I absolutely love this method of cooking: it is indeed fast, easy, and delicious. I saw one review was from guy who tried it and didn't like the results---but then he was using a pot three times as large as the 2-quart Dutch oven she calls for. Not a fair test.
Her recipes are too bland for my taste, but I know how to add spices and seasonings: not a problem. Her recipes do show you how to build a pair of meals in the pot, and once you have the idea, it's extremely easy to improvise, and I have never had a bad result. At first I would sometimes end up with too much liquid in the pot, but it was tasty liquid and I just took the first bowl as a stew, which took care of the extra liquid. I quickly learned by experience how much liquid to add, though occasionally a vegetable will throw me a curve: bok choy seems to be *made* out of water, for example.
The idea is simple: measure in the starch and the protein, fill the rest of the pot with vegetables, pour over (say) 2 Tbsp of vinaigrette and 2 Tbsp of wine, cover, and cook for 45 minutes in 450ºF oven---more or less the opposite of slow-cooker cooking. The method encourages and rewards experimentation. One oddity: her recipes seem always to call for 4 servings of rice for two meals. I don't like rice that much, so I go with 2 servings for 2 meals: 1/2 cup converted rice for a 2-quart pot is just right for 2 meals.
A friend pointed out that this method is an indoor version of the firepit cooking found in various cultures: a pit dug into coals, the food placed in layers in the pit, then covered with fronds and earth until the heat cooks the food. The hot oven functions as the fire, the covered pot as the pit, and the food cooks quickly.
I also got a 3.5-quart pot to try larger meals, and that seems to work well and easily makes 3-4 meals (4 for us). I wouldn't try a larger pot, and the 2-qt pot works quite well for daily cooking.
She recommends Le Creuset, but I think the
Staub 2.24 Quart Round Cocotte, Cherry
(available in many colors) is of better design and manufacture and I *know* that the Staub is $40 cheaper and comes with a metal handle (instead of asking for another $10 to get a handle suitable for high temperatures, which is what Le Creuset does).
But I actually found the
Texsport Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Dutch Oven without Legs (Gray, 2 Quart)
, though not enameled, works extremely well and is only $25. It's easy to keep it seasoned (it's preseasoned) and I've had no trouble doing one-pot meals with tomatoes and vinegar: I assume the short cooking time (45 minutes) makes the difference---I don't think I'd want to simmer something like that for hours.
Recently I've been using the
Emile Henry Flame Top 4.2-Quart Round Oven, Red
pot, which I like a lot. To "season" this pot before first use, you simmer some milk in it. Keep the heat low and stir, so the milk does not stick to the bottom and burn.
The biggest benefit of this method for me is not so much that it's easy and fast and delicious with only one pot to clean---though all that is true---but rather that I now find it easy to include more vegetables in my meal, much more than I previously ate.
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For a 2 qt dutch oven
No where in the book description does it mention a 2 qt dutch oven. I read that on a camping cooking site. That is the ONLY reason I bought the book. The recipes are perfect for two people. I need to half them since I camp alone sometimes. I tried 4 of the recipes so far. All were good but I need more practice on cooking over a fire or with coals. Have to say it made eating healthy easier.
Top reviews from other countries
Sue T.
... used this book on a number of occasions for easy and nourishing meals for my family
Reviewed in Canada on July 3, 2016
