Tag: dinner

The Role of Heirloom Clay Pots in Family Cooking 

Some meals don’t just feed you, they stay with you. Your grandmother’s lentil stew. Sunday rice and garlic with your parents. A pot of spiced tea shared with siblings on a cool evening. These moments of generational cooking are more than routine, they become part of the legacy passed from one kitchen to another.

At Miriam’s Earthen Cookware, we believe that cookware can hold just as much meaning as the meals it helps create. Our pots and pans, made from 100% pure, non-toxic clay, are designed to last for decades. They’re not just tools, they’re heirloom cookware built to carry memories.

Why Clay Makes the Best Heirloom

Unlike metal or synthetic cookware that warps, flakes, or degrades, Miriam’s clay pots age gracefully. With proper care, they become even more seasoned with time, just like a well-loved family recipe. Because we use unglazed, intentionally-harvested primary clay, every pot is naturally durable and safe to pass down through generations.

We’ve heard from many families who pass Miriam’s cookware from mother to daughter, aunt to niece, grandmother to grandson. In this way, pure clay cookware becomes part of the family tradition, not just a means to an end, but a cherished companion through years of meals and memories.

Meals That Link Generations

What happens when you teach a child to cook in a pot you’ve used for 15 years? Or serve a holiday dish from the same pan your grandmother once used? These moments ground us in something lasting. They help us feel connected to each other, to our culture, and to our past.

Popular family recipes that thrive in Miriam’s Earthen Cookware:

Whether you’re starting fresh or honoring decades of tradition, Miriam’s cookware offers a timeless foundation. Gifting a Small Pot to a recent graduate. Passing a well-seasoned Large Pan to the next home cook in the family. These are the kinds of gestures that are truly meaningful.

Unlike trendy gadgets or disposable kitchenware, Miriam’s pots are made to endure, not only in form, but in purpose.

Cookware with Meaning

Cooking isn’t just about the food, it’s about the hands that stirred the pot before yours. About the memories that simmer with each batch. With Miriam’s heirloom clay cookware, you’re not just making dinner, you’re making history.

Let your meals tell a story. Let your cookware carry it forward.

Honoring Fathers in the Kitchen: 3 Recipes Dad Will Love

This Father’s Day, we remember and celebrate the dads who’ve filled our homes with love, laughter, and unforgettable meals. For us at Miriam’s Earthen Cookware, this day holds deep meaning. It’s a time to reflect on God’s blessings, honor paternal love, and remember those who are no longer with us, like Sheka, beloved husband of MEC founder, Miriam. A man of quiet strength and unwavering faith, Sheka’s love for his family lives on in the traditions and recipes he loved.

This Father’s Day, we offer three heartfelt dishes, all prepared in 100% non-toxic, all-natural clay cookware, perfect for honoring the father figures in your life. Each dish is rooted in tradition, rich in flavor, and overflowing with meaning.

Classic Clay Pot Meatloaf: A Recipe for Comfort and Legacy

There’s something timeless about meatloaf. It’s hearty, familiar, and comforting. The kind of dish that brings the whole family to the table. When baked in unglazed clay, this classic meal becomes something extraordinary. Clay’s gentle, even heat preserves the juices while allowing the meat to form a perfect crust. No aluminum, no chemicals, just clean, nourishing food.

For dads who love a satisfying meal and value natural health, this meatloaf is a fitting tribute. Paired with roasted potatoes and veggies, and you have a meal steeped in homegrown tradition. For best results, use our Large pan, designed to enhance both flavor retention and moisture balance.

Read the full recipe »

Slow-Simmered Baked Beans: Tradition in Every Spoonful

There’s a reason baked beans are a staple at family gatherings, they’re warm, sweet, and deeply satisfying. This dish brings together beans, molasses, onions, and spices for a rich, comforting side that pairs beautifully with meats and breads. But what truly transforms baked beans is cooking them in Miriam’s Extra Large Pot. The porous structure of our clay pots lets moisture circulate gently, unlocking deep flavor.

Our baked beans offer a delicious reminder of how food can nurture both body and spirit. As you simmer your beans, reflect on the generations before you who cooked without metal or plastic, trusting instead, in the earth’s gifts.

Try the full recipe »

Roast Chicken & Vegetables: A Family Feast

For a show-stopping Father’s Day dinner, roast chicken and vegetables cooked in a large clay pan hits every note: comfort, flavor, and simplicity. Roasting in clay enhances everything: the vegetables caramelize naturally, and the chicken turns out tender and juicy without needing excessive oil.

We’re linking to one of our favorite go-to clay pot meals: Herb Infused Whole Roast Chicken. It’s a recipe that never fails to satisfy, perfect for family dinners or special celebrations.

Cooking with Love and Gratitude

At Miriam’s Earthen Cookware, we believe every meal is an opportunity to give thanks. This Father’s Day, begin your dinner with a moment of gratitude, for the food on your table, for those who gathered with you, and for the fathers and mentors who have helped shape your life.

Whether your dad is at the table or remembered in spirit, may this Sunday be a celebration of love, legacy, and the joy of real food.

The Secret to Seasoning: How Miriam’s Cookware Unlocks Real Flavor

When it comes to cooking with herbs, spices, and aromatics, most people focus on the ingredients: the freshest garlic, the most fragrant basil, or the perfect pinch of fresh cumin. But there’s a missing piece in the flavor puzzle that few talk about, what you cook in. At Miriam’s Earthen Cookware, we’ve found that our 100% pure clay pots don’t just preserve the integrity of your food, they amplify the flavor of every herb, every spice, and every infusion.

In this post, we’ll explore how cooking in Miriam’s non-toxic clay cookware brings out the best in herbal and spice-forward dishes. Whether you’re sautéing garlic in olive oil, slow-simmering lentils with turmeric, or sun-steeping a pot of mint tea, your Miriam’s pot becomes a quiet but powerful flavor enhancer.

Why Metal Distorts, But Clay Delivers

Metal and ceramic-coated cookware might be common, but they come with a hidden cost: they distort flavor. Their harsh heat, chemical coatings, and metallic ions can interfere with delicate nutritional compounds in herbs and spices. Garlic can burn before it blooms. Basil can lose its vital phytonutrients, and spices like cumin and coriander might taste flat instead of vibrant.

Clay nurtures flavor. MEC’s primary clay is semi-porous and breathable, allowing for gentle heat circulation and natural steam condensation. This slow, even cooking process helps your ingredients release their oils and aromas at the right time—enhancing depth and complexity without bitterness.

How Clay Elevates Herbal Dishes

Cooking with herbs in clay pots is a game changer. Here’s why:

  • Essential oils are preserved: Herbs like rosemary, thyme, and oregano contain volatile oils that are easily lost under high, uneven heat. Miriam’s clay pots hold onto these subtle oils and disperse them throughout the dish.
  • Natural chemical compounds preserved: The terpenes, phenols, alkaloids that contribute to their unique flavor, fragrance and health benefit are all but lost due to the harsh and damagining heat from conventional pots, on the contrary, these are preserved intact in our clay’s gentle food friendly heat.
  • No volatile chemical interference: There are no metals, glazes, or toxins to react with the herbs’ compounds, so you taste only the ingredient, in its truest form.
  • Better moisture control: Clay’s breathability allows moisture to cycle naturally within the pot, preventing dry-outs and helping herbs retain their brightness and body.

Try a simple herbed quinoa dish in the Medium Clay Pot or a garlic-infused broth in the Small Pot and notice the clarity of flavor that follows.

Garlic in Clay: Sweet, Not Bitter

Few ingredients show the difference between cookware better than garlic. In metal pots and pans, garlic goes from raw to burnt in seconds. When cooked in Miriam’s clay, garlic softens, caramelizes, and releases its sweet depth without turning bitter.

Use the Small Pan to make a garlic confit, or sauté garlic with herbs in the Large Pan as a base for soups and stews. The flavor will be warm, complex, and beautifully mellow.

Sun-Steeped Herbal Tea in a Clay Pot

One of the most beautiful ways to use Miriam’s Earthen Cookware in summer is to make sun-steeped tea. Because primary clay is naturally insulating and non-reactive, it makes an ideal vessel for steeping herbs gently over time.

To make a batch:

Add a handful of fresh mint, lemon balm, or dried chamomile to your Small Pot or Water Jar

  • Fill with water
  • Cover loosely and place in the sun for 3-5 hours
  • Strain, chill, and enjoy a naturally infused tea that tastes clean, crisp, and fully alive

Sun tea made in metal or plastic containers can pick up off-flavors or toxins. In Miriam’s clay, the tea remains pure and perfectly infused, as nature intended.

Want the full rundown? Check out our post on Herbal Teas for details.

When Flavor Speaks for Itself

One of the most common things we hear from customers is: “I didn’t know food could taste this good.” That’s the Miriam’s effect. Because our pots enhance the real flavor of ingredients, you may find yourself using less salt, less oil, and fewer additives. Clay lets herbs and spices do the talking.

It’s not just better for your body, it’s better for your tastebuds!

The Takeaway: Let Clay Do the Seasoning

When your cookware is made from the earth, it honors what the earth grows. At Miriam’s Earthen Cookware, we don’t add chemicals, glazes, or metals, just honest, hand-harvested primary clay that brings out the beauty in every meal.

Whether you’re building bold curries or light herbal broths, seasoning with clay will make your flavors shine.

Summer Salads Served Right: Cool Dishes, Naturally Beautiful Cookware

As summer is setting in and fresh produce takes center stage, it’s the perfect time to embrace vibrant, refreshing meals that don’t require turning on the stove. But what many home cooks don’t realize is that howyou serve your food can be just as important as what you serve. At Miriam’s Earthen Cookware, our 100% non-toxic, pure clay cookware isn’t just for cooking, it also shines as beautiful, functional servingware for cold foods.

Miriam’s pieces like the Large Pan with Lid and Large Clay Griddle elevate your summer table, especially when serving fresh salads, chilled veggie platters, and more.

Why Serve Cold Foods in Clay?

Pure Primary Clay has natural insulating properties that help food maintain its temperature longer. That means a crisp salad stays crisp, and your veggie platter won’t wilt under the summer heat. our clay is breathable and cool to the touch, making it ideal for dishes you want to keep fresh throughout your gathering. Additionally, if you can dip the pot or pan in water, or let it get wet under running water, then place food in it, it can stay cool for a very long time also keeping the food inside fresh and cool. It does this by slowing letting the water evaporate, just like our bodies cool through evaporation.

Our clay cookware is handmade from primary clay with zero toxins, metals, glazes, or enamel, so nothing unwanted touches your food. Each pot, pan, and griddle is unglazed, retaining the natural beauty of the earth and adding warmth to your table.

Cookware That Serves

Traditionally used for cooking grains, sautéing, and oven-to-table dishes, the Large Pan also happens to be a showstopper when used as a salad bowl. Its generous size and wide mouth make it ideal for tossing and serving large summer salads.

This broccoli salad nestles beautifully in the Large Pan. The earthy tones of the pan contrast perfectly with the greens and creamy dressing, offering not just function but presentation worthy of your best gatherings.

While it’s known for its performance with flatbreads, pancakes, and tortillas, the Large Griddle becomes a striking serving platter when used creatively. Lay out an assortment of fresh cut veggies, olives, nuts, cheeses, and dips for an effortless summer grazing board.

Because Miriam’s clay is naturally non-reactive, it won’t alter the taste of your cold foods or leach any chemicals. Plus, it’s a visual reminder that good food deserves good materials!

Sustainable Cookware for Every Occasion

Each Miriam’s piece is not only beautiful but made with sustainability in mind. As the only non-toxic cookware made in the USA, Miriam’s Earthen Cookware is proud to offer a clean, conscious alternative to conventional servingware and cookware. Whether you’re preparing a meal or just plating it, our clay pieces are designed to bring joy to every step.

Entertaining with Intention

Summer is about connection, color, and nourishment. Let your cookware reflect those values. Whether you’re serving a broccoli salad or arranging a rainbow of summer produce, Miriam’s handcrafted clay pieces help you do it all with elegance, sustainability, and purpose.

Ready to rethink your serving game? Explore our Large Pan and Large Griddle today.

Ditch Your Rice Cooker: Why Grains Taste Better in Clay Pots

In kitchens around the world, grains are one of the most universal and time-tested staples. Whether it’s fluffy white rice, hearty quinoa, nutty millet, or ancient barley, grains have sustained civilizations for thousands of years.

But here’s the truth: modern cookware, including your rice cooker, often ruins them.

If you’ve ever wondered why your grains taste bland, mushy, or bitter… it’s not the grain. It’s the pot.

The Hidden Cost of Convenience

Sure, electric rice cookers might seem like the easy choice, just push a button and walk away. But that convenience comes at a cost: most conventional cookers are made with aluminum or non-stick materials that can leach harmful substancesinto your food over time, especially under heat and high pressure.

When grains are cooked in metal or synthetic-coated cookware, three major things happen:

  • Nutrients degrade quickly as a result of harsh, damaging, and uneven heat.
  • Toxic ions from metals and glazes leach into food
  • Texture suffers, leading to clumpy, gummy, or dry results

Many people give up on whole or ancient grains because they seem “too hard to cook” but they were never meant to be cooked in aluminum or Teflon. They were meant for clay.

What many don’t realize is that Miriam’s primary clay pots cook rice and grains just as fast as most electric rice cookers, but with none of the toxins, and far more flavor and nutrition. You get the ease of a quick meal, plus the deep satisfaction of food made the way nature intended.

 What Makes Miriam’s Clay Different?

Not all clay cookware is created equal. In fact, Miriam’s Earthen Cookware is the only brand that uses 100% primary clay, a rare and nutrient-rich clay harvested from untouched deposits deep within the earth.

This clay is never glazed, never chemically treated, and shaped by hand in the USA using traditional methods that respect the integrity of the material. This isn’t generic earthenware, it’s nature’s original cooking medium, at its purest.

Why Primary Clay Matters

Because primary clay is naturally porous, it interacts with food as it cooks. That’s what gives Miriam’s pots their signature steam-locking ability, where moisture rises from the food, condenses under the lid, and drips back down in a perfect natural cycle.

The result? Food that’s:

Rich in its original nutrients, including phytonutrients, trace minerals, and enzymes

Cooked evenly, inside and out

Full of flavor, aroma, and life

Ancient Grains, Redeemed

We hear it all the time: “I tried cooking farro once, and it was like chewing gravel.”
Or: “Quinoa just tastes bitter no matter what I do.”

The problem isn’t your cooking.
It’s that grains like these were never meant for modern metal pots.

When you cook ancient grains in Miriam’s clay, something almost miraculous happens,  though we’ll say “beautifully natural” instead. They hydrate better. They open up. Their complex flavors and aromas rise to the surface.

Even picky eaters notice.

In Miriam’s Clay:

  • Teff becomes fluffy and aromatic
  • Farro softens without going mushy
  • Quinoa loses its bitterness
  • Brown rice finally cooks through without sticking to the bottom

Real People, Real Results

…..All my life I’ve made rice in an electric rice cooker. Once I made it in a clay pot, I’ll never again use a rice cooker – it was much tastier and far quicker! Love these clay pots…..

-A recent customer review from our Quarterly Giveaway Winner

Even quick-cooking grains like white rice benefit, and you can taste the difference from the first bite.

Why You’ll Never Go Back

Cooking grains in Miriam’s clay isn’t just about nostalgia or health (though you’ll get both). It’s about restoring food to what it’s supposed to be:

  • Nourishing
  • Beautiful
  • Simple

When cooked in the right vessel, even a humble bowl of rice + lentils becomes a meal worth remembering.

✨ Ready to Cook Grains the Way They Were Meant to Be?

👉 Shop Our Large Clay Pan – Ideal for Grains →
👉 Learn More About the Science of Clay Cooking →
👉 Read Customer Reviews →