Terra Cotta cookware advantages?

[LilianNY]

I bought a 2.75 qt bean pot w lid because I loved the way it looks but don't know the first thing about the best dishes to cook in it. I know how to "season" it and all but what dishes would take advantage of the properties of terra cotta? This is fine to put on a flame

[_john]

I cook bread in mine like a la cloche. I use it in the oven a lot. It also makes great Japanese style rice. The advantage with the rice is that temperature changes are gentle and it keeps it warm for a while after it is finished cooking. For bread I heat up the pot, put in the dough, bake with the lid on for some time, and finish with the lid off. The advantages with bread are increasing the thermal mass of your oven and the great crust that steam baking develops.

[Octaveman]

Braises work very well in clay pots. There's a thread or two around here that are specific to Chamba pots and clay tagines. They have a lot of ideas from people who've cooked in them. Just do a search for Chamba and they should come right up.