tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046190876331796690.post8511543738056720937..comments2024-03-25T00:32:02.066-07:00Comments on A Stove With A House Around It: Better for its scratchesDiannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11536755504773646702noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046190876331796690.post-10718414913661854092009-03-27T11:05:00.000-07:002009-03-27T11:05:00.000-07:00Jen, you're welcome. And good luck! By the way, ...Jen, you're welcome. And good luck! By the way, I'm so sorry I won't be able to make it for Passover...I really hope to see you guys soon!<BR/><BR/>Lydia, I had no idea Lodge has preseasoned cast iron -- must check it out!Diannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11536755504773646702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046190876331796690.post-63351698853527417782009-03-22T14:03:00.000-07:002009-03-22T14:03:00.000-07:00I have a few pieces of the Lodge preseasoned cast ...I have a few pieces of the Lodge preseasoned cast iron -- I love the head start it gives you.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046190876331796690.post-8017528381021615462009-03-20T20:38:00.000-07:002009-03-20T20:38:00.000-07:00Thanks for the detailed reply and great advice! I...Thanks for the detailed reply and great advice! I did, in fact, ruin my first cast iron skillet with too much washing. That was 18 years ago and I haven't had the guts to try again. But I think I might just have to give it another go. Cheers!The Blue Morphohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16387317327488568515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046190876331796690.post-83798839701292758352009-03-20T17:54:00.000-07:002009-03-20T17:54:00.000-07:00Hey Jennifer! So glad to see you here, and thanks...Hey Jennifer! So glad to see you here, and thanks for reading! I really appreciate it. Hope all is well with you and Andrew!<BR/><BR/>All my cast iron cookware is Lodge -- you can find it almost anywhere, including hardware stores, and it is very inexpensive. My largest skillet was only $29, if I recall correctly. When you first get it home, go ahead and give it a quick wash with hot water and dishwashing liquid, then dry it off and coat the inside of the pan with vegetable oil or shortening. Place it in a 400-degree oven for about 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, let it cool and then wipe out any excess oil with a paper towel. You can go ahead and do this a few more times if you like before using it, or you can start using it right away.<BR/><BR/>Since you are concerned about dishes that don't go through the dishwasher, maybe use it the first few times to bake breads or cakes, moving on to other uses (like frying chicken) once you're comfortable with it. A good thing to remember is that cast iron is best used in high heat situations -- on a high flame on the stove or in a very hot oven. In between uses, just wipe it clean with a paper towel and rub it with a little more vegetable oil. For a little extra cleaning, you can also sprinkle the pan with kosher salt and use it as an abrasive. Just dump out the salt and wipe clean with a paper towel and you're done. The more you use it, the more seasoned and wonderful it becomes. Just try to refrain from using lots of soap and water to clean the pan -- it will just rust and ruin the good seasoning you've got going on.<BR/><BR/>I store all my cast iron in the oven, where it's out of the way of my other cookware. It gets a little bit of extra seasoning in there, too, because my oven temp even when it's off is about 100 degrees. I hope you decide to give it a try -- it really does impart a wonderful flavor to foods cooked within it, and it will last 100 years.<BR/><BR/>Oh and one other thing: a traditional cast iron skillet might be the best place for you to start, versus a cast iron grill pan, which tends to hold onto crusty food bits within its ridges and is more difficult to clean. The flat skillet surface is easier to maintain.Diannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11536755504773646702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046190876331796690.post-31157735614441890042009-03-19T17:33:00.000-07:002009-03-19T17:33:00.000-07:00Hello Dianne! This is Jennifer (your sister in law...Hello Dianne! This is Jennifer (your sister in law :) I've been following your blog for quite a while now, but never commented until this fine moment right here. What are your recommendations for choosing and caring for a cast iron skillet? Because of my OCDs I'm sort of freaked out by dishes that don't go through the dishwasher. How do you season and maintain a skillet properly? Cheers!The Blue Morphohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16387317327488568515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046190876331796690.post-57025376468140309142009-03-19T13:22:00.000-07:002009-03-19T13:22:00.000-07:00You're probably right about that!You're probably right about that!Diannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11536755504773646702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046190876331796690.post-76717850897224734302009-03-19T11:34:00.000-07:002009-03-19T11:34:00.000-07:00grandma is doing the proverbial rolling over just ...grandma is doing the proverbial rolling over just at the thought of something so vial being in her skillet.roberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15060767673748879827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046190876331796690.post-39614226284934909642009-03-19T11:13:00.000-07:002009-03-19T11:13:00.000-07:00I will give it back if you promise to cook only to...I will give it back if you promise to cook only tofu in it.Diannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11536755504773646702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046190876331796690.post-51068901935795392492009-03-19T08:44:00.000-07:002009-03-19T08:44:00.000-07:00so that's where my grandmothers skillet is. I want...so that's where my grandmothers skillet is. I want it back.roberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15060767673748879827noreply@blogger.com