Bake, braise, simmer and stew with easy to use cookware

Dyann Espinosa
Special to FineLife Home
Photos submitted

As more members of the family try their hand in the kitchen, cookware products that can go from oven to table and look great are assuming a more prominent place in modern meal-making. Whether it’s a healthy, one-dish meal for family or friends simmered in its own pot; lasagna, meatloaf or even brownies baked in a clever pan that creates more crunchy and chewy edges; or simple, practical and colorful baking pans that allow you to cook, serve and refrigerate your plat du jour, you’ll enjoy experimenting with these new kitchen tools.

Easy, eco-friendy, exotic
Tajines from Tunisia
The ancient art of cooking with a tajine has been rediscovered. Made in Tunisia of a special heat-resistant clay, these tajines are safe for stovetop cooking at low to medium temperatures, or in the oven up to 350 degrees. Tajine cooking is a healthy way to spice up your meals.
These attractive vessels are lead free, food safe, and handmade and hand-painted with specially imported European glazing to meet FDA standards for lead content.
Available in earthen, blue, white and green colors. Price: $54
Robin’s Nest, 116 E. Napa St.

I’ve got dibs on the end piece!
Edge Brownie pan
Good for lasagna, meatloaf, cakes and breads as well as brownies, the Baker’s Edge pan is billed as “the first and only pan for edge lovers.” The patented interior sidewalls circulate heat evenly throughout the pan, ensuring an even temperature, and the clever construction produces two chewy edges on every serving. However, if you’re just not an edge person, simply reduce the baking time to get the softer, gooey-er results you prefer. Made of durable, heavy-gauge cast aluminum with a premium nonstick coating, the pan is designed with round, easy-to-clean corners. Recessed handles allow the pan to be gripped easily when turned upside-down. Price: $35.95
Sign of the Bear, 435 First St. W.

A classic goes colorful
Le Creuset baking dish
The sophisticated look of Le Creuset stoneware has new, bright colors for spring and summer. Rectangular and oval baking dishes are fashioned with convenient side handles for serving, and perfect for cobblers and crisps as well as macaroni and cheese or savory one-dish meals.
Le Creuset’s century-old legacy of handcrafted excellence gives its stoneware the functional features cooks and bakers desire. The dishes are resistant to stains, cracks and odors, and are dishwasher-safe. Available in turquoise, cobalt blue, yellow, red and kiwi.
Price: 14-inch oval $49.99, 12-inch rectangle $39.99
Whole Foods, 210 W. Napa St.