Pottery is much more than a decorative item. After all the origins of pottery goes back thousands of years to when they were first used to carry, prepare, cook and serve food.
The tagine pictured above is still popular in North African countries like Morocco where they are used to prepare various meat dishes and stews. However, unlike the tagine above, the Moroccan cooking tagine is traditionally made of low-fired clay and is not decorated. A serving tagine is used to bring the food to the table and is highly decorative.
At “Something at Mary’s” we make a decorative tagine that you cook in and then bring to the table. Each tagine is individually hand carved and unique. We have even experimented with the top lid, making a wider hand grasp so that when turned upside down it can be used as a large bowl (for salads, couscous, etc). An example of this tagine is shown below and can also be used to serve other non-Moroccan dishes. But for those of you who want to try out some Moroccan dishes, see our recipe section for some great ideas.
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Almost everyone has used a casserole dish at one time or another, but again at Something at Mary’s we have turned the standard casserole dish into something that is both elegant and functional. The handle on the lid is made of braided copper wire that matches the bronze glaze on the base of the dish.
Another interesting cooking vessel is the single handled broiler. Again we have taken the traditionally undecorated version and turned it into a decorative piece that is also functional. We often make matching accessory pieces, (bowls, serving platters, etc) to further expand your cooking and serving options. See the omlet appetiser recipe that Marion developed for the broiler, but it is certainly not limited to this. Any food, (prawns, appetisers, etc) which you would put under the broiler can be used.