2010_09_14-Cazuela00.jpgI love the warmth of terra cotta pots and bowls, and perhaps my very favorite example of this red clay cookware is the cazuela — a shallow Spanish dish that has also been thoroughly incorporated into Latin American cookware.

2010_09_14-Cazuela.jpgCazuelas are ubiquitous in kitchens influenced by Spanish cuisines — in Spain, Latin America, and the Caribbean. In fact, some recipes are now just called cazuela (like the original casseroles, which also took their name from the dish itself). A classic Chilean soup is just called cazuela.

These terra cotta dishes are safe for cooking over a fire or the stove, in the oven, and in the microwave, and they are also so beautiful that they can come straight to the table. They are made in a huge range of sizes — from tiny salt pinch pots to enormous pans made to cook a feast.

I feel like they are the ideal dish for serving olives and other Mediterranean nibbles, and for baking Latin American-inspired chicken stew.

Find them:
• 4.5 Inch Terra Cotta Cazuelas (4 Pack), $19.99 at La Tienda
• 3-Quart Cazuela, $28 at Bram Cookware
• 1 1/4-Quart Cazuela, Mocha Brown, $24 at Bram Cookware

Do you own any cazuelas?

Related: Bram: Clay Pot Cookware

(Images: Orce Serrano Hams; Bram Cookware)