French Earthenware, Stoneware

[Richard Kilgore]

There are great food photos in books like "Provence The Beautiful Cook Book" of food cooked or served in rustic earthenware gratins, casseroles, bowls and such. Anyone know of sources for such?

[Fat Guy]

Amazon.com has all the Emile Henry stuff.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-h...d=Emile%20Henry

Also, Williams-Sonoma carries several Tournesol pieces, and the oval baker is on sale right now.

http://ww1.williams-sonoma.com/cat/pip.cfm...57999&root=shop

What I have is stuff from I think Poland, with blue and yellow designs on it. I can't remember where it came from, but I see it around and it tends to be cheap, durable, and attractive.

[cigalechanta]

I pick up pieces wherever I find them. I have two square and three round baking dishes purchased here ( Boston ) at various shops. My cassole, that is what the dish is called for making the cassolet, I bought at the potters when I was in France. Sometimes, Crate and Barrel, Smith and Hawkins will have things in their catalog. A few years ago, I bought my french scalloped edge yellow dinner plates from S&H. Often the back of these books will give the source.

[Richard Kilgore]

Thanks. Any other sources?

[MatthewB]

Amazon carries the Le Creuset Poterie line. (I prefer Emile Henry, FWIW.)

[bushey]

If you're near any TJ Maxx and/or Marshall's stores, check out the housewares departments. You can usually find great cookware and serving pieces, including Le Creuset and Polish Pottery. It can be hit or miss, but that's what makes it so much fun. They also have great condiments and gourmet items, often at substantial discounts.

[helenas]

bushey, excellent idea: i just went to my local Marshalls, and there was quite a selection of italian terracota, provencal ceramics ( i bought a yellowish jar with painted olives) and polish bakeware. I also bought a beautiful cooking tagine, for $12 only.

[beans]

I LOVE TJ Maxx and that is where I've purchased a huge amount of my Chantal collection of ceramic bakeware. (not pots and pans) They usually have a healthy selection of them from the ramekin to the large ceramic lasagna pan. The colours are beautiful and often they have also introduced holiday inspired shapes (I have the various heart and flower casseroles and purchased the star shaped ones as gifts). I am determined to have one of each and every size and style!

[MatthewB]

I am determined to have one of each and every size and style!

I wonder what Dorothy Parker would say about that?

[Priscilla]

Years ago I scored a bunch of Emile Henry at Marshall's, in the pale pinky-brown glaze.

Tiny price, relative to regular stores. I bought every piece they had, and have been happily using all of them ever since. And then just a couple of weeks ago I dropped the smallest oval gratin in the sink and broke it. I don't see this pink glaze anymore.

[Fat Guy]

Pulled out a few pieces of my earthenware and stoneware, and learned that it is primarily from two brands:

Hartstone. Made in Ohio, USA. I'll try to dig out a photo of one of the pieces, because I think I have one somewhere from an old photo shoot. Google is showing www.hartstonepottery.com as the site but it seems to be down right now. There's a full line available for browsing, however, at http://www.pcfallon.com/hartstone.htm

The other stuff says "Soleseawieo, Made in Poland" on the bottom. I can't find any reference on Google or eBay, but it looks pretty much like the Polish Pottery "peach dot" pattern.

All good stuff.

[Fat Guy]

I don't see this pink glaze anymore.

Should be easy to find on eBay.

[Fat Guy]

Okay, here's the Hartstone stuff:

[Richard Kilgore]

Thanks everyone. I'll check out TJMaxx and Marshall's, and look at some of the websites. I am aware of the Emile Henry because all the shops seem to have a few pieces, but the Amazon site appears to have (or soon to have) everything.

I am also looking for pieces that are not part of an extensive line, but are simple and aesthetically pleasing. I picked up one such open casserole/shallow bowl in the last year. And if anyone knows of a site with discounted French white porcelain (Apilco, Pulyviyut), please jump in.

[Fat Guy]

(If you buy anything from Amazon, please use the purchasing link at the way-bottom of this page, so eGullet gets the sales commission!)

[bushey]

FatGuy,

The Hartstone dish is really beautiful, and so is what's inside. Care to describe and give the recipe?

This thread reminds me that I'm always running short on medium sized serving dishes and ought to go over to TJ's at lunchtime. The Polish pottery I've got was purchased at an at-home party, and there was a wide variety of patterns from which to choose. It was also one of the few times I've ever won anything -- I won the door prize, which was a flat plate that I often use for serving cookies and brownies. The best purchase I made was a pretty mug in my favorite shape: fatter around the middle and then tapered in at the top. But I broke it....

[Fat Guy]

Care to describe and give the recipe?

They're little crab-salad hors d'oeuvres: a thin-sliced piece of bread spread with a thin layer of guacamole, topped with a ring of crabmeat salad, and garnished with sumac. Chris Broberg, the former pastry chef of Lespinasse and Petrossian (now at the Mark) made them, not me. There are a couple of professional techniques he used that I'd never bother with, such as glazing the hors d'oeuvres with clear gelatin so they'd stay shiny even when left out on platters. And of course working with such a small ring mold is a real pain.

There are a bunch more photos of Chris's hors d'oeuvres on this thread.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

I think the ware that Richard refers to is Vallauris ware, made in France. Mine are glazed on the inside, unglazed on the outside; the lids are glazed on the outside and unglazed on the inside. They are a warm tan-to-brown. While excellent ovenware, you can (and I do) use them on gas burners USING A METAL DIFFUSER PLATE or griddle under the pots.

[Fat Guy]

Found an old photo of the Polish stuff (front).

I have 3 or 4 of each in various shapes and sizes, and that about does it for my earthen- and stoneware needs.

[Richard Kilgore]

F-G: Thanks for the pics. I have seen a few of the Polish pieces somewhere, and they have a nice feel to them.

[Richard Kilgore]

Margaret --- The Vallauris you describe is one of the types I am interested in. Do you have a source for it? I also picked up something a little different than that this past year --- a shallow bowl 12" in diameter at the top with sides angled, a brown glaze on the rim, the rest glazed a mustard with very fine darker specks and some run in the glaze; an unglazed bottom exterior says "Terre Provence" within an oval and "Made in France" under the oval. It is quite sturdy. I would like to locate more of this, too. Anyone know anything about the potter/manufacturer and source?

I did pick up a couple of small (one liter) Emil Henry gratins at TJs at about half price. Thanks bushey, helenas, beans and Priscilla for the tip on TJs and Marshalls.

[Richard Kilgore]

I have talked with the Emile Henry company in France. There are items on the French version of the emilehenry.com site that are not on the U.S. version of the site. You can order the French site items directly by sending a list of what you want with your name and address to nbyrgiel@emilehenry.com. Mrs Byrgiel, responsible for their shop in Marcigny will make you an offer.

Edited July 8, 2003 by Richard Kilgore (log)

[Fat Guy]

Don't forget to check ebay for Emile Henry. There are always a couple of dozen pieces, new and used, standard-issue and unusual, being offered there.

[Richard Kilgore]

I found the Terre Provence site. Apparently they will only sell in the EU. Very nice pieces based on early rustic French designs.