Last week I picked up a couple of andouille sausages.  I bought the Hartmann’s brand at Wegmans.  I usually buy D’Artagnon brand, but… when in Rome and all that…

I sliced them up and threw them into the Le Creuset braiser with a splash of olive oil and a chopped onion.

I then added a can of (drained) roman beans, a can of diced tomatoes, and a cup of chicken broth.  When it came to a boil, I added about 3/4 cup of mahogany rice, and it went into a 350° oven for 45 minutes.  I did not need to add any other spices.  The andouille was nicely spicy-hot and flavorful.

And speaking of Le Creuset… I love that pan.  It’s perfect for risotto or paella, or braising anything…

When Victor and I merged households lo, these many moons ago, he brought the Le Creuset, and the first of the Calphalon.  I had the KitchenAid Mixer and we both had the Wüsthof knives.  Ours was definitely a marriage made in the kitchen!

Almost all of this stuff is 23 to close to 30 years old.  I know that I got the mixer in 1987 at Service Merchandise in South San Francisco.  Victor started with the Le Creuset in 1980 or 81. He bought it at a store in Philadelphia called Bon Appetit.  Linda – of “Our Biannual Dinner with Linda and David” – was the manager there at the time and got him started on it and the knives.  Linda has always had good taste!

It’s nice to know that we will never, ever have to buy another pot, pan, or knife so long as we both shall live!