Pots in the Kitchen traces the development of handmade pots used for cooking in Britain from the beginning of the 20th century. Clay pots from Morocco, South America, Spain, and India, casseroles, baking dishes, together with many humble pots such as cutlery drainers, colanders, and lemon squeezers are all celebrated in this book as never before. With special features illustrating potters at work, this book shows how leading makers create their unique handmade pots in step-by-step sequences. Practical guidance is given on how to cook with handmade pottery and, for potters, there is essential information about clay bodies and firing pots.

"In the Potters Kitchen comes out of Sumi von Dassow's love of both cooking and pottery, and her desire to share both passions with as many people as possible. Besides her own explorations in the studio and kitchen, she's reached out to potters who share her passion of food and clay to make this book a truly one-of-a-kind experience. You'll discover information on materials, glazes and what to consider when making pots to cook in and serve on. You'll also find many step-by-step techniques for creating casseroles to tagines, as well as scores of examples from dozens of artists, well-tested recipes and more. If you are a potter who loves to cook (or a cook who loves to pot), happy potting, and bon appetit!"--Back cover.

"A cookbook featuring traditional family recipes from 30 of North Carolina's top potters, many of whom reside and work in the area known as Jugtown"--

Featured in this handsomely designed, nostalgia-tinged volume are ironstone, the graceful, elegant china of myriad shapes first produced in England in the nineteenth century; redware, the first pottery of Colonial America, which was turned on a wheel and then covered with a clear glaze that made the clay waterproof; spongeware, a colorful descendant of English Staffordshire spatterware that is named for its style of decoration rather than its type of clay; mochaware, extraordinary pieces of earthenware with elaborate colored slip decorations; and yellowware, the down-home pottery that has been a kitchen staple since the 1820s. Today, these once simply utilitarian and serviceable objects are collector's items both for their rarity and for their decorative qualities; best of all, they can still be used in the kitchen or to add a homey touch to any decor.

The 23 papers presented here are the product of the interdisciplinary exchange of ideas and approaches to the study of kitchen pottery between archaeologists, material scientists, historians and ethnoarchaeologists. They aim to set a vital but long-neglected category of evidence in its wider social, political and economic contexts. Structured around main themes concerning technical aspects of pottery production; cooking as socioeconomic practice; and changing tastes, culinary identities and cross-cultural encounters, a range of social economic and technological models are discussed on the basis of insights gained from the study of kitchen pottery production, use and evolution. Much discussion and work in the last decade has focussed on technical and social aspects of coarse ware and in particular kitchen ware. The chapters in this volume contribute to this debate, moving kitchen pottery beyond the Binfordian ‘technomic’ category and embracing a wider view, linking processualism, ceramic-ecology, behavioral schools, and ethnoarchaeology to research on historical developments and cultural transformations covering a broad geographical area of the Mediterranean region and spanning a long chronological sequence.

Glazes from a Potter's Perspective: A Simple, Kitchen-Method Approach to Understanding Glaze Development¿ is a book that demystifies and explains glazes from a potter's perspective. The book is filled with valuable information from the vast glazing experimentation and experience of master potter, Steve Loucks. His testing methods and approach differ from the scientific approach for making glazes where ceramic engineers think in terms of what and how many molecules of certain chemicals make up the glaze within their ratios and limits to Steve¿s approach that is from a potter's perspective. He goes right to the tests using the actual ingredients that are available from ceramic supply centers to make glazes. His simple, kitchen-method approach is easy to understand without the complicated use of mathematical, ceramic engineering calculations, or the need for software programs. It goes right to the glaze tests to see how much and to what extent an influencing ingredient has on a glaze, the actual instead of predicted results. His testing methods and processes, which are outlined and illustrated throughout the book, are easy to follow yielding effective, useful results while using the glaze materials in a resourceful manner to be environmentally responsible. The book begins by identifying the numerous characteristics that differentiate and distinguish the various glazes that he has worked with throughout his ceramics career to provide a common vocabulary for ceramic artists. Glazes are explained first in theory and then in reality. Further discussion outlines the component parts that make up a glaze to gain an understanding on how to evaluate a glaze to adjust its melting temperature, flow, and surface qualities. Then, the testing procedures are outlined and illustrated to accomplish those tasks. Additional information includes the influencing factors affecting a glaze, glaze application methods, and firing processes. A supplemental chapter lists the glaze recipes used on the pieces illustrated in the book of his and the contributing editor, Lynnette Hesser's work, including the glazing processes used on each piece. Steve's goal is to help ceramic artists gain a better understanding of glazes for greater success with their glazing, glaze development, and artwork.

Have you always wanted to know how to make pottery but been daunted by the techniques or put off by expensive equipment? This book includes everything you need to know to make beautiful pottery by hand in your own home. Learn to create pots, plates, bowls, mugs, candle holders, trays, jugs and much more - all without a potter's wheel. Packed with tips, techniques and inspiration, you'll be inspired by the beautiful photography and practical projects. Every design is accompanied by clear step-by-step illustrated instructions so professional results are easy to achieve. And when you've finished making your piece, you don't even need your own kiln - simply pop along to one of the numerous pottery cafes to fire it!