The little dutchie that could...

The topic today is Dutch Ovens and why I think everyone should have one. I always thought one could cook in whatever pot or pan they had lying around when really there's a reason why there is a stock pot, saute pan etc. Now with that being said, not everyone, including myself, can afford a cupboard full of quality pots and pans and so I suggest the next best thing: a dutch oven. A dutch oven is a cast-iron vessel that can be used over a stove, in the oven or on a grille making it the perfect multitasker. I purchased mine from Costco, which I have to admit was a little disappointing since I can be a label-whore even in the kitchen and would've preferred a Le Creuset or Staub but at $250.00 for a small sized pot, I was forced to look elsewhere. Now that I've had my "dutchie" I am proud to say that it is the best $50.00, yup ya heard right, $50 bucks that I've ever spent. Its 6qt size is 2qts larger than the smallest Le Creuset and has contributed to many a great meal. I've fried chicken in it, french fries are perfect every time and pastas and stews are perfectly cooked with no burning or scorching. The reason dutchies are so great is because the cast iron maintains an even cooking temperature with less heat spikes.

If you're planning of getting a dutch oven here are some things to look for:

1) heavy design: it should weigh a ton or at least feel like it

2) choose one between 4-7qts as this is the perfect size for stews or roasting a chicken

3) choose one with a self-basting lid: the lid will have these bumps on the inside that force the steam (all the flavor) back down onto whatever you're cooking

4) look for one that has a removable handle so you can stick your dutchie in the the oven, the one I own does not but I just remove a rack, so this is not a big deal if you can't find one

Lots of companies have dutch ovens so do your research and shop around, I highly recommend my dutch oven from Kirkland Signature at Costco, but you can always gets Martha Stewart's (found at Macys) or Giada De Laurentiis has a collection of them for Target as well.