This rustic cazuela dish is ideal for cooking classic Spanish recipes such as fabada stew, and is just as useful for preparing your favorite casserole. Each terra cotta cazuela has a bright white glaze, and will add a cheerful accent to your kitchen. Artisans create these beautiful dishes at the foot of the Pyrenees Mountains, as they have since Roman times. The solid terra cotta holds heat, perfect for even cooking and preserving heat even as your dish is served. We use our cazuelas as a go-to in the kitchen, perfect for cooking hot dishes or as a serving dish for any kind of tapa or snack. The glaze on the cazuela is safe for all applications and contains no lead. How to Cure Your New Cazuela for Cooking: If you are planning on cooking with your cazuela, you will need to soak and cure it using the following directions. Soak the entire dish in water to cover for 12 hours. Drain and wipe dry. Rub the unglazed bottom with a cut clove of garlic (we are not sure how the garlic works, but why argue with tradition?) Fill the dish with water to 1/2 inch below the rim, then add 1/2 cup of vinegar. Place the dish on a flame-tamer over low heat and slowly bring the water to a boil (no flame tamer? Crumple a sheet of aluminum foil and create a ring that you place over your burner to create about an inch of space between the heat and the cazuela). Let the liquid boil down until only about 1/2 cup remains. Cool slowly and wash. Your cazuela is ready for use – the garlic has created a seal. This technique has been used since the Middle Ages. It seasons the pot, kills bacteria and hardens the unglazed parts. To clean, soak in sudsy water and scrub with a soft brush to remove any hardened food. If you have not used the cazuela for an extended period of time, you may need to re-cure it before use.