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There's So Much to Love About French Confit Pots

There's so much more to love about confit pots than their beautiful appearance and striking colors. The word "confit" stems from the French word "confire", meaning "to preserve." Antique confit pots were historically used before refrigeration was invented as containers to cook and preserve duck in duck fat. The French pot itself is quite unique. Its glazed, yellow top and clay bottom differentiates it from any other pot. It is most notably recognized in Vincent van Gogh's sunflower painting, and has been a staple in kitchens for centuries.  Image courtesy of Wikipedia    The top half of the pot was typically colored a mustard yellow. Some were green and some were colorless, but confit pots are predominantly yellow. The bottom of the...

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Celebrating 25 Years: Through Mary Cordill's Eyes

I recently sat down with my Mimi, Mary Cordill, the owner and founder of English Traditions. I asked her questions regarding her experience in this business and what it feels like to celebrate 25 years of English Traditions. Her story is extremely inspirational to me as it teaches a lesson of perseverance and keeping faith in yourself, even in the hardest of times. Her responses to these questions are below.   Why did you do it? “I have always loved antiques. Living in Connecticut, I encountered many pieces of antique pine furniture and I soon realized I could buy and sell these pieces while making money on them. I absolutely loved the ‘look’ and I was ‘hooked’. I took a leap...

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