Quorning Ware Quickies - Mediterranean Quick Bread

I love quick breads, but one can only consume so much Orange Cranberry, Banana Nut, Zucchini and Oatmeal Raisin bread before one's sweet tooth becomes overloaded.   This is one of my favorite savory versions.

Drenched with butter, it is quite a treat and it makes and excellent breakfast bread to accompany eggs.

Kalamata Olives not your thing?  That's OK, this is equally delicious with oil cured olives or just good old California Black Olives in the tin can; which just happen to be available pre-minced to save you some time. 

Mediterranean Quick Bread

2 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 TB Sugar
3 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
3/4 tsp Salt
9 oz Whole Milk
3 large Eggs
3 oz Olive Oil
2/3 cup chopped Pistachios
4 TB Kalamata Olives, minced (or other Greek Olive)

Corning Ware 9x5 inch Bread Pan (P-315)

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, then grease and flour the P-315 Bread Dish; set aside.

In a large bowl, place Flour, Sugar, Baking Powder and Salt; whisking to combine.

In a medium bowl, add Milk, Eggs and Olive oil...

Whisk until the mixture is smooth.

Finely chop both the Pistachios and the Olives.

Add them to the liquid mixture and stir to combine.

Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture.

Stir with a spatula until just combined.

Pour into the awaiting P-315 Bread Dish.

Bake on the lowest rack of the oven for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the P-315 before turning out onto a wire rack and cool completely....

before taking a big slice.

mmmmmmmm  Warm and delicious!

Where is your Corning Ware??
~~

Fortuitous French White Finds - Square Loaf & Lasagna Pans; Who Knew?

As a collector of French White (the REAL stuff) I am often frustrated by the fact that World Kitchen continues to manufacture the design in stoneware.  Thus, my hunt for vintage Pyroceram pieces has become a quest fraught with intoxicating highs and devastating lows.  I am often overcome with excitement upon catching sight of a piece in a thrift store aisle.  Object sighted, I fight my way through a throng of people comprised of little old ladies trying to trip me with their canes, children with runny noses touching everything within reach in order to spread whatever current plague outbreak has occurred in their school, and some strange man who is scratching his nether region in public... eww!  Finally, reaching the item of my desire, I turn it over, only to find a fireing ring.... Curses!   Another piece of stinkin' cheap stoneware.   ARGH!!!!!!!

But, I continue this exercise in futility, for moments like this one.

Behold!  Feast your eyes upon 2 pieces of French White that I thought only existed as stoneware.  At least, up until now, every time I have looked at one of these peculiarly shaped pieces, they have always been made of stoneware.   

Historically, French White pieces are Round or Oval... Not so with these oddly square shaped dishes.

The 3 quart (2.85 liter) Lasagna pan..... (13x9x2)

The 1 3/4 quart (1.66 liter) Loaf pan....... (9x5x2 3/4)

Neither one of them has an "F" model number on the bottom, which is also odd.  They simply have their measurements.  There is a raised ridge on the bottom, but it is no an unglazed firing ring like the stoneware pieces...  It's a little odd looking, but they really are pyroceramic Corningware.  I couldn't get a good picture of it, but you can see the glass ripples in the bottom. 

I wonder if the Consumer Products Division was in the middle of revamping their long running French White line, in the late 1990s, when they were suddenly sold off to World Kitchen and the big switch to stoneware was made?

Where is your Corningware??
~~