Hello my Foodie Friends!   

It is amazing to think that the holiday season is right around the corner. Heartier foods, one-pot meals, cooking a roast, bread baking, desserts, soups and stews are staple menu items this time of year.

There is a kitchen tool that can be good for just about anything – the Dutch Oven. The Dutch Oven is the workhorse in your kitchen. My mother would attest that just about everything tastes better when cooked in a Dutch Oven. I can recall the sauces, breads, and one-pot meals that came from this incredible cooking vessel. When mom said to get the Dutch oven out of the cabinet and put it on the stove, we knew we were in for a great meal. After an afternoon of football practice, I would come home and huddle around the oven with a spoon just ready for the lid to come off. My mother would conjure up traditional family recipes for all of us to devour. My memories include the smells of sauce, stews, and soups being made in this versatile vessel. 

I have had many customers stop in and talk about how they love their Dutch Ovens and how they use it for just about everything. A good Dutch oven is a kitchen essential, heavy and thick enough to conduct and retain heat and deep enough to handle large cuts of meat and quarts of cooking liquid. So many customers have discussed how they bake bread, make stews, or their favorite sauces or soups in their Dutch oven. Dutch ovens are tall, heavy pots with tight-fitting lids. They are used primarily for slow-cooking methods such as braising and stewing. “Dutch oven” is the generic term for these pots. The often rustic, all-iron Dutch ovens can be used both on stove tops and in ovens, and some can be used over and under coals. The more stylish Dutch ovens specifically are known for their ability to go from the stove top--for quick starting techniques such as browning--straight into the oven for the longer cooking process. 

At Compliments to the Chef, we carry an assortment of Dutch Ovens. Autumn is a perfect time to make your favorite hearty culinary delight. Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery Store located at 33 Railroad Place in Saratoga Springs for the tools that help you with your favorite recipes. Remember my Foodie Friends: “Life Happens in the Kitchen.”

Take Care, John & Paula