Ceramic Cookware In Glass Ovenware And Stoneware

Ceramic Cookware In Glass Ovenware And Stoneware

Ceramic cookware and glass ceramic cookware goes from oven to table and is used for casseroles, ramekins, soufflés, bean pots, and pizza stones.

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Ceramic cookware and ceramic bakeware is made of a variety of materials and comes in many shapes for various uses.

Ceramic cookware and bakeware includes attractive serving pieces that go from the oven to the table, everything from individual ramekins and custard cups to bean pots, soufflés, and lasagna pans. Materials include stoneware, porcelain, CorningWare (a high-tech glass ceramic from Corning cookware that is more break-resistant than more traditional materials but comes in a limited number of designs), glazed earthenware or terra cotta, and unglazed terra cotta.

Ceramic bakeware materials insulate well. A soufflé, crème brulée, flan, or custard doesn't develop the thick, hard crust typical of a metal mold. The same principle applies to bean and potato dishes that cook for a long time; the ceramic helps prevent an overdeveloped crust.

The same insulating property helps keep food warm on the table. Ceramic inserts for slow cookers and rice cookers exploit this property nicely.

Pizza Stones

A baking stone or pizza stone is a heat sink. When you preheat it sufficiently, its mass retains heat well and allows the bread or pizza to get quick, solid heat on the bottom. If you have two stones and arrange the oven so one is about six inches above the other, you can very nearly duplicate the effect of a commercial pizza oven, cooking the toppings as rapidly as the crust.

The important thing to keep in mind is that, when you place pizza stones or tiles in the oven, you have to leave at least an inch clearance on all sides to allow for proper convection within the oven.

Flowerpots

New terra cotta flowerpots, available from any nursery or garden center, make great party containers for both baked desserts, like custard or cheesecake, and refrigerator desserts, like pudding. Wash them before use in hot, soapy water. Otherwise they require no treatment. Naturally you'll have to cover the drain hole (a graham cracker should work). For a spring or summer birthday party or kids' garden party, fill three-inch pots with chocolate pudding. Crumble chocolate cookies on top. Insert one or more Gummi Worms poking up. Put a small edible flower in the center, such as a Johnny Jump-up (Viola tricolor), preferably on a stem.

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