December 28, 2009 by Nathalie Herling.

It has taken me way too long to write a review about one of the best Clay Pot cookbooks to ever come out on the market, Paula Wolfert’s Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking. Why…this book is complex. Not a simple, quick to market book. This is a long term own. Any serious cookbook library should include this for two main reasons… one it offers an excellent view into the uniqueness and depth of Mediterranean cooking and two, for people like me, who are starved to cook authentic recipes in claypots, this book is a fabulous adventure.  

If you are new to Clay Pot cooking, the clay pot primer is the best I have seen in print.  You can find out enough about almost any clay pot to confidently start using your clay on a daily basis including information on which of your pots are great for what kind of cooking.

As for the recipes. They are far from typical. Maybe if you are from a delightful seaport fishing town in the Mediterranean they might seem common but to the wide audience they are unusual and very well thought out. Each recipe is prefaced with what type of pot might be traditionally used and offers multiple types of possibly more common cooking pots you can used.

So far the recipes I have tried have been very tasty, easy enough to prepare and worth making multiple times. Her recipe Creamy Bagna Cauda has become a party stable for me (more to follow on this). The Moroccan Fish Tagine with Tomatoes, Olives and Preserved Lemons was quick easy and a well received unusual addition to my Seven Fishes Christmas Eve Dinner.

I had the pleasure of hearing Paula Wolfert talk about her book at the James Beard Foundation in Nov.  If you have the opportunity to hear her speak, GO!. She offers incredible knowledge, cooking skill background and a warm informative style that is very inspiring.

This book is what the clay cooking movement, tradition, trend, lifestyle… whatever you chose to call the current state of Clay Pot Cooking, has needed. A serious, well researched book by a very important culinary personality. Paula Wolfert’s Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking is a cookbook you will want to study, refer back to often, and truely enjoy exploring each recipe.  

I would love to see Paula Wolfert’s collection of clay pots. It must be amazing. I do wish this book had more photos of the recipes completed in clay pots. The photo of Paula Wolfert shopping for clay pots in Morocco is particularly charming.

More postings about recipes from this book in the future. Please share your experiences as well.

If you would like to buy this book and help support Creative clay cooking please use this link. This review is a genuine endorsement of this book.

Paula Wolfert’s Website http://www.paula-wolfert.com/

Posted in book reviews, European Clay Cookware, european | No Comments »

February 17, 2008 by Nathalie Herling.

Mashed Roots, Jerusalem Artichokes, Celeriac and Potatoes

I am very fortunate to live near the Union Square Green Farmers Market in New York City. Every Satuday and Wednesday stalls of great fresh produce and local area food products are available. Being of the growers are featuring fabulous root vegetables.

This a highly recommended dish for anyone who likes mash potatoes but would like to take the complexity of mashed flavors to another level.

I selected Jerusalem artichokes, Celeriac and may different purple and white finger and round potatoes. A great tasty combo to steam and mash. This dish is high in iron, potassium, Magnesium, B6, Vitamin C and thiamine.

This also offered me an opportunity to test out my new

Emile Henry glazed ceramic pot from France. This company has been producing top quality ceramic cookware since 1850.

Peel a Celeriac root and slice. Steam for 9 min.

While that celeriac is steaming, peal (if desired)  and quarter your potatoes to med size piece. I used about 2 lbs of mixed kinds. Any creamy style potatoe will work. I love purple potatoes and finger potatoes for there rich buttery flavor. Place the cut potatoes on top of the steaming celeriac for another 10 min.

Peel about 1 lb of Jerusalem artichokes and cut into pieces put on top of the potatoes and steam another 10 min.

 Move the steamed roots to a bowl

Back in the now empty pan, steamer and water removed place a half a cup of milk gently warm and ad a stick of cut up butter, melt the butter.  Put the roots and vegetables back in with the warm milk and butter. Mash with a hand held masher.

Serve immediately. Or place in an ovenproof dish and put the warmed mixture in a low oven until ready to serve. Can be cooled and reheated in the oven before serving.

Enjoy!!!

Posted in European Clay Cookware, vegetarian recipes | 1 Comment »