the same thing as a Risotto, though the type of rice is different and there is NO stirring involved. On some level, I feel this makes it easier to execute that Risotto, and just about as tasty. It really depends on how you like your rice. Fluffy individual grains? Go with Pilaf. Swimming in an unctuous sauce? Go with Risotto. Oh, and as far as I am concerned, Pilaf just isn't Pilaf without some type of nut being added. For me, that usually means slivered Almonds or Pistachio.

Technically, Pilaf should be cooked completely on the stove and not be baked in the oven. But since I use Corningware to make Pilaf, I utilized the oven, mainly because I can. There is another reason for baking pilaf in the oven, though. If the Pilaf is out of sight, then it's out of mind. This can be a good thing if you are a chronic sneaker peeker like I am, cause the secret to good Pilaf, whether with Rice or Bulgar is DO NOT lift that lid!!

Bulgar Pilaf with Mushrooms

2 cups Chicken Stock, warmed
2 TB unsalted Butter
2 ribs Celery, diced
1/2 a medium Onion, diced
4 oz Crimini Mushrooms, sliced thin
1 1/2 cups Bulgar Wheat
Juice and Zest of 1 Lemon
3 TB Parsley, chopped fine
1/2 - 3/4 cup Slivered Almonds, toasted
P-10-B with Lid (or older 10 inch skillet with Pyroceram lid, or A-10-B)
1 quart Saucemaker (P-55 or P-64 or, if you have one, the small 1 pint Saucemaker)

Preheat the oven to 350F (175C) degrees and get your mise en plas in place. :)

Begin warming the chicken stock in your Saucemaker set over medium flame.

Yes, I am using my mysterious 1 Pint one.

Place the 10 inch skillet over medium-low flame as well and begin melting the Butter.

Once the butter is melted, add the Celery and Onion, sweating until almost tender.

Add the Mushrooms and cook until they begin to release their liquid.

Add the Bulgar and toast, stirring, in the butter until it begins to smell nutty (about 5 minutes)

Add the warm Chicken Stock.

Stir in the Lemon Juice, Lemon Zest and Parsley.

Bring to a simmer.

Cover. (OK, NO more peeking)

Move to the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven.... OK, NOW you can peek.

Add the Almonds.

Stir, or rather fluff everything up, with a fork.

Recover and place in a handy Platinum Cradle (P-10-M-1)

Remove cover for serving.

Where is your Corningware??
~~

I still find it quite laughable that, even though I detest the color blue, I have developed such a love for Cornflower. Wheat and French White are still my all time favorites, but there is just something about that little blue cornflower. It's not like normal blues. I guess one can be a walking paradox if one wishes.

I don't like Navy blue cause it depresses me... I don't like Cobalt blue because it just makes me feel nauseated. Royal blue & electric blue are just so insidiously in your face, that is annoys me. I don't like Robin's egg blue, because it feels cold and uncomfortable to me, as does most pale or light blues. Neon blue (an 80's fashion don't) never should have existed in the first place. Sky blue is OK, but it belongs outside, on the sky, not in my house. Mom's house use to be "dusty" blue ALL over the place in the 80's. Blue carpet, blue paint, blue wallpaper in the dining room, blue dishes, blue table cloth, blue sofa, blue chairs, blue dish towels, blue curtains, blue background pictures, right down to the Christmas ornaments.... Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue!!!! The inside of her Ford Escort Wagon was even Blue! ARGH!

I use to hide in my blessedly calm and soothing BROWN bedroom ALL the time to keep from being assaulted by BLUE! I am just an earth tone kind of guy. Give me olive green, dark eggplant purple, rich deep orange, dark golds and browns. (which is why I love the Wheat pattern so much)

But as I stated, there is just something about that little blue cornflower. It's a happy blue, it's a classy blue, and placed, as it is, upon a white background, it's a crisp and clean blue. It's a bright and eye catching, yet comforting blue. Maybe it's because I associate that little blue cornflower with delicious things coming from my Mom and Grandmother's kitchens.

All I know, is that THIS is the only blue for me.....

And now it graces my dinner table, for I have found a couple of the Centura dinner plates to match the smaller ones I recently found at the Salvation Army store.

As luck would have it, though they are not part of the original dinner service, I found a couple of coffee mugs too.

These mugs were released decades later than the Centura dinnerware. They are made out of, what I believe to be, Suprema, which completely supplanted Centura by the fact that it was microwave compatible. Besides, the original place cups (with saucers) were of a similar "coupe" shape to match the dinnerware and did not have a cornflower on them, they were simply white. (though the bowls, which I have yet to find, were solid blue)

So I just thought I would share an almost complete Blue Cornflower place setting.

It may not be actual Corningware, but all the pieces are some form of pyroceram, though both are glazed. (Yep, Suprema has to be glazed too)

Where is your Corningware??
~~

P.S. It's your last chance to enter the Up For Grabs giveaway, and win 2 Snack-it plates. PunchTab will perform the drawing on the 28th so I can notify the lucky winner.

Collecting Corningware is kind of a misnomer. Though I often say it myself, in essence what I really do is more of a "rescue and re-purposing" than actual collecting. That being said, I kind of collect the Wheat pattern, but then again, not really, cause I use it. (though not as much as my Cornflower and my French White) What is it that really constitutes "collecting" and a "collection"? Is it some invisible line that is crossed? What makes something a collectable? Does it hinge upon it's value? Is it tied to demand? If there is only 1 of something, but no one really cares about it or desires to have it, then is it worth anything?

Perspective: Gold is only valuable because it is a rare metal and people desire to have it. Iridium is significantly rarer than gold, yet worth about 3/4 as much due to the lack of demand for it.

Collecting, by definition, simply means "to bring together in a group or mass" or "to accumulate as a hobby or for study", which kind of fits, since I bring pieces together into a mass that fills every nook and cranny of my kitchen. It has become a hobby, of sorts, since I hit every single thrift store that I see. (which drives everyone I know absolutely bonkers) There is also some element of "study" involved, as I try to track down a pattern or figure out dates and contemplate mystery pieces. But I still don't really like to call it a collection or what I am doing collecting.

What makes a "collectable", well, collectable? I think of "collections" as being the assets of a museum or things that are placed on a shelf together to be observed and admired, but not every touched. My mother, for example, collects English Bone China Tea Cups. Granted, she has some that she does use fairly frequently, but most of them sit on cute little mahogany cup shelves to be admired from a distance. This is because they are either extremely old (pre-1900), extremely rare or just extremely valuable. That is a lot of "extremely"s.

In the case of Corningware, it is neither particularly old, particularly rare, nor is it particularly valuable. That's a lot of "particularly"s. There are many sellers on eBay who would love all of us who are interested in amassing pieces, for cooking purposes, to believe that it IS a rarity and thus worth the small fortune they keep asking for their pieces. But in actuality, it's really just not that valuable. Sorry eBay sellers. I can walk into a thrift store and buy that 2 quart (P-2-B) saucepan for 3 bucks and a lid for .99 cents, so I am not going to pay you $34.99 and $12.00 to ship. Not gonna happen my friend, so get over it.

Now that I have totally slammed 90% of the Corningware sellers on eBay, that is not to say that some of the patterns aren't rare. BUT, most of the "rare" patterns are the later ones through the mid to late 90's. Consequently, though there weren't as many pieces made, they are only about 20 years old tops; most are significantly younger. That really doesn't move Corningware into a "collectable" status, nor into "collectable" prices. I'm just sayin'.

That is why I like this first book in particular. For they even note at the very beginning of the book that Corningware is really not old enough nor rare enough to warrant being considered an actual "Collectable"; at least, not yet.

I had distinct pleasure of meeting Debbie and Randy at the Portland Antiques Expo in 2010. They are fascinating to talk to and their booth was overflowing with Pyrex and Corningware. I will say that Pyrex opal glass is kind of a phenomenon... There were SO many casserole and mixing bowl patterns that were released and then discontinued almost immediately that it has created a collecting frenzy. Personally, I love Opal Pyrex.

but back to Corningware.....

It was from Debbie and Randy that I learned about the book they had released back in 2008, attempting to document the patterns of Corningware. (Cause inquiring minds want to know) Randy and Debbie have also written multiple books on other types of collectable glass such as Heisey and Fenton elegant glass. Both of which, though from the same era, are not the same as Depression glass (they wrote a book about that too)

My only issue with the book, is not really an issue per-se. There is just no possible way that ANY book on a product like Corningware is going to be able to get everything in it. There are too many weird test market pieces, strange patterns and promo items that really and truly are a rarity and actually HARD to find as well as being poorly documented on Corning's part. This was why I was so perplexed about my 1 pint Saucemaker; for it isn't mentioned in either book that I own, nor can I find it online. There are several patterns missing from the book such as Autumn Meadow, Winter Magic, Farm Fresh and Peach Garland. While they mention French White and Classic Black there is also no mention of French Bleu or French Bisque. They did get the Casual Elegance line into the book though, which usually gets missed.

Which brings me to book #2 by Kyle Coroneos (2005)

This book is slightly older, and doesn't deal with pattern dating as much as it does with the actual pieces that were produced. Being shapes, sizes and materials, (i.e. the switch from Pyroceram lid to clear borosilicate lid to tempered lime glass lid) as well as covering Visions cookware to some extent. (which the previous book does not)

Both offer prices for pieces, but both are pre-recession, so take the pricing with a grain of salt. Honestly, I think most of them should be dropped by about 25-30%. But, that is just my opinion.

There are also two web sites that I enjoy consulting immensely and have learned many things from both.

BlueCornflower.com is a study of all things of the Cornflower persuasion, both P series and A series pieces. There is also a section for all those Spice o' Life lovers out there as well as a section on Microwave Browner/Crispers. Don't ever fear getting lost among the pages though, for either Hamlette, Spamlette, Porkchop & Petunia or Piglet will be there to guide you through the site.

The second site I enjoy visiting, and the one that tuned me into the existence of Centura Cornflower, is CorelleCorner.com. Though primarily a site for Corelle lovers, due to the crossover of several patterns between Corelle, Corningware and even Centura, there is some fascinating information on these as well as some Pyrex and Suprema products. All meticulously compiled from brochures and corporate materials. This site truly rocks.

So with 2 books and several sites, including Corningware411, dedicated to items of the Corningware persuasion, does that make it a collectable? Do you consider Corningware to be an actual "collectable"? Do you consider yourself a collector of Corningware? Do you use what you collect, or is it merely for decorative display with your vintage kitchen theme? Do you collect more than 1 pattern? (I do this myself) Is this really all just open to interpretation?

Where is your Corningware (collection) ??
~~

Recently I did an exposé on the Electromatic Skillet and Table Range. While information is all well and good, there is something to be said for practical application of said information... Meaning, ya gotta cook somethin' in it.....

But first, some totally gratuitous shots of my Electromatic Skillet and Black Trefoil ensemble.

Turn to the left.....

Now turn to the right......

I must say, that is some seriously sexy retro-chic right there. Eat your heart out Mad Men.

OK, enough of that... I'm hungry....

Orange Jicama Chicken

(with Snow Peas)

24 oz Chicken Breast (or Thighs), cut into 1 inch pieces
10 oz (2 cups) Jicama, peeled and cubed (about 1 medium Jicama)
6 - 8 oz Snow Peas
3 TB Tamari (low Sodium)
2 tsp Cornstarch
1/2 tsp Orange Zest
4 oz Orange Juice
2 TB Olive Oil
Rice for Serving
optional - Cashews for Serving

P-12-ES or E-1310 Electromatic Skillet/Table Range (Base and SK10 "2 1/2 quart" Skillet)

Cut the chicken into 1 inch pieces, then set aside.

Peel and cube the Jicama, and set aside. (make sure when peeling to remove the yellowish fiber layer right below the skin)

Remove the tips and strings from the Snow Peas, and set aside.

Whisk the Tamari, Cornstarch, Orange Zest and Orange Juice together in a small Pyrex pitcher, and set aside.

Set your Electromatic Skillet to 350F Degrees and add 1 TB Light Olive Oil.

When hot, add the Jicama and the Snow Peas; Stir frying for 1 minute.

Remove from the Skillet and set aside.

Add 1 TB Light Olive Oil to the skillet.

When hot, add 1/2 of the Chicken pieces and saute for 2 1/2 minutes.

Remove the first batch of chicken and set aside.

Saute the remaining chicken for 2 1/2 minutes.

Add the reserved Chicken back to the skillet and heat through.

Slowly stir in the Orange Juice/Tamari mixture.

Reduce the temperature to 300F degrees and cook, stir until thickened and bubbly. (3-5 minutes)

Add the reserved Jicama and Snow Peas, stirring to combine.

Cover and cook for 1 minutes longer; just until the vegetables heat through.

Serve over Rice with a sprinkling of Cashews, if desired.

Where is your Corningware??
~~

I only own one Buffet Server. I bought it years ago, because I had originally thought that it was an interesting round shaped Corningware Skillet without a pattern printed on it. After all, there are many Just/Simply/All White pieces out there, and my Mom's Electromatic Table Range came with a plain white skillet as well. So I just assumed.... Well, you know what they say about assuming.

It was always lidless, but it came with an interesting handle that, at the time, I had never seen before.

It is a P-series compatible version of what would become the A-series handle.

Meaning it doesn't have the cut-outs on the sides to accommodate their larger handles. Evidently, these were also made in white to accompany the Avocado & Butterscotch Round that was release in 1968. (I just found that out)

What I didn't know at the time of purchase, was that it was not initially intended to have a clear glass lid. That is not to say that a clear glass lid will not fit. For though the original Solid White Buffet Servers were produced only between 1964 and 1968, the shape was revived several times with the introduction of Avocado Round, Butterscotch Round, the Cook and Serve line made to match Centura dinnerware,

and finally in 1975 with the release of Merry Mushroom at Sears. This was the round shape that I was the "round" Corningware that I was familiar with as a child.

So I spent several years looking for a "Merry Mushroom" lid to fit this little 1 quart (B-1) saucepan.

That was before I found out that it was suppose to have a white pyroceram (Corningware formula) lid with an ultra sleek & chic bakelite knob. (although in 1965 they offered Red and Yellow lids too) Well, I FINALLY found one at the Thrift store the other day. OK, I should qualify that... I found one that didn't have a "blistered" bakelite knob because someone used the lid inside the oven. Which is a definite NO, NO; and one of the reasons later versions had either Pyroceram knobs or Ceramic knobs.

Now Buffet Server is complete. WooHoo!!

And now it's looking better than ever.

Where is your Corningware??
~~

You may have seen it floating around the Thrift Stores on occasion. The Black Wheat Sheaf staring at you from a shelf... But it ain't Corningware. It's Anchor Hocking "Cookware"

Originally produced from 1963-1968, this was Anchor Hocking's attempt to make a Corningware type product.

(Print ad From Nov. 5th 1964)

Pyroceram is technically a brand name that encompasses several of Corning Glass Works products that include Corningware, Centura and, later, Suprema. Since their campaign for their "Corningware" product was already making use of the term "Space-Age Ceramic", Anchor-Hocking referred to theirs as "Astro-Age Ceramic". While it may be true that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, Corning was not amused.

A lawsuit was filed for patent infringement. Thus, Corning vs Anchor Hocking began. Anchor-Hocking counter claimed that Stookey's patent on Ceramic Glass (devitrification of glass) was unclear and unenforceable as there was no way to accurately test for the percentage of crystallization in the glass body.

Originally, Anchor Hocking's counter claim was upheld and they won the lawsuit, but Corning appealed and won the second time. Stookey's patent was deemed enforceable and the decision based on Anchor's claim regarding the inability to accurately determine the percentage of crystalline formation via in the glass overturned.

As a result, by 1969, Anchor was forced to pull their product from the shelves.

I own a piece of this Anchor Hocking Cookware, simply out of interest in all cooking utensils made of ceramic glass. Though I am not in possession of an X-ray powder diffractometer or anything, there are a few observations I have made regarding the Anchor Hocking product.

The obvious difference, though it is basically the same material, is the shape. It's not square like Corningware... It's also not round like the Corningware Buffet servers. It's a rounded square or a squared round shape. Either way, it's sort of a "noncommittal" shape; being neither round nor square. :)

This lack of commitment to a shape is carried through with a seeming lack of commitment to making a quality product as well.

The particular piece I own is full of flaws from the forming of the original glass body, prior to devitrification.

There is a general unevenness to the glass as well (high/low places around the outside)

Splotching of the enamel from the design (it isn't baked on food)

The piece in general has thinner walls, yet it's heavier than my corresponding Corningware 2 1/2 quart saucepan.

These issues are not just on my particular piece either.... Every time I see these in the Thrift Store, they always have the same problems.

The one nice thing, is the construction of the handles. Their grip-lock system is really nice for clamping the handle to the pot, but it's a little bit of a bear to release the catch.

In conclusion.... Corningware was already making a superior product. Anchor Hocking seems to have merely been trying to cash in on a popular item by throwing something together and getting it to market as quickly as possible.

Where is your Corningware??
~~

You've already seen my Electromatic skillet in action, complete with SK10 (Cookmates) flat bottomed skillet in Black Trefoil, but I have another. Another SK10 that is. It's one of those mystery patterns, about which, I cannot find any information. Not a bit. Not in books, not on the internet; absolutely nowhere. I would think that it may be a European made piece, but it has P-series handles on it, which means that it is pre-1972.

I like to call it Black Scroll, but for all I know, it was simply a variation on the Black Trefoil. There are other patterns that have multiple print designs. Pastel Bouquet is an excellent example of this. Depending on the piece, the floral pattern is slightly different. Fruit Basket is another one where the design changes depending on the pieces. Then again, both of these are SK10 skillets, so it's not really a matter of a different design print on different sized pieces.

Another Corningware Mystery.

Though the skillet may be perplexing, there is nothing all that enigmatic about good old Mac & Cheese. Normally, I am a hard core "Baked" Mac kind of guy. There are occasions, however, when I like a good skillet Mac; which tends to be more like the "Blue Box" stuff. (without the disturbingly orange powder) I just cannot bring myself to accept anything labeled as Powdered Cheese Food Product to be actual edible cheese. This time, I am using Fontina and Havarti, but that was simply because they were in my refrigerator. This is just as delicious with 8 oz of Sharp Cheddar.

Since this is Corningware, I went ahead and finished it off under the broiler to get that crunchy breadcrumb topping.

Skillet Macaroni & Cheese

2 cups Whole Milk
4 cups Water
4 TB Unsalted Butter
1/2 cup Panko
8 oz Elbow Macaroni (I like the vegetable kind)
1 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
1 Garlic Clove, minced
4 oz Danish Fontina, shredded
4 oz Havarti, shredded

1 Quart Saucemaker (P-55/P-64)
1 Electromatic Skillet and P-12-C cover

Begin heating the milk in your Saucemaker, set over medium-low flame. (it doesn't need to be "hot", just warm)

Pour 4 cups of water into the Electromatic skillet.

Turn the heater base up to 425F Degrees to bring the water to a boil.

Meanwhile, melt 4 TB Unsalted Butter.

Add the Panko and stir with a fork to coat the Panko; set aside.

When the Water in the SK10 Skillet is begins to boil....

add the Macaroni and stir.

Reduce the temperature to 275F Degrees and continue boiling the macaroni, stirring frequently, until almost all of the water has been absorbed. (about 8-10 minutes)

Add the warmed Milk....

Along with the Salt, Pepper and Garlic.

Stir well and bring the heat up to 350F Degrees, cooking for 5 minutes.

Reduce the temperature to 200F Degrees and add the Cheese.

Stir until melted and homogeneous.

Partially cover and simmer at 200F Degrees for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, turn on the Oven Broiler.
Once you are done simmering the cheese sauce, remove the SK10 dish from the Electromatic Heater base and sprinkle with the Butter soaked Panko.

Place under the broiler for about 3-5 minutes, or until all browned and crispy.

Now is the time to enjoy!

Where is your Corningware??
~~

Let's go Italian! Normally, this is a pasta dish made with Bucatini, but the flavor combination makes for a delicious risotto as well. Sun Dried Tomatoes are an excellent substitution as the fresh tomatoes normally found in the pasta dish can cause excess water in your Risotto. 1 oz may not sound like much, but since they are dried, they pack a hefty flavor punch. If your Sun Dried Tomatoes are particularly hard you may need to soak them in warm water for 10 minutes to soften them.

Usually, I use my Saucemaker to heat up my stock, but have no fear.

While a Saucemaker is handy for pouring stock directly into the rice, a 4 cup percolator or 6 cup teapot will work just as well. (as long as it doesn't have any residues in it)

Corningware does exceptionally well for risotto, which is all about simmering rice in stock while stirring to produce a creamy starch laden sauce. Corningware's ability to hold heat keeps the stock in the pan from cooling too much when additions are made. Be forewarned; this also means that you will need to remove the risotto from the flame shortly before it is al dente, for it will continue to cook in the skillet for about 3-5 minutes.

Risotto all'Amatriciana

3 1/2 - 4 cups Chicken Stock
1 TB Olive Oil
4 oz Pancetta, cubed (or Guanciale, if you can find it)
3 oz Onion, minced
1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flake
1 Garlic clove, minced
1 cup Arborio Rice
1/3 cup Dry White Wine, room temperature
1 oz Sun Dried Tomatoes, chopped
2 TB Precorino Romano, grated
1 TB Butter

1 Quart Saucemaker (P-55/P-64) or 6 cup Teapot (P-104) or 4 cup Stove Top Percolator (P-124)
10 inch Skillet (P-10-B) with lid (P-10-C) or Cookmate SK10 with lid (P-12-C)

Begin by heating the Chicken Stock in either a 1 Quart Saucemaker (P-55/P-64) or 6 cup Teapot (P-104) or 4 cup Percolator (P-124) set over medium flame.

Once the stock has begun steaming, begin heating the Olive Oil in a 10 inch Skillet (P-10-B) set over medium flame.

Once the oil is hot, add the Pancetta and cook until crispy and the fat is rendered out.

Remove the Pancetta from the pan and set aside.

Add the Onion or Shallot along with the Red Pepper Flake and saute for 2 minutes before adding the garlic.

Saute 1 minute longer, then add the rice.

Saute the rice until it begins to smell nutty.

Add the wine and stir until the wine has been absorbed.

Pour about 1/2 cup of stock from the Saucemaker/Teapot/Percolator into the rice and stir until almost completely absorbed.

Continue adding small amounts of hot stock and stirring until the rice is almost al dente and you have a luxurious sauce coating the rice, about 15 minutes (you may not need all the stock)

Add the Pancetta and the Sun Dried Tomatoes and stir quickly to combine.

Remove the Risotto from the flame and add the Pecorino Romano and Butter.

Stir briefly and cover with a lint free towel, then top with the lid to hold the towel in place. (This will keep the Risotto warm while still allowing it to "rest" without the condensing water falling back into the rice)

Let the Risotto rest for 3 -5 minutes.

Serve!

Where is your Corningware??
~~

You've seen me use it before, but making cold soup doesn't really showcase the intended use of the 2 1/2 quart saucepan (P-2 1/2-B) and the P-17-B double boiler insert.

Since my niece is going to be here for a pizza feed this afternoon, I thought I would make her favorite pie for dessert. That would be my grandmother's Grasshopper pie. AKA: Shamrock Pie, Christmas Tree Pie, or Creme de Menthe Pie; take your pick. True, mint and chocolate may not be the best accompaniment to homemade pizza, but she loves it, so I make it.

I suppose I should have made a chocolate cookie crust and baked it in a Corningware pie plate, but the little plastic protector on the store bought pre-fab crusts comes in so handy, I usually just buy them. It speeds things up a little too. (I also don't have to worry about whether I get my pie plate back or not. I'm just sayin')

Grasshopper Pie

26 large Marshmallows
1/2 cup Whole Milk
1 TB Creme de Cocoa (the clear stuff, not the brown)
3 1/2 TB Creme de Menthe (the green stuff, not the clear)
1 cup Heavy Cream
1 Chocolate Cookie Crust

2 1/2 quart Saucepan (P-2 1/2-B)
Double Boiler Insert (P-17-B)
optional - Pyrex 4 quart Cinderella Bowl (#444)

Place 1 1/2 cups water in the 2 1/2 quart saucepan (P-2 1/2-B) and place over medium flame, allowing it to come to a simmer.

Place the Double Boiler Insert (P-17-B) in the 2 1/2 quart saucepan (P-2 1/2-B).

Add the Marshmallows.

Pour the Milk over the Marshmallows.

Stir to coat the Marshmallows with the milk and continue stirring until the Marshmallows are completely melted and everything is nice and smooth.

Add the Creme de Cocoa

and the Creme de Menthe and stir well to combine.

Remove the Double Boiler Insert (P-17-B) from the simmering water in the 2 1/2 quart Saucepan (P-2 1/2-B) and set aside to cool, covering with plastic wrap on the surface to prevent crusting.

Allow this to sit for about 20 minutes, until it cools to almost room temperature and begins to re-gel.
Grab a mixing bowl and add the Heavy Cream. (Pyrex Forest Fancies 4 Quart Cinderella Bowl #444)

Whisk until stiff peaks.

Add 1/3 of the whipped Heavy Cream to the Marshmallow mixture and stir it in to make it lighter. (this will make folding, in the next step, a little easier)

Pour the lightened Marshmallow mixture into the whipped Heavy Cream.

Fold them together until all the streaks are gone. (Sometimes I leave streaks on purpose, cause it looks neat)

Pour the "mousse" mixture into the prepared Chocolate Cookie Crust.

Smooth with a spatula.

Invert the protective plastic that came with the crust, and cover the pie.

Chill for at least 2 hours before serving (Sometimes when it's really hot, I freeze it instead)

Where is your Corningware??
~~

So, the other day, while I was struggling to clean a particularly stubborn stain from the inside of a 2 quart teapot (P-105), the proverbial "light bulb" went off over my head.

This teapot is pristine on the outside, not a mark, not a scratch.... nothing.

Inside, however, is a different story. Oh, it's clean.... Especially after I finished with the Barkeepers Friend and then heated up Oxyclean in it and let it soak for 24 hours... But there were still grey "spots" in the bottom. Thinking they might be hard water stains, I then soaked with CLR for 24 hours. They were still there. So, in desperation I decided to try the Pfaltzgraff Cleaner, even though I was pretty sure that they weren't utensil marks... How would you get utensil marks in the bottom of a teapot? Especially round blotch utensil marks. Well, the Pfaltzgraff cleaner didn't do anything either, the spots are still there......

So, I took a closer look at the 2 annoying spots in the bottom.

Closer...

A little closer.....

THERE, that's close enough. Can you see it too? Is it translating well in the photos? The "grey" looks like it's slightly translucent. You can still see "white" swirled around within this translucent spot.   My working theory is that these are spots that have vitrified.

OK, maybe I should take a step back for a second and do a little explaining.

When you melt something like, say Sugar, on the stove and it becomes an amber liquid, then you pour said liquid onto a sheet pan and allow it to cool, you have not only formed a hard caramel, you have "vitrified" sugar. Basically, creating sugar glass. This happens with rocks as well. Obsidian, for all intensive purposes, is a vitrified "rock". ALL rocks, when exposed to intense heat, will vitrify to some degree.

All it really means is that something is melted and cooled in such a way that it remains in an amorphous state instead of re-crystallizing. Some amorphous mixtures allow more light to pass through them than others. Such is the case with a mixture of Sodium Carbonate (Soda), Calcium Oxide (Lime), and Silicon Dioxide (Silica Sand); better known as Soda-Lime Glass.

Corningware is based on the DE-vitrification of glass. Meaning, that it is purposefully crystallized to make "Ceramic-Glass". This, however, happens after the glass has first been formed and is in an amorphous state.

The difference is that the glass used to make Corningware has been "seeded", in this case with Titanium Dioxide, so that when the glass piece is heated treated, after the initial forming, the Titanium Dioxide forms millions of little nuclei. This nucleated glass is heated again and crystals form around the nuclei. The amount of crystal growth depends on the temperature it is heated to and the duration of the heating. There you have it, the purposeful de-vitrification of glass. Pyrex Opal Glass uses some of this same principals but the crystal content is significantly less than that of Corningware, being less than 10%. Pyrex Tempered Opal Glass (as in mixing bowls and such) are also not formed of Borosilicate, it's a tempered Soda Lime Glass (always has been) and, I believe, it is seeded with Tin Oxide.

In the case of this teapot, I think that it was boiled dry one too many times on the stove, and these areas have UN-crystallize, turning back into glass. Basically, its vitrified. At least in those spots. Mind you, this is made of "Borosilicate" low expansion glass to begin with, so I don't think it really harms anything.   It just looks weird on the inside.

As far as why it is ONLY on the inside and not on the outside, I think that has to do with the way that heat moves through and radiates from an object... There were, more than likely, minerals in the water that was being boiled dry that may have had something to do with it as well.

But my theory doesn't extend any further at this point, and I honestly think I pulled a muscle in my brain as it is.   ;-)

Where is your Corningware??
~~

I got a hankerin' for some Mexican cuisine and nothing is more delicious than Enchiladas with Salsa Verde. But first, I need to lay some ground work. That would be the Salsa Verde and the Enchilada Sauce.

Salsa Verde

Olive Oil
1 lb Tomatillos, about 4 -5 large ones
1 Serrano Chile, seeded
2 Garlic cloves
1 bunch of Cilantro
Juice of 1 Lime

10 inch Skillet (P-10-B)
Food Processor
2 3/4 cup Petite dish (P-43-B) with lid (P-41-GC, P-41-PC, P-43-PC or a P-41-B)

Begin heating oil in the 10 inch Skillet (P-10-B) set over medium flame.

Slice the Tomatillos.

When the oil is hot, add some of the Tomatillo slices and fry until they begin to soften, turning as necessary.

You will need to work in batches. (usually 2 batches)

Place fried Tomatillos, Serrani Chile, Garlic, Cilantro and Lime juice n the bowl of a food processor.

Pulse until everything is broken down and well combined.

Move to a 2 3/4 cup Petite Pan (P-41-B) and store in the refrigerator until ready for use.

Enchilada Sauce

8 oz can Tomato Sauce
2 1/2 cups Water
1/3 cup Olive Oil
1 TB New Mexico Chile Powder
1 TB AP Flour
1 1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Garlic Powder (or 2 Garlic Cloves, crushed)

Corningware 2 1/2 quart Saucepan (P-2 1/2-B) with lid (P-9-C)

Pour Tomato Sauce into a 2 1/2 quart Saucepan (P-2 1/2-B) and place over medium flame.

Add Water...

Then Olive Oil.

Toss in the Chile Powder, Flour, Salt, Cumin and Garlic Powder.

Whisk well, until the flour "dissolves" into the mixture, then bring to a simmer; reduce the flame to medium-low and continue simmering for 10 minutes.

Remove from the stove and allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until ready to use. (Which will be tomorrow)

Where is your Corningware??
~~

The last few days have been crazy busy, but I promised an Enchilada Recipe. Now that I have had a moment to breathe, here it is. :-)

First off, I use slightly larger than normal tortillas for my enchiladas. They are over 7 inches in diameter instead of the standard size (5 1/2 inch). You don't HAVE to use the larger tortillas if you cannot find them or you simply don't feel like hunting them down. To be fair, when I make this for a potluck or something, I use the smaller ones myself... Smaller Tortillas means more enchiladas to go around.

I like to use the P-76 roaster for this task, as the dimensions work well for the larger tortillas. I get 2 rows of 6, which is just right.

Now, lemme explain something about my family. We are cheese-o-holics. Thus, instead of sprinkling a little cheese over the finished Enchiladas, we simply dump a ton of cheese over the top and bake it all together. It's just the way mom always did it and, since this is one of my childhood comfort foods, it's the way I do it as well.

It may not be the most picturesque of dishes, but it's so darned tasty and smells SO good, that I don't think it really matters so much if it's not "plated" in a photogenic way. I'm just sayin'

Chicken Enchiladas

2 Chicken Breasts, boiled, cooled and chopped
1/2 cup Slivered Almonds
1 bunch Green onions, sliced
16 oz Cheese, shredded (Combine Monterey Jack, Cheddar, Queso Asadero, & Queso Quesadilla)
1 Sweet Onion, minced
Enchilada Sauce
12 Corn Tortillas
Peanut Oil or Pure Olive Oil
Sliced Black Olives
Salsa Verde

Equipment:
9 1/2 inch Pie Plate (P-309) or 2 1/2 quart Saucepan (P-2 1/2-B) depending on Tortilla size
10 Inch Skillet (P-10-B)
Plate for assembly (I'm using my Cornflower Centura dinner plate, but a Corelle plate will work too)
optional - Grab-It Bowl
10 1/2 x 15 1/2 inch Roaster (P-76-B)

In a bowl, mix chopped Chicken with Slivered Almonds and Green Onions.

In another bowl, toss Cheese with minced Onion.

Drain Black Olives and place in a bowl (a Grab-It works well)

Pour 1/2 of the Enchilada Sauce into a 9 1/2 inch Pie Plate (P-309) and set the plate over low flame.

(if you are using the small tortillas, simply warm all of the sauce in the 2 1/2 quart Saucepan set over low flame)
Preheat the oven to 350F Degrees.
Begin heating Oil in the 10 inch Skillet (P-10-B) set over medium flame.

Fry the tortilla on both sides until it begins to "puff" slightly.

Remove the tortilla from the pan and dip in the Enchilada Sauce.

Move the Tortilla to the plate.

Layer with Chicken mixture, Black Olives, and a little of the Cheese mixture.

Roll the whole thing up and lay it seam side down in the Roasting Pan (P-76-B).

Continue frying, dipping, filling and rolling until you have filled the pan.

Pour all of the remaining Enchilada Sauce over the Enchiladas.

Sprinkle with the remaining Cheese mixture.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the Cheese gets all bubbly.

Let rest on the counter for 15 minutes before serving, topped with copious quantities of Salsa Verde (and sour cream if desired)

Where is your Corningware??
~~

It is the last half of another month.... Time to give away another piece (or two) of Corningware rescued from the local thrift store.

Two Sidekick plates (P-140-B) to accompany the Grab-it line produced in the late 70's and 80's. Not as vintage as I would like to get, but they are fairly convenient to have around. Everyone should have a sidekick.

They are great for Mise en place, or to hold Cornbread sticks when eating Chili, my grandmother used 1 as a butter dish and her others as bread and butter plates. They even make great spoon rests.

These two are from different periods in Corningware's history. The one with the printed bottom is from the 70's (4 1/2 x 6 3/4 inches)

and the one with the embossed bottom is from the 80's after the switch to metric. (22cm x 27cm)

You will probably notice that I am using Punchtab for this giveaway. Again. Even though it caused problems the last time.

I went and checked out Rafflecopter and, well to be honest... It sucks. That is, unless you pay them a monthly fee. Once you shell out some coin, they suddenly let you use the features that you really need to be able to use to run a giveaway. Oh, it has a couple things you can do, like leave a comment. That pretty much covers it except for the ability to "like" a page on facebook. Honestly though, if you are reading this post, chances are you have already liked "Culinary Alchemist" on facebook, so that is really not any help whatsoever.

Speaking of facebook. You can enter this giveaway with your facebook id instead of your email address, but that is as far as the facebook'ing goes for this giveaway. I have been doing some reading and it is actually a violation of the facebook's guidelines for me to be making people "like" or "share" to enter any sort of giveaway, and I don't want to loose my Fan Page.

Here is a snippet from Blogging Basics 101....

"Can bloggers ask for Facebook Likes as an extra entry for contests or giveaways that they host on their blogs? The answer is no. You simply cannot ask for Likes as any means of entry. Not the main entry, nor as an additional entry."

As a result, FB is gone... No likes, no shares... Nuthin. It's all OK though. You can still Comment, Pin, Follow on Twitter, and Tweet. As a bonus, if someone clicks the link in your tweet, you get an additional entry. You can even +1 this post on Google+ this time. :-)

The giveaway entry period will run from 6 pm Sept. 19th thru 11:59 pm on the 30th of September. You can only "Pin" or "Follow on Twitter" once, but you should be able to comment and tweet this post multiple times.

A winner will be chosen at random by PunchTab on the 1st of October. I will email the lucky recipient from my own email address (culinaryalchemist1@gmail.com) to request shipping information, just in case the auto-email sent from PunchTab triggers people's spam filters.

Good luck to everyone!

Where is your Corningware??
~~

I make no bones about it, I love pie. LOVE it! So anytime one of my family members asks for birthday pie, instead of cake, I get all kinds of happy. I enjoy making pie, not to mention eating pie. So it's a win win situation all around.

This year, my mother requested a traditional Key Lime pie. This tends to be somewhat on the difficult side, since Key Limes are seasonal, unlike the standard Persian variety. It is VERY important when making Key Lime pie, to use KEY limes. They are much more tart, without the astringent bitterness found in the standard Persian lime. Yes, very important to use the proper lime.

As luck would have it, there is a brand of bottled Key lime juice on the market that you can use in a pinch. (and I have had to use it on more than one occasion)

You still have to use lime zest from a Persian Lime, but it's OK, it's all good. If you really want a treat, get yourself a Makrut (kaffir) lime and use the zest from that for an exotic spin on the Key Lime pie. (do not attempt to use the juice from a Kaffir Lime though, there isn't much and it's not all that tasty)

Since it's my mother's pie, I decided to go ahead and use one of my Corningware Pie plate (P-309) simply because I like the clean white look of the pie plate.

It just looks more classy to me than the normal clear glass pie dishes and I refuse to use metal pie plates. Granted, I was raised on glass pie plates, cause mom and grandma wanted to SEE the bottom crust to make sure is was brown enough before removing the pie from the oven. Key Lime pie, though, is usually entails a cookie crust, so this becomes a non-issue for the opacity of a Corningware Pie plate. :-)

Key Lime Pie

8 oz Vanilla Wafers, crushed
2 TB Sugar
Pinch of Salt
Zest of 1/2 a Persian Lime or 3 Key Limes (they are significantly smaller)
4 TB Unsalted Butter, melted

3 large Egg Yolks
Zest of 1/2 Persian Lime or 3 Key Limes
Pinch of Salt
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
2/3 cup Key Lime Juice

Corningware 9 1/2 inch Pie Plate (P-309)
Pyrex #443 Cinderella Bowl (it will make pouring the filling into the crust a little easier)

Preheat the oven to 400F degrees.

Place the Vanilla Wafers in a Zip-lock Bag, and crush with a rolling pin, then move to a bowl.

You can use a food processor for this, but I like to leave mine fairly coarse, cause I like a little crunch in my crust.

Add Sugar, Salt and Lime Zest.

Mix with a fork to incorporate it well.

Drizzle with melted Butter and stir with a fork to coat the crumbs....

When the mixture will clump when squeezed, you have mixed enough.

Pour the crumb mixture into the Corningware Pie Plate (P-309)

Press the crumb mixture down over the bottom and up the sides of the plate. (you can use a glass if you choose)

Toss the Pie Plate (P-309) into the oven and bake for 10 minutes (Just until the edges begin to brown).

When you remove the crust from the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350F degrees.Place the Egg Yolks in the clean bowl.

Whisk until pale.

Add Lime Zest and whisk again.

Slowly add the Sweetened Condense Milk, whisking constantly, then continue whisking for about 3 minutes to ensure everything is well combined.

Again, whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in the Key Lime juice.

Continue whisking until everything is combined, then stop (the acidity of the Key Lime juice will begin to "set" the Egg Yolks) and immediately pour the filling into the warm cookie crust.

Smooth the top slightly with a spatula.

Place in the oven for 10 minutes to ensure the Egg Yolks are cooked.

(It doesn't take long, between the acid in the Lime Juice and the Heat from the oven, the Egg Yolks will be completely "cooked")
Remove the pie from the oven and cool to room temperature before chilling for at least 2 hours (you can freeze the pie if you like)

Cut a big slice and sing Happy Birthday to your Mamma!

Where is your Corningware??
~~

P.S. Don't forget to enter the "Sidekickin' it Old School" giveaway... Entries must be received before Sept. 30, 11:59 PDT

It's time for another installment of "Cooking with my Favorites", and yes, it's all about the P-17 double boiler insert again. :-) Maybe I should refer to it as a Bain Marie this time... Either way, it really is one of the most handy pieces to have in your collection.

Then again, so is the little mini 3 cup teapot; especially in this case.

Today it's all about France... or at least my sauce is all about France. It's one of the infamous "mother" sauces of classic French cuisine. Hollandaise, to be exact. It's surprisingly easy to do and proof positive that not only does Corningware do Italian in a big way, it can also conquer the most fastidious French Cuisine with ease.

Sauce Hollandaise

4 large Egg Yolks
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Sugar
Pinch of Cayenne
1 TB Lemon Juice, divided
12-14 TB unsalted Butter

Corningware 2 1/2 quart Saucepan (P-2 1/2-B)
Corningware Double Boiler Insert (P-17-B)
optional - Corningware 3 cup Teapot (P-103)

Bring 1 1/2 cups of water to a simmer in the 2 1/2 quart saucepan (P-2 1/2-B).

Meanwhile, combine Egg Yolks, Salt, Sugar, and Cayenne in the Double Boiler Insert (P-17-B).

Whisk until well combined and the mixture becomes pale.

Whisk in 1 tsp of the Lemon Juice.

Slice up the butter into 1 TB chunks, so you are ready to finish the sauce.

That means have 2 TB in reserve, just in case you need 14 TB instead of 12.... It happens sometimes.

When the water in the 2 1/2 quart saucepan (P-2 1/2-B) begins to simmer, place the P-17-B double boiler insert over the simmering water.

Whisk continuously until the mixture begins to thicken.

Remove the Double Boiler Insert (P-17-B) from the simmering water and place on a pot holder.
Reduce the flame on the 2 1/2 quart Saucepan (P-2 1/2-B) to Low.

Begin adding the butter, 1 TB at a time, whisking well after each addition, until it has melted completely into the Egg Yolk mixture before adding the next chunk.

After you have added about 6 TB of the Butter, move the Double Boiler Insert (P-17-B) back over the water in the 2 1/2 quart saucepan (P-2 1/2-B) and continue adding the remaining butter, 1 TB at a time, whisking constantly.

When you have incorporated the last of the butter, whisk in the remaining 2 tsp Lemon Juice to finish the Hollandaise.

In order to keep the Hollandaise warm, I suggest moving it to the 3 Cup Teapot (P-103). As a bonus, it allows for easier pouring of the sauce as well.

Place the 3 cup Teapot (P-103) down into the warm water in the 2 1/2 quart Saucepan (P-2 1/2-B)

If there will be a long wait before use, insert a whisk (to mix the sauce later) and cover with the lid to hold the warmth in.

And just what do you do with Hollandaise?

A plate full of Eggs Benedict, of course. (though some roasted asparagus would have been nice too)

If, by some strange happenstance, you actually have Hollandaise left over (yeah, right) you can move it to a ramekin and cover on the surface with plastic wrap before storing in the refrigerator.

This stuff makes an AWESOME replacement for Mayonnaise on your sandwich or Butter on your toast. I'm Just Sayin'

Where is your Corningware??
~~

P.S. Don't forget to enter the "Sidekickin' it Old School" giveaway... Entries must be received before Sept. 30, 11:59 PDT

I found yet another find the other day and decided that I should do an exposé to clear up any possible misconceptions out there in Corningware-Land. It has to do with the saucepans; more specifically, the round saucepans with handles that are shaped like the Visions saucepans.

There are 2 types of round Corningware saucepans. Rangetoppers, with aluminum clad bottoms, and regular ones that do not. (have an aluminum clad bottom that is) You would think that it would be fairly straight forward, but it's not. The problem is that not all Rangetoppers have a "Clad" bottom. (sigh) My assumption is that the exposed aluminum was blackening after being run through the dishwasher as well as rubbing off when abraded by certain cleaning methods. Thus, Corning's answer was to "embed" the aluminum in the bottom. These are fairly rare, as I think this was shortly before the line was discontinued, but they ARE out there. There is no way to differentiate these pieces from regular saucepans by looking at the bottom, cause the white pyroceram conceals the aluminum.

This is my 1 1/2 quart (N-1 1/2-B) with the exposed aluminum bottom. Which is what I made the Tomato & Bechamel sauces in awhile back.

This is my recent find, a 2 1/2 quart Rangetopper (N-2 1/2-B) with the aluminum embedded under the pyroceram glass.

This is where knowing your codes comes in handy. ALL Rangetoppers are marked under the handle with an "N-standard #-B". They will also say "Not for Microwave Use", regardless of what the bottom looks like. True, microwave browners contain "metal" as well, but Tin Oxide (tin rust) reacts a little different in the microwave than raw Aluminum does.

The regular Saucepans, on the other hand, were produced AFTER the Metric switch over. These are designated with an "S-decimal #-B" because they are in Liters and not in the Standard Quart measurements that had been used previously.

This is my mothers S-1.5-B in Shadow Iris. Meaning it is a regular non-Aluminum containing saucepan that is 1.5 liters as opposed to 1 1/2 quarts.

The model numbers for these pans are found in the same location as those of the Visions line. Being, embossed on the top of the handle.

Now I would say that the "S" stands for "saucepan", and that may be true, since V was used for Visions, F was used for French White and W was used for the Wheat pattern. That would not explain why an "N" was chosen for the Rangetoppers though. I assume that "R" was out of the question because it looks too similar to a "P" and "A" for aluminum was already taken by the post-1972 main product line. Why not "T"? or RT, since Corning chose SP & SK for their Flat Ground bottom Cookmate line. Then again, SP & SK are not derived from "Cookmate" either... So who knows how they came up with this stuff.

Oh, incidentally, though I do not have one, I have seen them in the thrift stores on occasion, though they are usually in a pattern that I do not collect like Country Cornflower or Spice of Life. The S-2.5-B or 2.5 liter saucepan has a lug handle opposite the long handle so you can move the saucepan with both hands.

(Photo Courtesy of eBay)

I should clarify that this information regarding S & N model numbers has nothing to do with the Menu-ettes; being the 1 pint (P-81-B), 2 1/2 cup with pour spout (P-89-B), & 1 1/2 pint (P-82-B) saucepans as well as the 6 1/2 inch skillet (P-83-B). The Menu-ettes never switched from their original "P" designation just like the Petite Dishes (P-41 & P-43), even after 1972 when the larger pieces had their model numbers converted to "A".

Gratuitous picture of Rangetopper Saucepans (This is how the instruction materials suggest storing them, instead of placing one pot down inside the other.)

Now, if I could just find the 1 quart (N-1-B) and a 5 quart (N-5-B) and maybe the skillets (N-8 1/2-B & N-10-B) The search continues.......

Where is your Corningware??
~~

I have discovered something wonderful about the weirdly shaped French White piece I found at the Goodwill a while back...

Unlike the original version of French White, being the straight sided souffle-esque dishes.

This strange looking "newer?" version works GREAT on the stove, for it actually HAS something akin to handles.

Thus, it is, armed with copious pieces from my collection, I embarked upon Ravioli. Granted, I cheated. Wonton is by no means a replacement for a good pasta, but under time constraints, it will suffice. It's not nearly as tasty as pasta and they stick together horribly after cooking, but sometimes ya just gotta do what ya gotta do.

Which brings me to this feast of Corningware pieces used in the preparation. By NO means, whatsoever, do you need to have all these pieces to make ravioli, but I thought it would be fun to break out as many pieces as possible. I will say this, however... Making the filling is infinitely easier in an actual piece of Corningware. It goes from the stove top to the refrigerator for storage in a snap. The rest of it is all eye candy.

Pumpkin Ravioli in Sage Browned Butter

2 TB unsalted Butter
2 Leeks, sliced thinly (white and light green parts only)
a pinch of Red pepper Flake
1 Garlic Clove, crushed
1 (15oz) can Pumpkin Puree
3 TB Olive Oil
4 oz Soft Goat Cheese, crumbled
Salt & Pepper
1 pkg Wonton Wrappers (I like the square ones)

Sauce:
4 oz unsalted Butter
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp fresh Sage, chopped
2 TB Heavy Cream

Serving:
Arugula
Parmigiano-Reggiano
Walnuts, toasted & chopped

Corningware Cast:
Weirdly Shaped French White 2qt Dish with Lid
Cornflower Bake & Broil trays (P-35-B)
Wheat Bake & Broil tray (W-35-B)
All/Just White Counter Saver (20x14)
Grab-it Bowl 15oz bowl (P-150-B)
Cornflower 4 Quart Saucepan (P-34-B)

First, you need to melt the 2 TB of Unsalted Butter in your weirdly shaped French White 2 quart dish, set over medium flame.

When the butter is melted, add the Leeks and begin sauteing until they begin to soften a little.

Add the Red Pepper Flake and the crushed Garlic, sauteing about 2-3 minutes longer.

Remove from the flame, and stir in the Pumpkin puree.

Crumble the Goat Cheese and add it to the mixture as well.

Stirring until everything becomes creamy looking.

Add the Olive Oil and season with Salt and Pepper.

Cover and refrigerate until completely cooled, about 1 hour (warm filling makes gooey pasta & wonton)

Meanwhile, prep your assembly area.....

Grab your Bake & Broil trays (P/W-35-B)...

Sprinkle them liberally with flour, so the pasta/wonton doesn't stick.

Grab your Counter Saver.... (I like the counter saver, even though I have granite counter tops)

Don't forget to fill a small ramekin with water and grab a pastry brush..... (I forgot, oops)

Lay out the Wonton wrappers.

Remove the filling from the refrigerator and grab a teaspoon.

Place about 1 tsp of filling on each wrapper.

Brush 2 edges with water.

Fold into a triangle and press down 1 side.

Pick up the Ravioli and carefully press the other side together, making sure to get as much air out as possible.

I usually do 1 row, or about 4 at a time....

Using a fork, press down on the folded edges.

Move to the floured Bake & Broil tray (P/W-35-B)

Repeat with the remaining Wonton and filling, until you have filled both trays (about 4 dozen) Don't worry, you will probably have 1 or 2 Wonton wrappers left over.

Cover with plastic wrap and move to the freezer for 30 minutes. (they seem to boil better if they are partially frozen first)

While the Ravioli are chillin in the freezer.....

Place 4 oz Butter in a 15oz Grab-it bowl (P-150-B) set over low flame, then add the chopped Sage and season with Salt once the butter melts.

Cook slowly until the butter begins to brown, then remove from the flame and stir in the Heavy Cream.

Keep warm over low flame.

Fill a 4qt Saucepan (P-34-B) with 3 quarts of water and add 2 TB Salt, then bring to a boil over medium-high flame.

Remove the Ravioli from the freezer.

Drop about 12 Ravioli at a time, into the boiling water.

Remove them when they float.

Place in a warmed bowl and drizzle with the warm browned butter.

Continue until all the Ravioli have been boiled and coated in browned butter.

Serve over on a bed of Arugula.....

Sprinkled with Toasted Walnuts (or Pecans) and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Where is your Corningware??
~~

I think it's time to take a trip back, not too far, but far enough I should think. Back to a time when the dinner table was not complete without a huge roast as the centerpiece of the table. Maybe my perception is slightly skewed about this, but I personally, hardly, if ever, roast roasts. I mean, it's usually only me, myself and I for dinner, and all of us put together can't possible eat our way through 3 lbs of meat. Not gonna happen, my friends.

That is why it's so nice to have people over for dinner. You get to exercise your "large portions" muscles.

Let's face it, a well executed Roast makes for a stunning table. Tonight, I decided on a classic French Pork Loin Roast in the style of Perigord. Though I cheated again. I didn't have a trotter (pig foot), so I used the recipe from America's Test Kitchen that I had seen on the PBS which utilized Gelatin to thicken the sauce, since there would be no gelatin cooked out of the foot. (I knew there was a reason I had saved that to the DVR).

Usually, and by that I mean "Classically" this roast is slow cooked in a big old enameled cast iron dutch oven. (as well as being stuffed with sausage and truffles, but HEY, who has truffles?) WELL, lemme tell ya somethin'.... A 4 or 5 quart Corningware Dutch Oven works JUST as well, if not better, than a big, fancy $250 Le Creuset or Staub pot. I'm just sayin'. Personally, I think it's easier to clean too. But that is probably because I am a little bias. (but I really DO hate cleaning my enameled cast iron skillet)

Corningware actually made several versions of the Dutch Oven or Large Casserole/Saucepan, whichever you prefer to call it. There is the original 4 quart P-34-B, (some later ones were marked as 5 quart, but the size is the same)

the 4 quart P-84-B, (That I just used for Boiling Ravioli)

and later there was the 5-liter A-5-B. (Shadow Iris)

I think there might even be an A-4-B, but I have not seen one in person, and I don't collect A-series pieces.

Either of these pots will work exceedingly well. If, however, you are using the P-34-B, keep the stove flame a little lower during the browning process. The walls of this original 4 quart "Dutch Oven" are thinner than the later P-84-B and A-5-B models.

OK, let's argue semantics Technically, this is not really a "roast". Roasting, by definition, means dry heat and this recipe contains liquid, so it's really a braise, not a roast. Then again, we, in the U.S., refer to large chunks of meat "Roasts" even before they are roasted. So the argument can be made that while this Roast isn't being roasted, the mere fact that it IS a Pork "Roast" makes it a "Roast", whether roasted, braised, broiled, stewed, sous-vide or deep fried.

Enchaud Perigordine

French Style Pork Loin Roast with Apple and Onion (Adapted from America's Test Kitchen)

2 TB Butter, divided
10 Garlic Cloves, sliced thin
2-3 lb Pork Loin Roast (bone out)
1 TB Salt (this seems like a lot, but it's not really)
1 tsp Sugar
Black Pepper
2 tsp Herbes de Provence
2 TB Olive Oil, divided
1 Newtown Pippin Apple, peeled, cored and diced
1 Sweet Onion, chopped fine
1/3 cup Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay
2 sprigs fresh Thyme or 2 tsp dried Thyme
1 Bay Leaf
1/4 cup Chicken Stock
1 TB Unflavored Gelatin
optional - 1 TB Fresh Italian Parsley, chopped

2 Grab-It Bowls (P-150-B) with 1 Glass Lid
4 or 5 Quart Dutch Oven (P-34-B, P-84-B or A-5-B) with Glass Lid (P-12-C or A-12-C)

Adjust the oven rack to the lower middle portion of the oven and preheat to 225F degrees. (You read that correctly, only 225 degrees - it's ALL about low and s-l-o-w)
In the Grab-it Bowl (P-150-B) melt 1 TB Butter over low flame.

Add 1/2 of the sliced Garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 7-10 minutes, until the garlic just begins to turn golden (this is really more of a poaching, since the butter isn't super hot).

Cover with the Glass Lid and refrigerate until ready to use.

Remove the roast from it's wrappings and Double Butterfly the Roast so it will fold up like a letter or a tri-fold wallet.

Sprinkle each side with 1/2 TB of Salt and rub it in until the surface become tacky.

With the fat side down, sprinkle the top (what will be the inside after folding) with the Sugar, then remove the Garlic Butter from the refrigerator, and spread it over the inside of the Roast as well.

Fold the Roast up, keeping the fat side down.

Tie it up with kitchen twine, spacing the ties about 1 inch apart.

Season with Black Pepper and Herbes de Provence. (I skipped the Herbes de Provence this time)

Begin heating 1 TB Olive Oil in your 4 or 5 quart Corningware Dutch Oven... If using a P-34-B (like I did), use Medium-Low flame, if using P-84-B or A-5-B, go ahead and use Medium flame.

Brown the roast on three sides (Not the bottom where the twine is tied) starting with the Fat side. (about 6-8 minutes total)

Remove from the Dutch Oven to a plate.

Add the remaining 1 TB Olive Oil to the Dutch Oven along with the Onion and Apple and cook for 5-7 minutes, just until the onions begin to brown.

Add White Wine and the Bay leaf along with the Thyme and the remaining Garlic.

After about 1 minute, place the Roast back in the Dutch Oven, Fat side up.

Cover with a piece of Aluminum Foil and then place the lid on top. (I found that this was not really necessary)

Move the whole thing to the preheated oven.

Grab another Grab-it Bowl (P-150-B), or wash the one you made the Garlic Butter in, and place 1/4 cup of Chicken Stock then sprinkle with 1 TB Gelatin, allowing it to bloom while the roast is cooking.

Braise for 50 minutes, then check the internal temperature to ensure it has reached 140F degrees in the center. If not, braise about 10-15 minutes longer and check again.

When the braised Roast reaches 140F Degrees, extract the Dutch Oven from the Oven (hee hee), move the "Roast" to a plate and tent loosely with Aluminum Foil.

Measure out the liquid (along with the apples and onions) in a pitcher, if you have less than 1 1/4 cups, augment with more chicken stock and add the contents of the pitcher back to the dutch oven and set over Medium-Low flame.

Add the Gelatin mixture and 1 TB Butter.

Stir until the Gelatin melts and the sauce begins to simmer.

Remove from the flame and pour into a gravy boat for passing around the table.
When the Pork Loin has rested, slice into 3/4 inch pieces.

Serve with Gelatin fortified sauce.

With Squash Streusel and Sauteed Baby Greens, your good to go.

A moist tender and delicious braised roast that is perfect for a chilly Autumn meal.

Where is your Corningware??
~~

So a funny thing happened while at the Salvation Army the other day. I found this.....

A P-16-B 11-inch Chicken Fryer. (it takes a P-12-C lid, just like the 4 Quart P-84-B Sauce pot, P-34-B Dutch Ovenand SK-10 Electromatic Skillets)

I don't normally fry my chicken. It's not that I don't enjoy Fried Chicken, I just don't like the smell in the house afterwards. Yes, I know, I am weird. Regardless of my tenuous relationship with oil frying, there are several things I can think of that would benefit from an 11 inch skillet.

Honestly though, I don't think I have EVER seen a piece of Corningware with THIS many grey metal marks all over the inside. It almost looks like it is cracked all over.

Which brings me to the funny part of the story. There was a lady standing in the aisle when I grabbed it and she said, "Oh, you shouldn't buy that, all the aluminum is showing through the enamel."

Say what?

Then, when I went to make my purchase, the guy at the register asked me what I was going to do with it because it was all cracked and crazed.

Hmmmm.

This just proves to me that Vintage Corningware is still a very misunderstood product. Granted, the current stoneware gracing the shelves of every mega store confuses the issue to no end.

Anyway, regardless of the confusion as to whether Vintage Corningware is enameled aluminum or glazed pottery, I brought the piece home for some serious rehabilitation with Barkeepers Friend and some elbow grease

Then some more Barkeepers Friend...... and A LOT more elbow grease.

And Voila!

As beautiful as if it just came from the department store.

AND reunited with it's proper lid (of which I happened to have an extra one).

So regardless of how hopeless a piece looks; even this....

can become this.

With a little love and attention.

Where is your Corningware??
~~

Guess what?

There is even more confusing stuff out there than the N series Rangetoppesr and the S Series Saucepans. Yeppers, sure nuff.

I was all fine and dandy with the MC series that I knew of. The "heat up frozen foods in the microwave/store stuff in the refrigerator" pieces that I have are pretty neat and all. (Evidently they are called "Fast Food" dishes)

They came in 2 sizes... The MC-1 (7 x 5 1/2) which is perfect for a box of frozen vegetables (Do frozen vegetables still come in boxes? I usually buy bags o' frozen veggies)

and the MC-2 (10 1/2 x 6 3/4) I am not sure what this one was designed for, but it's great for storing celery or carrots in the refrigerator.

I have the white ones, obviously, but they were available in Wildflower and Spice o' Life as well.

The feet on the bottom fit into the divots on the lids, so they stack in the refrigerator without slipping, which is a definite plus as far as I am concerned.

I thought that was all there was... Nice rectangular Refrigerator/Microwave/Convection oven dishes with interesting lids. (The feet make them non-stove top friendly)

That was before I found THIS......

A French White 2.5 liter "Grill Pan" that is double marked.... not only with an embossed F-4-B, but with a painted MC-4-B number as well?!?!?!

What gives?

So I started hunting around eBay and Replacements limited, not to mention etsy, for other MC pieces. As expected, the refrigerator dishes, pictured above, showed up, as well as the French White Grill pan, but I discovered that I have another piece of this strange MC stuff.

My French White divided dish is also part of the MC line, though mine does not have the extra mark on it, so I had NO idea. For some reason or another, the divide dish that I have had for 5 years, only has the original F-6-B embossed mark on the bottom, no printed MC mark.

Which is even more funny, cause the original F-6-B from the French White line is a 1.8 liter low sided baking dish... Like this..... (without the divider)

Maybe the fact that mine is unmarked with the MC is a mistake. Hmmmmmmm......

OK, so I have now shared most of the weird, strange and/or odd stuff that I find as well as the more prosaic everyday stuff (mostly Cornflower, French White and Wheat). How bout you? What are all y'all finding out there?

Go ahead and email me at corningware411@gmail.com and let me know WHAT you are finding, WHERE you are finding it and, if possible, send me a picture. I will start posting YOUR finds on Corningware411.

Where is your Corningware?? email me and let me know.... :-)
~~

The A-B-Cs of Pilaf (Almonds, Bulgar & Cornflower) - Bulgar & Mushroom Pilaf

Cornflowers Here, Cornflowers There, Cornflowers Cornflowers EVERYWHERE!

Consulting Conpendeums and Codecies - Information on Collecting Corning Pyroceram

Bringin' the Sexy to the Kichen - Orange Jicama Chicken

Classic Black and White - Corningware Buffet Server

It's Hip to Be Square - Corningware vs Anchor Hocking Cookware

Curious Corningware Cookmate - Mysterious Macaroni & Cheese

How Corningware Does Italian - Risotto all'Amatriciana

Cooking With my Favorites - Grandma's Grasshopper Pie

Villainous Vitrification - Turning your Corningware into Obsidian

Running for the Border With Corningware - Salsa Verde & Enchilada Sauce

Running for the Border With Corningware - Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde

Sidekickin' it Old School - Corning Ware Sidekick Giveaway

Singing Happy Birthday, off Key - Key Lime Pie in a P-309

Cooking With my Favorites - A Teapot Full of Hollandaise

Give Me an N!! Give Me an S!! What Does That Spell? Confusion - 70's Rangetopper vs 80's Saucepan

Eye Candy Corn-ingware - Pumpkin Ravioli in Sage Browned Butter

Enchaud Perigordine - Pork Roast a la Corningware

Corningware Rescue - 11 inch Skillet Rehabilitation (P-16-B)

M C'ing Double - MC Series Corningware Pieces