Looks Like Fine Crockery... Acts Like Corning Ware - French Bisque Collection Complete

It was April of last year when I first posted pictures of my French Bisque set.   I had originally thought the set was complete, until I discovered there were F-16 ramekins as well.   Evidently, these were sold with larger sets of the pattern.    It has taken almost a year, but I FINALLY got my hands on some...  Thanks to a friend in one of the Corning Ware groups on Facebook and a little help from Classic Kitchens & More....  

Finally, after all these years...  the entire French Bisque collection is ready for a family portrait.

So here is the breakdown of French Bisque, produced from 1982-1985 and sporting the original Pyrex Fireside tinted lids. (OK, 1 lid that is not original)

Top to Bottom:  F-5-B (G-5-C lid) - 1 1/5 quart Souffle, F-1-B (G-1-C lid) - 2 1/2 quart Souffle, F-3-B - 10 inch Quiche

Top to Bottom:  F-16 - 16 oz Ramekins, F-21 - 4.5 liter Open Roaster

Top to Bottom:  F-12-B (F-12-C lid) - 1 1/2 quart Casserole, F-4-B - 2 1/2 quart Open Roaster (The F-14-C lid is not original to the piece)

Top to Bottom:  F-6-B - 1 1/2 quart Open Roaster, F-2-B (DC-1 1/2-C lid) - 2 1/2 quart Casserole

(The DC-1 1/2-C lid will also fit on the F-6-B roaster if needed)

And there you have it ALL 8 pieces of the French Bisque Collection..  Why there were substantially more pieces made in the French Bisque pattern than there were of either the French Bleu or the Classic Black is anybody's guess.

Where is your Corning Ware??
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Looks Like Fine Crockery... Acts Like Corning Ware Cookware - My French Bisque Collection

Well, I thought this collection was complete.  I was even proud of myself for tracking down 2 pieces not listed in the "books".  Those would be the F-6 (1.8 liter Shallow Open Baker) and the F-21 (4.5 liter Open Roaster).

Then while searching on eBay a couple weeks ago, for some strange reason a set of 4 "stoneware ramekins" showed up in my search list.  I looked at the picture of the bottom really closely and realized what they were......   500ml (16oz) F-16 Ramekins in FRENCH BISQUE.  WHAT?!?!?!  They had been completely miss-listed as 60ml Corning Sandstone Stoneware Bowls. (and yet they still showed up in my search list)

I thought it was a rather serendipitous opportunity...  Sadly, someone else found them as well and beat me by 50 cents when I wasn't looking.  It was a rather depressing development, but it happens.  After all, I can't spend ALL my time cruising eBay. Suffice it to say, that my once complete collection is not so complete anymore.  That's OK, I have seen them, I am now aware that they exist, and it give me something to look forward to finding in the wild.

F-2-B (2.8 liter) Deep Covered Baker (DC-1 1/2-C Pyrex Fireside Lid) sitting in the F-4-B (2.5 liter) Shallow Open Roaster

F-5-B (1.6 liter) Souffle (G-5-C Pyrex Fireside Lid) sitting on the F-1-B (2.5 liter) Souffle (G-1-C Pyrex Fireside Lid) sitting in the F-3-B (24cm) Quiche Baker 

F-12-B (1.8 liter) Deep Covered Baker (F-12-C Pyrex Fireside Lid) sitting in the F-6-B (1.8 liter) Shallow Open Baker sitting in the F-21-B (4.5 liter) 14x11 1/2 Open Roaster/Lasagne Pan.

You may have begun asking yourself.... "Where does he put all this Corning Ware?".  Luckily, with the French White/Bisque/Bleu/Classic Black line, the answer is simple.  They were resigned to stack very compactly.  This is why there are technically only 4 lids for all the pieces.  Oh, you can add lids.  The V-14-C will fit on the F-4-B if you really feel you need it.  But originally, only the deep casseroles & the Souffles came with lids... all the shallow dishes were lidless.  THUS, they can stack up like this...

and leave a very small footprint within your cupboard.

Where is your Corning Ware??

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Fade to Black - My Corning Ware Classic Black Collection (French Black)

I figured it was time that I actually share some of the pieces I have collected over the years....   This is my Classic Black Collection as of March 2014.  Mind you, this it subject to change at any given moment due to thrifting.  For though this is supposedly the "entirety" of what was made in Classic Black, I have a sneaking suspicion that there is an F-1-B (2.5 Liter) Souffle, an F-12-B (1.8 liter deep) casserole and quite possibly even F-16 (500ml) Ramekins or an F-14 (4.5 deep roaster) or F-21 (4.5 liter shallow open roaster) floating around out there. One never really knows when it comes to unraveling the mysteries of Corning Ware.

From Top to Bottom....
Left: F-2-B (2.8 Liter) Casserole sitting in the F-4-B (2.5 Liter) Open Roaster

Middle: F-6-B/MC-6-B (divided 1.8 Liter) serving dish behind the F-6-B (shallow 1.8 Liter) with Lid

Right: F-5-B (1.6 Liter) lidded Souffle sitting in the F-3-B (24cm) Quiche dish
 

Where is your Corning Ware??
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Chestnuts Roasting In Your Corningware, French Bisque Nipping at Your Nose

Corny title, I know.  Especially since it's Thanksgiving, but I can't help it.  Every time I roast chestnuts in the oven, that song pops into my head.  So, grab some Chestnuts and sing along.....

Honestly, I usually do a lot more than this on a 1/2 sheet or full sheet baking pan, but Corningware works just as well and I only need a small amount for the recipe I am making.  Besides, it gives me a chance to use the 1 piece of French Bisque that I have.  :-)

Roasting Chestnuts

12-15 Chestnuts
a sharp Knife
425F degree oven
Corningware F-4-B French White (Bisque or Bleu) Roaster or a P-35-B Broil and Bake Tray

Preheat the oven to 425F degrees, then take a sharp knife and cut an 'X' on the flat side of the Chestnut.

Place them all, evenly spaced, in am F-4-B French White Roaster (or P-35-B)

Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the 'X' you cut peels back and the Chestnuts smell kind of like toast.

Place the hot Chestnuts in a towel....

And give them a good whack on the counter.

This should loosen the shell and pericarpus enough to peel them. (chestnuts have a sort of "double" shell)

Peel them you must must must while they are hot, cause once they cool, the pericarpus begins to adhere to the Chestnut again.

There you have it..... Roasted and peeled Chestnuts.  Not my best peeling job, but I was in a hurry.  I had a lot of other things on my plate to get done.  In the grand scheme of things, it's OK this time.  These Chestnuts are destined for chopping anyway, because they are going into my next dish....  Cauliflower Au Gratin (in French White II)

Where is your Corningware??
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M C'ing Double - MC Series Corningware Pieces

Guess what?

There is even more confusing stuff out there than the N series Rangetoppesr and the S Series Saucepans.  Yeppers, sure nuff.

I was all fine and dandy with the MC series that I knew of.   The "heat up frozen foods in the microwave/store stuff in the refrigerator" pieces that I have are pretty neat and all. (Evidently they are called "Fast Food" dishes)

They came in 2 sizes... The MC-1 (7 x 5 1/2) which is perfect for a box of frozen vegetables (Do frozen vegetables still come in boxes?  I usually buy bags o' frozen veggies)

and the MC-2 (10 1/2 x 6 3/4) I am not sure what this one was designed for, but it's great for storing celery or carrots in the refrigerator.

I have the white ones, obviously, but they were available in Wildflower and Spice o' Life as well.

The feet on the bottom fit into the divots on the lids, so they stack in the refrigerator without slipping, which is a definite plus as far as I am concerned. 

I thought that was all there was... Nice rectangular Refrigerator/Microwave/Convection oven dishes with interesting lids.  (The feet make them non-stove top friendly)

That was before I found THIS......

A French White 2.5 liter "Grill Pan" that is double marked.... not only with an embossed F-4-B, but with a painted MC-4-B number as well?!?!?!

What gives?

So I started hunting around eBay and Replacements limited, not to mention etsy, for other MC pieces.  As expected, the refrigerator dishes, pictured above, showed up, as well as the French White Grill pan, but I discovered that I have another piece of this strange MC stuff.

My French White divided dish is also part of the MC line, though mine does not have the extra mark on it, so I had NO idea.  For some reason or another, the divide dish that I have had for 5 years, only has the original F-6-B embossed mark on the bottom, no printed MC mark.

Which is even more funny, cause the original F-6-B from the French White line is a 1.8 liter low sided baking dish... Like this..... (without the divider)

Maybe the fact that mine is unmarked with the MC is a mistake. Hmmmmmmm......

OK, so I have now shared most of the weird, strange and/or odd stuff that I find as well as the more prosaic everyday stuff (mostly Cornflower, French White and Wheat).  How bout you?   What are all y'all finding out there? 

Where is your Corningware??  email me and let me know....  :-)
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