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The Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook

The Cast Iron Skillet CookbookSome say that a cast iron skillet is the only piece of cookware that they really need in order to cook all of their favorite foods. It works on the stove top, in the oven, outdoors over an open flame and, as long as it is not unusually shallow, can even be used to boil water. While I personally appreciate the fact that I have more than a few pans in my kitchen already, a cast iron skillet is certainly a versatile and affordable tool. The Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook is a book that aims to educate cooks on all the various ways that you can use a cast iron skillet and the many, many recipes that it is well-suited for.

The book emphasizes homey, comfort foods.  As you can imagine with a book that emphasizes using just one pan, the recipes are mostly easy to make and are not time consuming. The chapters include Breakfast, Appetizers, Entrees, Sides, Outdoor Cookery and Desserts, and the recipes range from Crispy Lamb Skewers to Wild Mushroom Crostini to Mom’s Banana Bread. Not only does the book provide you with a lot of choices, but it really does give you a well-rounded look at what a cast iron skillet can do. It’s perfect for those who have never cooked with one, but those who are already fans of cast iron cookware will probably enjoy the wide variety of recipes. The only down side is that there aren’t a lot of photos to accompany the recipes; you’ll have to wait until you do some cooking to see (and taste!) the results.

Recipes aside, one of the most important parts of the cookbook comes during the introduction, where the author provides readers with an “all about your pan” type of introduction.  It includes information on how to season, clean and maintain your cast iron cookware to get the most out of it. It may be a versatile pan, but as those who have cooked with them before know, they do need a bit of special treatment out of the box (seasoning the metal) compared to nonstick and stainless steel cookware.

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7 Comments
  • Mom24@4evermom
    January 12, 2009

    Thanks! I’m a cast-iron newbie, so I’ll have to check this out. For years I was too afraid to use cast iron on my smooth top range, but now I’m like whatever–I’ll be careful and it’s scratched a bit anyway. I think as long as I place, not slide, it will be all right. So far I am loving my pans–a 12 inch skillet and a double burner grill.

  • Dani
    January 12, 2009

    cast iron skillet = comfort!!!

  • Alejandra
    January 12, 2009

    I love that you reviewed this book! I have been seeing it on Amazon and meaning to check it out.

  • Aaron
    January 12, 2009

    It’s great that they start out with a section about cast iron, as I think that’s the thing that prevents most people from using them. I knew I needed to season it and be careful cooking certain foods in it before I ever used one, but I didn’t really know the details about it, so I avoided using cast iron for years before finally seeing it explained in a useful way by Alton Brown.

    Now I know how easy it is to care for them, and I wonder why it seemed so hard before. I guess the same could be said of a lot of elements of cooking – I used to think making yeast breads was hard, now it’s old hat.

  • Max
    January 12, 2009

    A great book. My wife picked this up for me for Christmas. I have yet to actually make anything, but I spent much of Christmas Day reading through it. The warm pear upside down cake looks amazing. I can’t wait to give it a shot.

  • Dayna
    January 13, 2009

    Thanks for this review. My husband made me a fan of cast iron and I am always looking for reasons to use my skillets and dutch oven. I look forward to checking this book out.

  • chiara
    January 14, 2009

    Buongiorno,

    complimenti per il blog è veramente interessante.
    Vorrei chiedervi se è possibile inserire il link del blog della
    Mia scuola di cucina internazionale Italcook (www.italcook.it)
    Nel vostro blog: http://www.italcook.blogspot.com

    In attesa di una vostra risposta
    Cordiali Saluti
    Chiara Callimaci

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