Cast Iron Chatter

A lot of people who think they can’t cook because they burn food or their food just doesn’t come out looking right.  What many of these people don’t realize is that the cookware they use could potentially be the cause of their kitchen conundrum.  Most pots and pans sold today in department stores and discount department stores don’t heat evenly, or anywhere near it.  As a result food cooked in these pots and pans comes out inconsistent.

With cast iron pots and pans that worry is erased.  Because of the way cast iron is made, and what it’s made of, cast iron is far and away one of the best heat condusctors you’ll ever find in cookware.  When it comes to even heating and consistent quality it’s tough to be cast iron.  Non-stick surfaces can be somewhat convenient but they yield unpredictable results.  Try cast iron cookware for yourself and see the difference!

If you don’t know how to set-up or properly prepare your new cast iron cookware for cooking, you’re not alone.  Many methods have been presented over the years for seasoning and prepping a new cast iron pan.  Of all the ways that have been suggested we’ve found one that works everytime, no matter what.  And the best part is, all you need is your oven and some mineral oil or shortening.

You start by heating your oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit while you’re washing your new pot with soap and a stiff brush.  After the oven is hot enough you’ll want to completely coat the pan with oil or shortening.  Put the pan in the oven for half an hour and remove it, wiping it clean, to remove any pooling oil.  Put it back in for abotyher half hour and you’re done!

It’s been known for some time that many non-stick cooking surfaces contain materials that have a proven record for causing serious illness and death in laboratory animals and human beings.  For example, DuPont has been sued for damages done to the environment as well as people with damages estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars.  Some say Teflon is more harmful to the environment than the well-known pesticide DDT.  Who knew Teflon could be so expensive?  Other non-stick materials, like those used in Calphalon and other “resilient” non-stick surfaces have been linked to breast cancer, tumors, nausea, vomiting and more.

The New England Journal of Medicine published an alert to the dangers of cooking with aluminum citing growing evidence that aluminum is directly linked to the occurence of Alzhemier’s diease.  Aluminum is found in almost all cookware, especially non-stick, with the exceptions of cast iron pots and pans or stainless steel.  The worst part is, these non-stick surfaces don’t need to be old, scratched or flaking to leech poisonous metals into food.  They do it from day one.

Cast iron cookware has been used for hundreds of years in the preparation of food.  Since mealtime in many cultures is a time of family communion and sharing, most of the tools involved become an integral part of the experience, providing ever more ways to associate our daily lives with our shared family experience.  The cast iron pan has been perhaps the most recognizable of these tools for centuries.  Despite modern innovations in creative cooking surfaces or the development of newer, “improved” alloys the popularity of cast iron persists unabated.

In my own experience a cast iron pan always brings to mind the feelings and emotions associated with quality time with my family, almost like the experiences associated with photographs or home movies.  Whenever I see a cast iron pan I know family is there.  There is a family that enjoys its own unique culture and frequently celebrates its members and their experiences through the sharing of meals.

Its uses in cooking are too many to count, its advantages equally beyond number.  Its significance as an icon of American culture only grows as almost every child in almost every family comes to associate the cast iron pan with the cherished memories and occasions of families breaking bread in unity, companionship and conviviality.