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GENERAL NEWS www.kitchenwarenews.com n FEBRUARY 2018 n KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW 9 Specialty Cookware Builds Cultural Bridges ack in the early '90s, when I was the food editor at the Detroit News, I was invited on a culinary study trip to Morocco, sponsored by Oldways Preservation and Exchange Trust, a food issues think tank. I was thrilled to accept, because my passion for Moroccan food had started in my teens. My sister, Tamsen, and her husband had served in the Peace Corps in Morocco, and she introduced the family to that marvelous, fascinating cuisine when they returned f rom their two-year tour in 1969. I called Tam, then living in Colorado, to tell her the terrific news. "Oh, that 's great!" she said. "You can bring me back a tagine slaoui!" "A what?" "A tagine slaoui," she said, pronouncing the words carefully so I could understand them — tazheen slah-wee. "It 's an earthenware dish with a cone-shaped lid. The lid's shape condenses the steam f rom the cooking food and bastes it, so the food stays moist. It 's the only way to do an authentic Moroccan tagine — the dish has the same name as the vessel it cooks in. A tagine slaoui is the Berber style of tagine. I can't find one anywhere in the United States." I told my much-loved sister that I would be happy to hand-carry her dish back to the States, and then mail it to her. I wouldn't have been so sanguine if I'd know what her request entailed, as it turned out. Cooking tagines are sold everywhere in Morocco, even on the side of the road. They are visually stunning, made by hand f rom glazed and unglazed rich red clay, and they are inexpensive. They're not easy to carry, however, and the size Tam wanted, with a bottom piece about 12 inches in diameter, had a particularly cumbersome lid that stood more than a foot tall. But a deal is a deal, so hand-carry it I did. And, on my return to Detroit, carefully packaged it with plenty of packing peanuts to protect it. And sent it by UPS to my sister. When it arrived, she called me. "It 's not as big as I wanted," she grumbled. "It 's the biggest one I could find," I countered, feeling peeved by her lack of gratitude. The rest of the conversation devolved into the kind of sisterly bickering that was fairly typical between us. These days, of course, one can quickly find a tagine slaoui online, in earthenware, enameled and pottery versions. True earthenware tagines are available f rom several vendors of Moroccan cookware online, but they are no longer inexpensive. Emile Henry makes a handsome, if expensive, enameled tagine. I have a lovely flameware tagine, made by a Minnesota pottery called The Clay Coyote (www.claycoyote.com) and recommended by none other than Moroccan food expert Paula Wolfert. It is among my treasures, in part because of its innate beauty, but also because it reminds me of my late sister every time my gaze falls upon it. Not all of your customers will have a passion for a relatively esoteric cuisine, as I have. But they may want a special grill for roasting chiles atop the stove, or an hourglass-shaped pot with a bamboo cone insert for steaming Thai sticky rice, or any of a number of other specialty cooking vessels. Their requests for these items may seem irksome to you, as a retailer whose stock is necessarily limited to the space your shop occupies. Yet think of it this way. When your customers use the same tools as the cooks they wish to emulate, they come to understand the special challenges and delights of those newly discovered cuisines and cultures. In helping your customers cook in new ways, you function as a cultural bridge and ambassador. What a terrific win-win for you both! KN BY ROBIN MATHER Fiesta Introduces New Color, Options Homer Laughlin™ has announced the Fiesta® Dinner ware brand 's 50th color since its introduction in 1936. Fiesta's 2018 color is Mulberry, a rich, jewel-tone shade of purple with a red cast. Fiesta debuted its new color at the Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market®. "Mulberry complements every shade in the Fiesta color palette," says Rich Brinkman, VP of Sales and Marketing at Homer Laughlin. "It was important for us to add purple to our lineup. Mulberry is very on trend with what we've been seeing in fashion and home decor recently. It offers a lot of versatility. Mulberry lends itself to a wide assortment of color combinations." "Fiesta's Mulberry is a flavorful, robust and full-bodied shade, tempting to the eye and taste buds," says color expert Leatrice Eiseman, author of The Complete Color Harmony, Pantone edition. "It 's a great pick-me-up next to neutrals and a terrific companion to so many other colors on the tabletop, including vineyard greens, honeyed yellows and chocolate browns." At any given time, Fiesta Dinner ware has 14 or 15 colors in its spectrum. With the addition of Mulberry, Tangerine and Claret are retiring. Tangerine was in production since 2003. Claret was in production since 2016. Fiesta's 2018 colors include Ivory, Slate, Sage, Scarlet, Poppy, Daffodil, Sunflower, Lemongrass, Shamrock, Turquoise, Lapis, Cobalt, Mulberry and White. The lineup also includes Foundry, a cast-iron like finish that has the ease of use of ceramic dinnerware. Standard dinner ware pieces will be available in Mulberry, including three-, four- and five-piece sets, three- piece Bistro Place Settings, and a variety of plates, platters, bowls, mugs, the signature disk pitcher and ser ving pieces. Suggested retail price for the four- and five-piece place settings is $32.99 and $56. Presale for the line starts May 1. Fiesta has also debuted new items in the F loral Bouquet collection. F loral Bouquet features a bouquet of f resh roses and mixed flowers with shades of signature Fiesta colors like Scarlet, Poppy, Sunflower, Lapis, Shamrock, Lemongrass and Daffodil. The vibrant florals are showcased against a white ceramic background. "F loral Bouquet is one of our most popular decorated collections," said Brinkman. " We're really looking forward to offering these expanded pieces to consumers. The timeless pattern, featuring a wide assortment of Fiesta signature colors, adds visual interest and whimsy to the Fiesta family of products." In addition to Fiesta's dinnerware collection, F loral Bouquet is available in select license products, including a tablecloth and napkins f rom Town & Countr y and Ter vis insulated tumblers. F latware f rom Cambridge Silvermiths and glassware f rom Culver Glass are newly added to the collection as well. For more information, visit www.fiestafactorydirect.com. KN SPLATTER GUARD PRO Cooking is a great way to relax and be creative, but cleaning up grease spatters off the range and counter top isn't anyone's idea of relaxation. Unlike ordinary splatter guards, the Splatter Guard Pro has a large opening that lets the user turn and stir food while its cooking, but still traps the grease splatters. Steam escapes easily so crispy fried foods don't become a soggy mess. The Splatter Guard Pro is great for everything from stir fry to French fries, and counter tops stay clean and grease free. JAZ Innovations 855.845.3698 www.jazinnovations.com

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