When is a pot more than just a tool? How does a pot transcend the classification of a mere container? What makes a pot beloved? It's simple: when it's from Le Creuset. For a century, Le Creuset has been producing the most coveted, collected, and cherished cookware. Perhaps it is the pioneering spirit. Perhaps it is the quality. Perhaps it is the impressive color range. Not only has the brand been a favorite among professional chefs and home cooks like Jacques Pépin, Joan Didion, and Ina Garten, to name a few, but it is also the go-to for creatives and designers. Whether Flame or Shallot, Azure or Meringue, the color choice is a reflection of personal style. Le Creuset has struck the perfect blend of design, science, and aesthetics at its foundry in Fresnoy-le-Grand, France. Here, each cast iron product passes through the hands of fifteen artisans, ensuring the result meets the highest standards. Original photography captured exclusively for this title offers readers a behind-the-scenes look at this time- honored process, from casting to molding to applying the colored enamel. Most likely, Le Creuset's popularity is due to the emotional connection it elicits. Memories of Grandmother's chicken noodle soup, a family barbecue, the first time cooking a tagine, dining with friends around a fondue pot, all come to mind. For this book, gatherings were hosted across the globe, illustrating the intangible, indescribable feeling of warmth and connection that one feels when coming together around a table to share a meal. Le Creuset: A Century of Colorful Cookware even provides a handful of recipes to inspire your next gathering. An introduction by award-winning journalist Brett Martin traces the story of how Le Creuset has played an integral role in bringing people together for a hundred years, and how it will continue to do so for the next hundred, in a blaze of colorful glory. AUTHOR: Brett Martin is a three-time James Beard Award winner for journalism and has been included in seven editions of the Best American Food Writing anthology. He writes regularly for GQ, The New York Times Magazine, Bon Appétit, and many other publications. Hardcover in a luxury slipcase