Flying in Under the Radar - My P-Series Cornflower Collection (Part 1)

I decided that if I was going to "show-off" my P-series Cornflower collection, I had best do it in parts... cause there is a WHOLE lot of it....

So, let's begin from the end....

After the "P-Series" had been replaced by the A-series in 1972, there were still a few pieces here and there that leaked through with "P" designations...

1979 saw the release of the P-89-B (2 1/2 cup Saucepan with a pour spout)

(sold with the 6 1/2 inch skillet "P-83-B" as a "Duet Set", though the P-83 had been around since 1966 and was originally part of the Menu-ette set)

Gourmet Skillets with "Non-Standard Bolt-On" handles (there is a screw and they can be disassembled for cleaning)

Though the first Gourmet Skillet (P-910-B) was released in 1970, the 8 1/2 inch version (P-908-B) didn't make an appearance until 1972, the very year the A-series replaced the P-series.

Both the P-910-B and the P-908-B were discontinued that same year. (thus the P-908 is a little hard to come by)

These skillets were available with or without the lids, P-910-C and P-908-C.  The P-910 was available in Cornflower, "Chelsea Blue", "Avocado Green" or plain White, however,  when the P-908 was released, it was only available in Cornflower and plain White. 

There was one other piece supposedly released in 1972...... The P-332 Oblong Baker (2 3/4 quart).  I am not completely convinced about this date.  I have seen the "Wheat" pattern in this piece and as far as I know, Wheat was discontinued by 1970, because the pieces are not marked "for Microwave".

This piece would eventually be replaced by the A-18-B, but that didn't happen until around 1977 (about the same time the A-21 & A-76 Roasters finally replaced the P-21 & P-76 Roasters). 

Mind you, this is only the Cook and Bakeware..  The Percolators, Drip Coffee Makers and Beverage Servers are another story all together.

Where is your Corning Ware??
~~

The Corningware Menuette - Quartet or Duette?

In 1966, Corning released the Menuette set....

Originally only a trio, the set consisted of a 6 1/2 inch skillet, a 1 pint and a 1 1/2 pint pans.  At the time, these were a revolution in Corning, for all of these pans had permanent handles sticking out of their sides.

The P-81-B with P-81-C lid.... 1 Pint (2 cup/16 oz)

The P-82-B with P-81-C lid... 1 1/2 Pints (3 cup/24 oz)

The P-83-B with P-83-C lid... 6 1/2 inch Skillet... (which is perfect for steam-basting eggs BTW)

Then, in 1978 (though one source claims it was 1971), there was a newcomer that stormed onto the scene....  the P-89-B, again with a P-81-C lid.  My assumption is that the decision was made to add this little guy to the product line since the 1 quart Saucemaker (P-55/P-64) production ended in 1978.  The 2 quart model (P-65) left the scene in 1970. This new saucepan is significantly smaller than 1 or 2 quarts, that is for sure.

This dapper fellow was really a P-82-B with a molded spout on one side.

This had an effect on the amount the P-89 could hold, reducing it's capacity to a mere 1 1/4 Pints (2 1/2 cups/20 oz).  Right smack dab in between the P-81 and the P-82.

And the Trio becomes a "Quartet".....  1 Pint, 1 1/4 pint and 1 1/2 pint saucepans with a 6 1/2 inch skillet.

Though technically, the P-89 was never sold as a "menuette", it was paired with the 6 1/2 skillet (P-83) and sold as a "Duette" set.

Menuette/Duettes were available in, what I like to call, the "legacy patterns", being the 60s & 70s.  So be on the lookout for good old Blue Cornflower, seen above, and Spice O' Life, Floral Bouquet, Country Festival, Wildflower as well as the Blue and Green Macrame made for Shell Oil and the Blue Snowflake/Five Pointed Star design made for American Oil.  (Sorry, no Black Trefoil, Renaissance, Platinum Filagree or Natures Bounty)  There are even some of the Christmas designs done in the individual pieces from menuettes, but not as a whole set. (sad)

The "menuettes" as a whole disappeared from the market in about 1983. However, when Corning released the RangeTop line (as opposed to current "Stovetop" line or the late 70's "Rangetoppers" - This is another post) they included a .5 Liter saucepan... basically the P-81-B along with the 1.5 & 2.5 liter saucepans.  It received a new designation as the S-81-B...   So far I have seen Shadow Iris, Pastel Bouquet, Country Cornflower and Peach Floral which places the designation switch to about 1983.

To make matters more confusing, the P-81 showed up again in the Peony pattern that was available in 1989, then it disappeared again.

Where is your Corningware??
~~

How Corningware Saved Thanksgiving - Cauliflower and Chestnut au Gratin

OK, so I have a confession to make.  Well, it's more about a family member than about me.  My mother HATES Blue Cornflower.  Oh, she LOVES Corning Ware, but hates that flower. 

She received it for her wedding back int he 60s and used it ALL while I was growing up.  I suppose after staring at it for 40 years, I can understand why she would not particularly care to look at it anymore.  The bonus to this tale is that, as of 5 years ago, *I* have her wedding Corning Ware and she has a new pattern... Shadow Iris.

Flash to the Thanksgiving day table (5 years later) and honestly, neither pattern works with mom's dinner service.... which is Furnival's Quail in brown.   But never fear!  Corning Ware French White II to the Rescue!

My French White II came in very handy this year, since I was suppose to make the Cauliflower and Chestnut au Gratin, and my P-21 Cornflower 13x9 roaster was banned from the table.  My F-21 roaster, which is my "it matches everything" dish, is the newer "21-N" model with the modified dimensions of 10 1/2 x 14 1/4, so it's a little too big (4.5 liter).  The ratio of crusty goodness and cheesy cauliflower is thrown off when you use to big of a pan cause there isn't enough bread crumb to properly cover the top.  I probably could have gotten away with the 2.8 liter (F-2), but it's only 8 1/2 x 11 so you end up with to thick of a crusty topping.   The point is, the recipe is designed for a 13x9 pan, and the original Everyday Gourmet French White pieces of the F-series have weird dimensions.  Sadly, I do not own a W-21... at least not yet.  I probably could have gotten away with a Wheat Design in Brown.  (sigh)  Some day.

That is why I am SO thankful that I have that weirdly shaped French White II at my disposal this year.  It really came through in a pinch.  It goes with everything, just like the original French White, but has the same dimensions as the P-21 & A-21 (13x9).

Ya know what?  Even though the Cornflower was banned from the table, that didn't mean that I could not use it in the cooking process.

That way Cornflower could be there in spirit.   :-)

Cauliflower & Chestnut au Gratin

1 3/4 lb Cauliflower florets, cut into bite sized pieces (or combination of Purple, Green or Orange Cauliflower)
12 Roasted Chestnuts, chopped
4 cups Heavy Cream
2.6 oz (3/4 cup) Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated
1/2 tsp Thyme, chopped
8 oz  fresh French baguette, torn into 2-inch pieces
2 TB Thyme leaves, chopped
1/4 cup Parsley, chopped
3 TB Chives, chopped
1 1/2 tsp Lemon Zest
1 clove Garlic, finely minced
~1 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
~3/4 tsp Black Pepper
4 oz (1/2 cup) (1 stick) Unsalted Butter, melted
~1 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
~1/2 tsp Black Pepper

Corningware French White II 3 quart Casserole (13x9) or other Corningware "13x9" such as P-21-B or A-21-B but not A-21-B-N (it has the same dimensions as the French White F-21 and it's too big)
4 quart Dutch Oven (P-84-B)
1 pint Menuette saucepan (P-89-B) with lid (P-81-C)
~optional - Pyrex 4 Quart Cinderella Bowl (#444) or other large bowl

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and disassemble the cauliflower head into bite sized pieces...

In your 4 quart Dutch Oven (P-84-B), combine Cauliflower, Chestnuts, and Heavy Cream.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat;

Immediately reduce heat to low and simmer until Cauliflower is tender. (about 10 to 12 minutes)

Remove cauliflower and chestnuts from cream with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool. (I just put it in the 3 Quart Casserole Dish)

Add shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano and Thyme to the Cream and bring to a boil over medium flame.

Reduce heat to low and simmer until cream sauce reduces by half and thickens slightly, stirring occasionally. (about 15-20 minutes)

Meanwhile, it's time to make the bread crumb topping......

Tear the baguette into 2 inch pieces and place in the bowl of a food processor long with the Thyme, Chives, Lemon Zest, Garlic, Salt, and Pepper;

Process again, briefly...

Then add the Parsley and give it another blitz or two.

Pour the resulting herbed bread crumbs into a 4 quart Pyrex bowl (#444) and set aside.

Melt the Butter in a 1 1/2 pint Menuette saucepan (P-89-B) over low flame.

If it begins to sputter, cover with the lid (P-81-C)

When melted, drizzle the Butter over the herbed breadcrumbs and toss with a fork until the crumbs and herbs are evenly coated; set aside.

When the sauce is ready.....
Return cauliflower to Parmigiano-Reggiano Cream mixture and stir to coat well, then season with Salt and Pepper.

Spoon Cauliflower mixture evenly into your French White II 3 quart baking dish (or P-21/A-21) 9 x 13 baking dish.

Sprinkle evenly with the Breadcrumb mixture.

Move the baking dish to the oven and bake until topping is golden and sauce is bubbling. (about 4 to 5 minutes)

Serve warm. (Trust me, it doesn't really have a chance to get cold)

Where is your Corning Ware!!
~~

Give Me an N!! Give Me an S!! What Does That Spell? Confusion - 70's Rangetoppers vs 80's Rangetop Saucepans

I found yet another find the other day and decided that I should do an exposé to clear up any possible misconceptions out there in Corningware-Land.  It has to do with the saucepans; more specifically, the round saucepans with handles that are shaped like the Visions saucepans.

There are 2 types of round Corningware saucepans.

Rangetoppers, (all one word) with aluminum clad bottoms, and regular ones that do not (have an aluminum clad bottom that is) called RangeTop (minus the "pers")

You would think that it would be fairly straight forward, but it's not.  The problem is that not all Rangetoppers have a "Clad" bottom.  (sigh)   My assumption is that the exposed aluminum was blackening after being run through the dishwasher as well as rubbing off when abraded by certain cleaning methods.  Thus, Corning's answer was to "embed" the aluminum in the bottom.  These are fairly rare, as I think this was shortly before the line was discontinued, but they ARE out there.  There is no way to differentiate these pieces from regular saucepans by looking at the bottom, cause the white pyroceram conceals the aluminum.

This is my 1 1/2 quart (N-1 1/2-B) with the exposed aluminum bottom. Which is what I made the Tomato & Bechamel sauces in awhile back.

This is my recent find, a 2 1/2 quart Rangetopper (N-2 1/2-B) with the aluminum embedded under the pyroceram glass.

This is where knowing your codes comes in handy.  ALL Rangetoppers are marked under the handle with an "N-standard #-B".  They will also say "Not for Microwave Use", regardless of what the bottom looks like.  True, microwave browners contain "metal" as well, but Tin Oxide (tin rust) reacts a little different in the microwave than raw Aluminum does.

The Rangetop Saucepans, on the other hand, were produced AFTER the Metric switch over.  These are designated with an "S-decimal #-B" because they are in Liters and not in the Standard Quart measurements that had been used previously.

This is my mothers S-1.5-B in Shadow Iris.  Meaning it is a regular non-Aluminum containing saucepan that is 1.5 liters as opposed to 1 1/2 quarts.

The model numbers for these pans are found in the same location as those of the Visions line.  Being, embossed on the top of the handle.

Now I would say that the "S" stands for "saucepan", and that may be true, since V was used for Visions, F was used for French White and W was used for the Wheat pattern.  That would not explain why an "N" was chosen for the Rangetoppers though.  I assume that "R" was out of the question because it looks too similar to a "P" and "A" for aluminum was already taken by the post-1972 main product line.  Why not "T"?  or RT, since Corning chose K & KA for their Flat Ground bottom Cookmate line.  Then again, K & KA are not derived from "Cookmate" either...  So who knows how they came up with this stuff.
 
Oh, incidentally, though I do not have one, I have seen them in the thrift stores on occasion, though they are usually in a pattern that I do not collect like Country Cornflower or Spice of Life.  The S-2.5-B or 2.5 liter saucepan has a lug handle opposite the long handle so you can move the saucepan with both hands.

(Photo Courtesy of eBay)

I should clarify that this information regarding S & N model numbers has nothing to do with the Menu-ettes; being the 1 pint (P-81-B), 2 1/2 cup with pour spout (P-89-B), & 1 1/2 pint (P-82-B) saucepans as well as the 6 1/2 inch skillet (P-83-B).  The Menu-ettes never switched from their original "P" designation just like the Petite Dishes (P-41 & P-43), even after 1972 when the larger pieces had their model numbers converted to "A".

Gratuitous picture of Rangetopper Saucepans (This is how the instruction materials suggest storing them, instead of placing one pot down inside the other.)

Now, if I could just find the 1 quart (N-1-B) and a 5 quart (N-5-B) and maybe the 10 inch skillet (N-10-B)  The search continues.......

Where is your Corningware??
~~