Mario Batali Dutch Oven

Cooking and baking are acts of love in my house. A nice warm pot of jambalaya might as well be a great big bear hug and kiss on the cheek. The more I cook for you, the more you know I love you.

I would love to just curl up inside my new dutch oven from Crate and Barrel. It is my new favorite kitchen item.

Made from cast iron with an enamel finish in red, green, or white, it does everything it claims to and looks great while doing it. The top has evenly placed spikes in the lid that ensure proper basting throughout the cooking process. It cooks evenly, without scalding or burning. In fact, the recipe I was using wanted me to “scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan” after adding the sausage. There were none. Everything had cooked evenly and without sticking whatsoever.

The pot is extrodinarily heavy, and the lid gets hot enough to need a potholder. Somehow though, the handles on the side remain cool enough to hold while stirring and to move the pot from the heat when necessary.

At $99.95, it is an investment in my opinion, but it is an investment worth making.