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Here is a little bit about the history of cast iron cookware…  If you read the whole article, you will find an apple pecan cobbler recipe at the bottom.  If you don’t know much about cooking with cast iron cookware, you also might want to have a look at Cooking in Cast Iron: Yesterday’s Flavors for Today’s Kitchen to get some ideas.

Via: HoumaToday.com

(…)

Cast iron is basically iron that is poured into a mold to create some useful implement. Cast-iron pots and pans are made in this way. Pots and cauldrons were originally made from brass because iron could not be worked, until furnaces creating heat enough to melt it were invented (about 513 B.C. in China and not until 1100 A.D. or so in England).

At this point, pots could be made by making molds out of sand and pouring molting metal into the mold.

The original cooking pots generally had three legs because they were designed to be used over an open fire. Cooking in the home was done in the hearth or fireplace. Stoves with tops for cooking did not come into common usage until the 1700s. This allowed tremendous advancement in cookware, especially cast-iron cooking when pots and pans began to be made in mass quantities.

By 1776, Adam Smith, in his book, “The Wealth of Nations”, could note that the actual wealth of the nation was not its gold, but in its manufacture of pots and pans. Cast-iron cookware was highly valued in the 18th century. George Washington’s mother thought so much of her cookware she made special note to bequeath her cast iron in her will. In their expedition to the Louisiana Territory in 1804, Lewis and Clark indicated that their cast-iron Dutch oven was one of their most important pieces of equipment.

In the 1800s, cast-iron cookware enjoyed tremendous popularity. Manufacturers that arose during that time include Wagner, Lodge, Griswold and John Wright. Some of these manufacturers are extinct today. In the late 1800s, enameled cast-iron cookware became popular and is still commonly used for Dutch ovens. In the 1900s, cookware made from other materials began to become popular, stainless steel, aluminum and pans with Teflon coatings. Today, cast-iron cookware, because of its many qualities and questions about the health effects of other metals, is experiencing a resurgence in popularity. Cooking in cast iron is known to greatly increase the dietary source of iron.

This is especially true when cooking foods high in acid, such as tomato-based sauces. There is less of an effect for foods that are quickly fried in the skillet. As you might expect frequent stirring of food also will increase the amount of iron. Cooking in cast iron can often provide all of this element that a body needs.
HOW TO SEASON CAST-IRON COOKWARE

Seasoning is the process of allowing oil to be absorbed into the iron, creating a nonstick, rustproof finish.

* Wash with hot, soapy water and a stiff brush. Rinse and dry completely.

* Oil the cookware (inside and out) with melted solid vegetable shortening.

* Turn upside down on the top rack of a 350-degree pre-heated oven.

* Put aluminum foil on the bottom rack to catch any excess drippings.

* Bake the cookware for one hour at 350 degrees.

* Let the cookware cool slowly in the oven.

* Store, uncovered, in a dry place when cooled.

Read the whole article

Via: Kalamazoo Gazette Extra

Grease it: First wash it and dry it completely. Then apply a thin layer of shortening or oil over the entire surface, inside and out, including the lid. Just don’t use butter or any other fat with a low smoke point. If you want to be a geek about it, corn and soy oils are the best at bonding and creating that hard layer.

Bake it: Put the cookware upside down in a preheated 350-degree oven for an hour. (First, place some foil on the bottom of the oven to catch any drips.) You don’t want an excess of oil sitting in your pot because any oil not absorbed will turn rancid and ruin the taste of your food. Be patient; let these thin layers build up slowly over time.
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Use it: The more you use the cookware, the better it gets. Each time you heat up some oil for cooking, you’re essentially seasoning the pot again. But don’t store food in the pot unless you like the taste of metal — cast iron isn’t nonreactive. Besides, the acids in the food can break down the seasoning if left in contact with it for too long.

Clean it: Real cast-iron aficionados say hot water and a nylon brush are all it takes to clean a pot. Truly rustic types rub it with salt rather than a brush to scour away stuck-on food. However, those of us who get nervous about washing without suds can use a mild soap. But dishwashers, metal utensils and harsh scouring pads are expressly forbidden.

Store it: Pots that don’t get a lot of use should be wiped with a very thin layer of oil before they get put away, especially those washed with soap. Don’t use anything that goes rancid quickly, like olive or nut oils. Store pots with the lid off or put a paper towel between the lid and the pot to keep moisture from building up inside and causing rust. If the pot does get some rust, it’s not a lost cause. Just scour off the rust and reseason the pan.

Tips for enameled pots and pan

Enamel coatings eliminate the need for seasoning your cast-iron pot or pan. But they do have their own quirks.

They can scratch: Use wooden, plastic or nylon utensils and scouring pads instead of metal.

They can stain: Particularly lighter colors. To remove stains, soak the pots for several hours in a solution of 1 teaspoon bleach to 1 pint of water.

They can chip: Dropping and banging pots are obvious culprits, but excessive heat or temperature change can also cause chipping of the enamel. Don’t leave an empty pot on heat, don’t put it directly in a campfire and don’t plunge a hot pot into cold water.

Handles shouldn’t get too hot: The handles on enameled pots are usually made of heat-resistant metal or plastic, but they should still not be heated above 450 degrees.

Some may go in the dishwasher: But think twice before putting a Staub pot in the dishwasher. The black matte enamel that Staub uses is porous, so it gets seasoned with each use. Although it can be treated like regular enamel, heavy use of the dishwasher may cause the coating to develop some white marks. It will also remove the enamel’s seasoning. This won’t ruin the pot, but if you want a supremely nonstick surface, wash it with hot water or mild soap to keep the seasoning intact.

Edges can rust: The edges of the pots and lids are often not enameled. To protect them from rust, apply a thin layer of vegetable oil before storing them.

Via: Inside Bay Area

Serves 10

The key to sauteing mushrooms is to have adequate heat and not crowd them in the pan. This allows them to caramelize, which concentrates their flavor.

1 large russet potato

1 pound fresh chanterelle mushrooms, cleaned

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

10 large eggs

¼ cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons white truffle oil

½ cup grated parmesan

Unsalted butter, as needed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel the potato and slice to ¼-inch thickness. Heat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, and melt enough butter to coat the sliced potatoes.

2. Add the potatoes, season with salt and pepper, and coat them with the butter. Place whole skillet in the oven, and roast potatoes until tender, about 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, saute the chanterelles in a small amount of butter (you may use half olive oil if you’d like), in a large frying pan over high heat. Saute until the juices are released and reduced to a thick sauce, and the chanterelles have begun to caramelize. Remove the chanterelles from the heat; season with the chopped garlic, thyme, salt and pepper.

4. Whisk the eggs with cream, truffle oil, salt and pepper. To assemble the frittata, arrange the potatoes
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in a tidy layer that covers the bottom of the skillet. Add the chanterelles on top of the potatoes in another tidy layer. Pour the egg mixture over the chanterelles, making sure the tops of all of the mushrooms are moistened.

5. Sprinkle the parmesan over the top of the egg mixture. Bake the frittata until the eggs are completely set and the edges are golden, about 30 minutes. Let the frittata rest for about 5 minutes. Using a thin spatula, gently and carefully remove the frittata from the pan onto a cutting board. A long serrated knife works well for slicing.

Calories ect per serving

Via: wtop.com

Going Dutch is getting seriously stylish.

Dutch ovens, that is. After some 300 years as a staid kitchen workhorse, these heavy cast-iron pots have become must-have accessories for the cook who wants it all. And until recently, bragging rights could set you back hundreds of dollars.

But the success of high-end brands such as Le Creuset, whose iconic brightly colored pots are as much display pieces as cookware, has spawned a fast-growing kitchenware niche of cheaper knockoffs.

Suddenly splashy enameled cast-iron Dutch ovens seem to be everywhere. Martha Stewart has her own line at Macy’s, while versions bearing the names of celebrity chefs Mario Batali, Paula Deen and Rachael Ray are at retailers nationwide.

Even Lodge Manufacturing Company, the South Pittsburg, Tenn.-based maker of workaday cast-iron pans, during the past four years has launched two lines (mid- and low-cost) of colored enamel versions of its Dutch oven.

Full Story

Via: The SouthtownStar

Be sure to serve this light, baked pancake from Lou Seibert Pappas’ “A Harvest of Pumpkins and Squash” as soon as it comes out of the oven. Cast-iron skillets work particularly well with baked pancakes.

SAUTEED APPLE-PUMPKIN OVEN PANCAKE

4 large eggs

2/3cup canned pumpkin

2/3cup whole milk

2/3cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8teaspoon salt

11/2 teaspoons cinnamon, divided

4 tablespoons packed light brown sugar, divided

3 tablespoons butter, divided

4 large apples, peeled, cored and cut into3/8-inch slices

Powdered sugar, for dusting

Heat the oven to 425 F. Place a large cast-iron skillet or a 10- or 11-inch round souffle or casserole dish in the oven to heat.

In a blender, combine the eggs, pumpkin, milk, flour, vanilla, salt, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon and 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar. Blend for a few seconds to just mix the ingredients. Scrape the sides and blend again to incorporate. Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the apples and saute until just tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon. Stir to coat the apples, then remove the skillet from the heat.

Remove the cast-iron skillet from the oven and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, tilting to coat the bottom.

Spoon the sauteed apples over the bottom of the cast-iron skillet. Pour the batter over the hot apples, then bake until puffed and golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately.

Start to finish: 40 minutes (15 minutes active)

Servings: 6 to 8

(Recipe adapted from Lou Seibert Pappas’ “A Harvest of Pumpkins and Squash,” Chronicle Books, 2008)

Copyright 2008 Associated Press

Via: GREEN SPACE

This is not the first Green Space recommending that its readers go back to basics — like using baking soda for cleaning and cloth bags for grocery shopping — and it won’t be the last.

This time, we’re taking on the mighty Teflon. When discovered in the 1940’s, it was touted as a non-stick alternative to old cooking standbys. But after all these years, people are turning a 180 and heading right back to cast iron.

It’s been around forever and there’s good reason for that. It heats evenly, can add a healthy dosage of iron to food, it’s cheap and, subjectively, it makes things taste good.

On the environmental tip it is good as well: it is completely recyclable and, even better, it lasts so long you’ll probably never need to. Heirloom cookware anybody?

Also, if you’re one to (rightfully) fret about carcinogens in everyday items, the Environmental Working Group has studies that show that PTFE (polytetrafluoroethene), the chemical that makes Teflon coating, can begin to release carcinogens when heated. Kind of a problem for something that will literally be sitting on a hotplate for many of its hours.

Some teflon tips: After an initial cleaning, don’t use soap on a cast iron pan. Hot water and a plastic scrub brush will do the job. Season the pan after you buy it with a thin layer of oil, then bake it in. You’re now good to go for a long, long time.

Full Story

If you like cast iron cookware, there is one thing you absolutely need to have if you want to enjoy handling your cast iron skilled, griddle or bread pan - and that is oven mittens.

Oven mittens come in different shapes and designs.  Sometimes they are sold individually, sometimes you can purchase them as a pair.  If you compare prices, this is something to pay attention to.

As for advantages and disadvantages of different designs, consider what kind of oven you have or plan on using.  Some mittens protect the arm too, some just go over the hands - pick what you prefer.

This is indeed a very handy piece of cookware to have - a Dutch oven !

Just in case you don’t know what  Dutch oven is, or know it under a different name: a Dutch oven is a thick-walled cooking pot with a tight-fitting lid. You can use them for long, slow cooking, so you can make roasts, stews or casserolles in it.

If you only have a cast iron skillet so far, a Dutch oven would be the perfect companion for it.  With these two, you can cook almost everything unless you wish to get real fancy.

Here is what we use most in our homestead kitchen: Our 12-inch cast iron skillet.

No matter if you saute freshly picked vegetables, fry potatoes or eggs, make French toast or fry rice, this skillet will do the job excellently. If you plan on buying cast iron cookware and only want to start out with one piece, this should be your choice.