I asked my Mother how many cast iron skillets she has. And she replied “two.” One large black skillet she used for her specialty dishes and a small one that is used only for her cornbread.
She told me of when her Dad gave her this skillet when she got married and every “pone” of cornbread that she has ever made was cooked to perfection in that skillet. For 69 years she has flipped perfectly shaped, round cornbread onto the plate, piping hot from the oven. Hers has the perfect brown crust and is soft in the middle.
Cast iron is amazing and has found a resurgence of popularity in recent years. Young people are finding cast iron skillets in antique stores or sometimes finding them at their mom’s house and giving them a new home.
When Neal and I were visiting Paula Deen and Michael Groover, she brought from her oven the most perfect biscuits cooked on an iron rectangular pan. They were so crusty and good, especially with butter and honey. She has a wonderful collection of cast iron cookware and uses it every day.
While antiquing in Tennessee several years ago, I found a cast iron pan that resembled a muffin pan, but the cups were round. I had no idea what you would cook in that pan and very foolishly did not buy it. Do you know what it would have been used for? If you do, let me know. Curiosity has gotten the best of me, along with remorse for leaving that treasure in Tennessee.
I treasure my cast iron skillet and look forward to collecting some old pieces or some fabulous new ones. Make sure you season your skillet before you use it. With time, the iron will become very slick and fine.
What do you make in your cast iron cookware?
