The word “fritter” can mean many things to many people. For a New Englander, a delectable apple fritter might spring to mind. In Southeast Asia, on the other hand, a scrumptious yam prepared in a wok might be more typical. In any case, fritter is a blanket term for a food that’s dipped in batter and then deep-fat fried. It goes without saying that almost any foodstuff can be made delicious via this method, although it should be used in moderation. Try the following recipe for crab fritters - it should appeal to Pacific Northwest diners as well as those with a Southern sensibility.

Ingredients:
6 ounces crab meat
1 egg, whipped with water
2 Tsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tsp. margarine
1 clove garlic, minced
½ cup flour
½ cup skim milk
1 tsp. sherry
1 tsp. paprika
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
flour (additional)
bread crumbs

Directions:
1. Cook green pepper and garlic in margarine and EVOO in saucepan until tender. Add milk, stirring until thick.
2. Shred crab, adding sherry, cayenne pepper, and meat to pan. Allow 2 hours for chilling.
3. Form crab into small balls with a 1-Tsp. scoop. Roll them in flour and dip in mixture of egg and water. Roll in crumbs and refrigerate until ready to serve.
4. Fry 3 or 4 balls at a time in one of your cast iron deep fry pans until they are browned to satisfaction, and enjoy.

When people are cooking in the outdoors, they’re looking for recipes and cookware that are both effective and easy to use. That’s why cast iron is such a popular choice among avid campers. With a natural non-stick surface, it means that you won’t have to haul in additional butter, lard, fat, or oil.

Another reason people enjoy Lodge cast iron cookware on their various camping trips is because cast iron is so incredibly durable. While other pans run the risk of warping at high temperatures, this is not usually the case with cast iron. So you don’t have to worry about grilling those hot dogs over an intense campfire. Your cast iron pots and pans are sure to take it!

Here’s a delicious and simple recipe for a Southwest inspired egg omelet. In addition to the ingredients, you’ll need a hot surface, one of your cast iron pans, and a spatula.

Ingredients:

3 large eggs
½ cup grated pepper jack cheese
1 chopped jalapeno

Directions:

Crack your three eggs and place them in the nonstick cookware pan, then mix them around a bit.  Turn your hot surface to medium-high heat, and place the pan on top.  In about 2-3 minutes, the eggs should start to become hardened on the bottom.  This is when you will want to place the grated cheese and chopped jalapeno on one side of the egg.  Wait another minute, and then flip one half of the egg onto the other, creating the omelet.  Quick and easy, and a great way to kick off your day!

Newlyweds need so many supplies to get their lives started. They need a place to live, furniture, bedding and cookware. Without these items newlyweds might very well prefer to stay in their parents houses indefinitely. A crowded house doesn’t work for anyone. So why not use the wedding as an excuse to shower the newlyweds in your life with the gifts they need to start theirs?

Cookware is so important. Many couples want high-quality cookware that will last for years. Despite all of the newfangled materials that cookware is currently available in, cast iron cookware has stood the test of time. Cast iron is so durable that it is often passed down to future generations, meaning that your wedding gift could turn into a family heirloom.

Everybody enjoys a delicious dessert every now and then. There’s no reason to cut desserts out of the menu just because you’re camping. There are many easy dessert recipes that can be made using your Dutch oven cookware right at your camp site. Surprise your fellow campers with dinner followed by a yummy dessert. Here’s a great recipe for Apple Tort to try:

Ingredients:
~ 1 ½ lbs apples
~ ½ cup butter
~ 1 cup sugar
~ 1 tsp. cinnamon
~ 2 premade piecrusts (9-inch size)

Equipment:
~ Dutch oven
~ Frying pan
~ Paring knife

Instructions:
Peel, core and slice apples, add them to a hot skillet with butter and sugar until apples start to caramelize, add cinnamon. Dish the apples into a 15″ foil-lined Dutch oven. Place both pie crusts overlapping over the top of the apples covering as much of the apples as possible. Place the Dutch oven on top of 12 live briquettes, adding 18 live briquettes on top for about 30-45 minutes, or until pie crust is golden brown. Dump onto plate, slice and serve.

The best part of camping is when everyone gathers around the fire and eats whatever is served. Meals are usually made up of canned goods eaten straight from the can; not exactly a meal to look forward to. When my family goes into the wilderness for a few days, we always bring some cookware—especially some cast iron skillets—to prepare some quality meals.

With camping cookware, campers can enjoy a delicious meal outdoors. The cookware is made especially for the outdoors and is convenient and light enough to carry in a backpack. Camping cookware can make a meal cooked over a campfire taste like it was home made.

Many people who have spent any amount of time looking through the kitchen accessories aisle have probably come across the Dutch oven. And while this is a common staple among kitchenware, not many people could name the specific properties of a Dutch oven. With that in mind, a Dutch oven can be understood as any thick-walled cooking pot used in conjunction with a tight lid. Dutch ovens are most often constructed with a heavy duty material such as cast iron.

These products have made appearances in many different countries across the globe. To that end, in the Australian bush, they are known as a camp oven. The French version is known as a cocotte, and the British refer to it simply as a casserole dish. In the American colonies, this cooking pot went through many variations. As time progressed, the pot became increasingly shallower and legs were added so that the oven could be held over the coals. Opting for a more economical material, modern Dutch ovens often utilize ceramic or thick aluminum.

There have been huge advancements in the field of outdoor cooking. Camping cookware used to mean a small aluminum pot, a few plastic sporks, and maybe a tin cup for some black coffee. But now that campers expect a higher grade of food than hotdogs and S’mores, the camping cookware has received a similar boost. Now these cookware sets include more specialized tools such as spatulas, slotted spoons, and more.

The pots and pans, however, are where the real improvements have been made. The camping dishes available today are most often made of cast iron or some similar heavy duty material; you can even find enameled cast iron cookware. That means these dishes will not only last you for years of outdoor events, but it will also offer delicious meals. In fact, they’re such high quality that you can even take these dishes into the kitchen in your home!

With all the latest innovations in cooking gadgets that are out in the market today, it is amazing that the cast iron skillet has surpassed the test of time. Nothing seems to last as long in the kitchen as that old iron skillet. Cast iron cookware is a heat conductor, which means it heats consistently and evenly. Hence, it is the old fashioned way to cook fat-free food. In addition, investing in a complete set of cast iron cookware will not affect your budget because it is quite affordable and will last a lifetime.

A cast iron skillet can go from stove to oven, and you don’t need any special utensils to cook with it, compared to Teflon type cooking pans. They are easy to clean and don’t warp. No wonder most our grandmothers had cast iron skillets. They were usually passed down to the next generation. There are many dependable brands out there, but I prefer Old Mountain cookware.

As most parents will readily attest, kids have simple, unsophisticated tastes in food. Their taste buds haven’t fully matured, and in many cases they cling to their old favorites more out of a sense of comfort and security than anything else. It’s in the best interest of kids to try new things, of course, and parents should convince them to do so in subtle ways. Why not start with a traditional childhood favorite: pizza.

Rather than ordering a few pies for delivery, take out a few cast iron baking pans and allow the kids to decorate the dough with their favorite toppings. Mushrooms, onions, green peppers and tomatoes are healthy additions that shouldn’t prove too jarring to a child’s palate. Make a deal with them beforehand that they must try at least one new ingredient before regressing back to cheese and pepperoni.