And what on earth is a cocotte?

Pictured above is a cast iron "cocotte." Which sure looks like a pot to me! Because it is a pot.

Cocotte is french for casserole, and in France, they make casseroles in cast iron pots.

Someone posted a question online, what is the difference between a dutch oven and a cast iron covered casserole? There's no difference.

I also learned today that dutch ovens are sometimes called french ovens.

So if you have a cast iron dutch oven, you have a french oven, you have a covered casserole, and you have a cocotte!

Julia Child loved to use Descoware, a brand of enameled cast iron, to make her French dishes.

While cast iron is certainly Americana, it's also popular all over the world.