Are We Not Men?

Actually, we are tagines.* Flofab takes them out for a testdrive and concludes you are better off shopping at the souk than at Williams-Sonoma. Curiously, the Cook's Illustrated that arrived yesterday also had a tagine test. Do Florence and Chris Kimball speak each other's unspoken language? Developing!  The winner, according to Cook's? A dutch oven. Flofab opts for the echt.
    If they ever open up The Museum of Wedding Presents of Limited Utility, there will be a tagine wing.  For starters, any  wedding gift that doubles as  such an attractive blunt instrument seems like a bad idea. In re Williams-Sonoma, they grow ever bolder. I was momentarily tempted by the silcone spatulae in saffron ( monogrammable, no less!) until I saw the new frittata pan. This gets my vote for stupidest kitchen item of 2006. If you have a skillet,  a range, and a stove, you can make a damn frittata. Beat up some eggs, add whatever you have around, cook it on the stove until it firms up around the sides, throw it in the oven until the top is brown. Or you can drop $135 on this contraption that seems like the quickest way possible to introduce beaten eggs into the interior of your range. I have to think that someone in Marketing had a bet that they could find a way to get people to buy two pieces of Calphalon that would have only one use. Someone needs to take these folks to the woodshed, or better yet, the Lodge.
* As good a moment as any to register my objection to Dev2.0. Rip it up and start again ≠ pissing on your own legacy by re-recording your songs in the manner of Kidz Bop. Instead, let's hear what these kids do with a Devo song:
Superchunk, "Girl U Want" Freedom of Choice, Tannis Root, 1992

If you enjoy the song, it's from this compilation--you could pick up a used copy and kick a few bones to Planned Parenthood.

 

Comments

[Skeen]

The fondue family of pots and accessories could underwrite a major architectural addition to your proposed Museum.

[Fesser]

Skeen comes out against melted cheese. Some say unAmerican. Despite the whole aura, one can enjoy fondue outside the context of a swingers party at a 70s ski chalet.

[Debra van Culiblog]

But you don't need a fondue pot to make fondue. You just need a pot. Actually you don't even need that. This January I took to putting camenberts in the oven in the little wood container that they come in. Get them bubbling hot (so much for the lait cru, it's not so cru anymo!) and just dunk things in them, like spoons.

[Debra van Culiblog]

A cast iron skillet for such a small amount of money at Lodge!!! Do they pay children in seashells and popcorn to make them? Why can't we have inexpensive products over here in Fort Europe like they do over there in North America?

Oooh ooooooh I know, I know, I know the answer!

[Rose's Lime]

I don't know what to say about Dev2.0

Gerry Casale's bravely defends the move, daring the irony gods to smite him. I guess not everyone can count on movie scores like Danny Elfman, or performing honest to goodness children's music like Dan Zanes to get them to retirement. It's hard to get outraged when Iggy Pop's on Carnival Cruises. I've even heard the guitar riff from Heroin between stories on NPR.

Is the manufactured regurgitation of the pop of your parent's youth any worse than manufactured original material? I might prefer "Boy You Want" over The Cheetah Girls. At least I know the words.

The best solution I can think of is to allow your children to tune into adult fare as young as possible and hope they'll make good choices. But that pink princess peer pressure. She's a bitch.

Apparently the GoGos are next on the Disney makoever list. I hope they at least do their best to send the same positive body image message.

I have no opinions on Tagines, though it bears out the general rule with kitchen implements that utility is inversely related to prettiness. Which is why there are so many lousy tea kettles. The standard Le Creuset Cocotte is perhaps among the few exceptions to this rule.

[Debra van Culiblog]

But Lodge is massively copying le Creuset. Unfortunately they haven't included celadon in their colour range, but the apple pot is a clear rip off. I'm trying to not be a chauvinista, and whose side am I on anyhoo? NO ONE's. I utterly disenfranchised!

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

[debra van Culiblog]

The white tagine looks vaguely iPodish. D'ya think that's intentional?