Dreams fulfilled

I'm pretty good at distinguishing between needs and wants when it comes to spending money. Naturally, I'd love all the top-of-the-line cookware and kitchen gadgets, but I'm practical about my purchases. For the things I decide I really need, I generally buy the best that I can reasonably afford, which is not necessarily the thing I desire. (For example, a few years ago, I bought a used 6-quart KitchenAid stand mixer for $100 from a bakery that was going out of business, instead of dropping $300+ on a shiny new red one. My beat-up mixer works fine, of course. It's just not as pretty.) This, of course, leads to a lot of coveting and longing looks when I walk by a Crate and Barrel or Williams-Sonoma store. And that's where birthdays come in handy. When Stella asked what I wanted for my 31st birthday this year, I knew my answer: a Le Creuset 5.5-quart enameled Dutch oven.* It fills that niche between my 4-quart pot from the Martha Stewart set we bought in New Haven (too thin to maintain consistent temperatures) and the large stockpot we got as a wedding gift (often too big and definitely too tall for certain recipes).

It finally came on Thursday and it's everything I dreamed it would be: a beautiful orange-y red that gets darker towards the bottom; heavy; heats evenly; and a cinch to clean (nothing sticks to the enamel!). I made a stew-y soup in it on Sunday and was inordinately pleased when the onions sizzled in it just like on TV. I have big plans for this piece of cookware, including fried chicken, paella, and maybe even a peach cobbler, once I get a chance to hit the farmers' market. Anyone want to come over for dinner?

*Chris, being the 13-year-old boy he is, can't not snicker every time I mention my new Dutch oven. Especially because the color is called "flame."