What do Good Friends and Good Cast Iron Have In Common?

Having a good friend, makes you want more.  If you are blessed with a good friend, and receive the benefits of said friendship, the more you want to put into that relationship.  A good friend will never leave you in the dark; will be there in your times of toil, and times of happiness.  A good friend will be there for you during the loss of a parent, loss of a longtime girlfriend, and will be there for you for your wedding to lightly embarrass you with a toast.  A good friend will also be there for you when you are in an awful funk, and drag your behind half way across the world, or hang out your car window and yell things at people to make you laugh (just don’t get stuck at an intersection).  Good friends are those you take care of before you take care of yourself, and guess what….if you take care of them they will be there to take care of you.

So, you are probably asking yourself what the heck are you talking about….I don’t get it!  Well, a Good Cast Iron pan will take care of you, if you take care of it.  I find nothing finer than Cast Iron.   With a little attention to detail, a Cast Iron pan will take care of you for the rest of your life.  Like a good friend, if you have a Cast Iron pan, well you will want another one.  Have you ever read that book “If you give a mouse a cookie”?  If not read it to your kids, you will not be disappointed!

I laugh when I hear people talk about how horrible their Cast Iron pans cook.  “My food sticks” or “Its rusty”.  I asked one person well did you read the instructions, and they looked at me like I was a fool.  “Why would I need to read the instructions, it’s just a pan, no different than my designer pans”.  Well, you have to take care in using Cast Iron, just like you need to take care in friendships.  That cast Iron pan you use today, if treated right will be there for your kids to use well after you are gone. 

I have a couple of Cast Iron pans.  My favorite one was bought for 5 dollars at a dump store in the Monterey area by my good friend Pops.  When I saw it I was like I am not giving you 1 red cent.  I saw it a couple of days later and I was in love.  He striped close to 50 years of hard use off this pan, and it looked like the day it was purchased off of the general store’s shelf. 

Nothing beats Cast Iron.   NOTHING.  I have cooked everything you can think of in a Cast Iron pan, Cast Iron skillet, or a Cast Iron griddle. 

Start scouring Denio’s in Roseville, or Auction City on Folsom Blvd.  Take a peek at a yard sale or two.  I guarantee you will find some lovely Cast Iron that some is getting rid of.  Chances are, they are getting rid of something that they have no idea what it is…they just look at it like an old piece of junk they found in their parents garage when they cleaned it out.  Take it home, show it some love, and it will be yours for life.  Wouldn’t it be great, to give your child, niece, nephew, a pan that they can remember you cooking breakfast for on the weekends?  ( If you have more than one kid…just buy a stash of Cast Iron.  Then when they want to fight about it they won’t be able to figure out which one is the “REAL” one.  On that note, I have 3 pieces of Cast Iron that I need to re season on the BBQ (You need your oven to be 450-500, and as you know from my last blog mine will only go to 350.  Later!