Ramekin is thought to come from a Dutch word for "toast" or the German for "little cream."




Name

Ramekin

Variant

Ramequin, Ramekin dish.

Pronounced

(ramə kin)[RAM-ih-kihn]ræməkin

Function

English Noun

Plural

Ramekins

Hypernym

A type of dish

Purpose

Cooking

Etymology

French Ramequin from Low German ramken, diminutive of cream, circa 1706. middle Dutch rammeken (cheese dish) dialect variant of rom (cream), similar to old English ream and German rahm. Ancient French cookbooks refer to ramekins as being garnished fried bread.


Meaning

1. A food mixture, (casserole) specifically a preparation of cheese, especially with breadcrumbs and/or eggs or unsweetened pastry baked on a mould or shell.

2. With a typical volume of 50-250 ml (2-8 oz), it is a small fireproof glass or earthenware individual dish similar in size and shape to a cup, or mould used for cooking or baking and serving sweet or savoury foods.

3. Formerly the name given to toasted cheese; now tarts filled with cream cheese.

4. A young child usually between the ages of 3 months and 11 years exhibiting a compulsion to force or "ram" their head into various objects and structures.

These days, a ramekin is generally regarded as a small single serve heatproof serving bowl used in the preparation or serving of various food dishes, designed to be put into hot ovens and to withstand high temperatures. They were originally made of ceramics but have also been made of glass or porcelain, commonly in a round shape with an angled exterior ridged surface. Ramekins have more lately been standardized to a size with a typical volume of 50-250 ml (2-8 ounce) and are now used for serving a variety of sweet and savoury foods, both entrée and desert.

They are also an attractive addition to the table for serving nuts,dips and other snacks. Because they are designed to hold a serving for just one person, they are usually sold in sets of four, six, or eight. Ramekins now are solid white, round, with a fluted texture covering the outside, and a small lip. Please bear in mind that whatever you ask for them on Internet auction sites, someone is still getting the same thing in an op shop for peanuts.

However, there are hundreds of decorative ramekins that came in a variety of shapes and sizes. They came in countless colours and finishes and many were made by our leading artists and ceramicists. My collection has ramekins with One handle only, fixed to the body at one point only. If it has no handle, it is a bowl. If it has two, it is a casserole dish. But the glory day of the Australian Studio Art ramekin is well and truly over. See some here, ask questions or leave answers.

P.S. Remember, just as real men don't eat quiche, real ramekins don't have lids or two handles. Also remember, two handles makes it a casserole dish. Also, please note If it aint got a handle, it's just a bowl.

P.P.S. To all you cretins who advertise your ramekins by associating them with "Eames" or "Eames Era". Get your hand off it, you are not kidding anyone. The Eames people have told me that they never made ramekins.

P.P.P.s To all the illiterates out there in cyberspace, just as there is no "I" in team, there is no "G" in Ramekin. I am the Rameking, they are ramekins.

If you have a set of Grandma's ramekins at the back of a kitchen cupboard, have a look through the site, maybe you will identify them. Thank-you for looking.

There are many of you out there that have knowledge of Australian pottery. Please let me know if you have anything that I can add to the notes. It is important to get the information recorded. You probably know something that nobody else does.

Please note that while your comments are most welcome, any that contain a link to another site will no longer be published.

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Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Geo



Designer        
George Guccione
Maker
George Guccione
Marks
Incised “Geo” to base
Material
Clay
Description
Wheel thrown bowl with unglazed foot ring.  Light green glaze to interior and exterior with black oxide colour to rim and lip.  Angled closed end handle to exterior with small hole to closed end.
Condition
Good
Number
No number
Production Date
Late 1970s/early 1980s
Width at rim
130mm
Width at Base
73mm
Depth
50mm
Length (with handle)
168mm
Weight
295gm
Volume
375ml
Acquisition
Purchase
Murray Bridge second hand shop
29 April 2014.
Rameking Reference Number
GEO 001-006


How these came to Australia or when is anybody's guess. They appear to have been made by George Guccione who began as a potter in 1968 and is still working from his home studio Georamics in Mission Viejo, Orange County California USA at the Geo Guccione Pottery. Even though he has been a potter for over 45 years, he has had a variety of other jobs during that time. He has a BA from Long Beach State (1966) and an MA from Whittier College (1972). As well as a potter, he has been a bartender (who hasn't), ATM technician, collection agent (not an easy job) announcer and ceramics instructor.

George hand throws and makes all his output and his motto is “One of a kind made one at a time.” His work is all stoneware and porcelain and hand thrown. His work fits in well with my philosophy of collecting functional pieces as George makes only food related products, being for cooking, serving, eating and drinking. Although he will do commissions. His work is microwave safe, but these appear to be earlier pieces and I won't have them anywhere near a microwave.

Short of a trip to the good old US of A, his output can be found for sale on E-Bay and Etsy.