How to Properly Store Cast Iron Cookware

First a confession. As a Harley rider, I do not really like the idea of storing a bike nor of transporting it on a trailer. Reality suggests that at times both must be done.

Likewise the idea of cast iron cookware being put aside in storage is not my favorite image.  Cast iron is best when it is used every day. Using it properly and cleaning it correctly keeps it in peak condition and allows it to build up the best seasoning and patina. However if it must be stored, here are some things you might want to consider:

• place a layer of paper towels or a cloth if you prefer on the shelf
• turn the cookware upside down to store
• make sure air can circulate around your cast iron cookware
• do not place the lids on the dutch oven or  frying pan. Cast iron needs to have ample circulation of air and the lids will lock in air and will cause the baked in oil to become rancid.
• never store food in your cast iron cookware.


Lodge Cornbread Wedge Pan



Our Cast Iron Cookware

When you are ready to use your cast iron cookware again, and hopefully that will be soon, you will want to:

• rinse your cookware with warm, non-soapy water (never in a dishwasher!) Soap will remove the seasoning from your cookware.
• dry carefully with a clean cloth or paper towels

Cast iron cookware is a joy to use and can make the most modest cook seem like a professional chef. It retains and distributes heat in a remarkable fashion and is a great nonstick cooking surface.

This cast iron cookware would love to live at your house:

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Cast Iron Cookware Shop With Healthy Dinner Suggestions for Your Family

Salmon with Tarragon Mayo

Salmon is not a mild-tasting fish, so what do you do? Make a creamy sauce of low-fat yogurt, mayonnaise, and herbs. This will balance the flavors and makes the dish cool and refreshing. Serve the salmon on a bed of couscous flavored with the light, wine-based poaching liquid from the fish. This will eliminate a high sodium broth.

Preparation and cooking time: 35 minutes

Ingredients You Will Need:

4 (4 ounce) salmon steaks or fillets
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 to 2 bay leaves
Strip of pared lemon zest

Mayonnaise
4 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons chopped
fresh tarragon

Couscous
1 cup couscous
4 tomatoes, roughly chopped
3 scallions, chopped
2 cups watercress, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper

Preparation:

1. Place the salmon in a deep-sided, nonstick skillet. Pour the wine over it and add the bay leaves, lemon zest, and seasoning to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and poach the salmon until just cooked, about 5 to 6 minutes. It should still be very slightly translucent in the center.

2. Meanwhile, stir together the mayonnaise, yogurt, grated lemon zest, and tarragon. Season lightly with salt and pepper and spoon the mixture into a serving bowl.

3. When the fish is cooked, drain off most of the cooking liquid into a measuring cup, and add enough boiling water to make 1 1/2 cups. Cover the pan with a lid to keep the salmon warm, off the heat.

4. Pour the diluted fish broth over the couscous in a bowl and leave for 3 to 4 minutes for the liquid to be absorbed. Fluff up the couscous with a fork and stir in the chopped tomatoes, scallions, and watercress. Drizzle the olive oil and lemon juice over it, and stir to blend everything together. Season slightly with salt and pepper.

5. Serve the warm salmon with the couscous salad and the tarragon mayonnaise.

Serves 4

Some More Ideas:
Low-fat sour cream can be used for making the sauce in place of the yogurt and mayonnaise.

For a watercress sauce, replace the tarragon with 1/4 cup chopped watercress.

For special occasions: Cook a whole salmon and serve it garnished with twists of lemon and sprigs of fresh tarragon. To cook salmon, season and wrap loosely in a large sheet of foil coated with cooking spray, then bake in a preheated 350°F oven until fish flakes easily with a fork, allowing 10 minutes per pound.

Plus Points:
# Combining mayonnaise with plain low-fat yogurt makes a lighter sauce that is lower in calories and fat than mayonnaise alone.

# Incorporating low-fat dairy products into sauces and soups is a good way to increase calcium and protein intake. Exchanges: starch 2 1/2, vegetable 2, meat (lean) 3, fat 1

Nutrition Facts:
Per serving: calories 463, calories from fat 138, fat 15g, saturated fat 3g, cholesterol 73mg, sodium 247mg, carbohydrate 46g, fiber 4g, sugars 11g, protein 33g. Excellent source of niacin, phosphorus, potassium, riboflavin, thiamine, vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C.

(Readers Digest, taken from from Eat to Beat Diabetes)

TASTE THE FOOD NOT THE COOKWARE WITH CAST IRON COOKWARE

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Let Cast Iron Cookware Put Money In Your Pocket

Tourists and locals alike in big cities around the world  are warned to be wary of pickpockets. It can happen anywhere, on the street, on the bus or subway, or while waiting in a line. The pickpockets work alone or in teams, and they utilize a cleaver strategy.  While one guy on the right distracts the victim, another guy on the left slips a hand into the target’s bag or pocket and snags the wallet. There it is. Pickpocketing.

A British broadband company called TalkTalk is reversing this age-old practice. Aware that people are suffering in the economic downturn, they hired 20 former pickpockets and magicians to roam around London to slip cash into pockets and purses.

Put-pocketing. The amounts range from five to 20 pounds.  A 20 pound note is the equivalent of 32 dollars.

Aware that people are suffering in the economic crisis, 20 former pickpockets have turned over a new leaf and are now trawling London’s tourist sites slipping money back into unsuspecting pockets. Along with the money comes a card saying, “Another brighter idea from TalkTalk.”

“The London police are OK with it. Nothing criminal whatsoever.”

Not a single put-pocket has been smacked by someone mistaking them for a pickpocket. Put-pockets say it’s far easier than pickpocketing.

Every time I put money back in someone’s pocket, I feel less guilty about the fact I spent many years taking it out.

London’s police have been briefed about the plan, which will see at least 100,000 pounds given away. (Reporting by Luke Baker, editing by Kate Kelland).

Nancy Gibbs (Essay in TIME, September 7, 2009) writes about the “cash for Clunkers”. Gibbs writes: “What does it tell us about our national character when the most popular government program in years is an economically dubious, environmentally negligible, politically lazy handout from 99% of the population to the other 1%, all aimed at reviving the economy from its vegetative?” So is our government pickpocketing or put-pocketing? Only time will tell.

How can cast iron cookware put money in your pocket? For one thing, it is relatively inexpensive compared to other types of cookware. Therefore it can save you money on your initial investment.

Cast Iron Cookware can also put money in your pocket because you will not be investing again in cookware. Cast iron cookware lasts for generations. You will be able to pass your pots, pans, skillets, dutch ovens and roasters on to your children and grandchildren.

Cast iron Cookware puts money in your pocket by being environmentally friendly and energy efficient. It heats evenly and hold the heat long after having been removed from the source of heat.

Let Cast Iron Cookware put money in your pocket in these times of economic crisis.

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Cast Iron Cookware and Tips For Healthy Eating From Your Grill

There is no doubt about it. Nothing can be more relaxing (almost like riding my Harley) than to fire up the barbecue or gas grill. It gets the endorphins going and provides a sociable, relaxing time in the backyard, tailgating or camping. What is really interesting is the fact that it’s reported to be a particularly beneficial and healthy cooking technique for people with diabetes. (subject for another post). Here are some ways to get the best benefits from grilling.

Tip # 1: Fill the grill with seafood and lean cuts of meat. We even use veggie burger or veggie chicken patties. If you bypass the fatty burgers and bratwursts, you will not necessarily be bypassing taste. Admittedly fat tastes good but what does it do for our arteries? Healthier choices include skinless chicken breasts, beef tenderloin or sirloin (read the label for fat content), and fish.

Tip # 2: Watch a chicken “strip“. It is really not that “sexy” and you will have to help your chicken “disrobe” (or you can leave the skin on while it’s cooking to seal in moisture, and pull it off afterward). It will save you a load of calories and saturated fat — which hamper insulin sensitivity and increase the risk of heart disease.

Tip # 3: Give your chicken a bath. Bathe meats in a vinegar-based marinade. A study conducted at Arizona State University found that eating 4 tablespoons of cider vinegar before eating a high glycemic-index meal (one that includes foods that tend to raise blood sugar quickly) lowered the effect of the meal on participants’ blood sugar by about 55 percent. Low-fat Italian vinaigrette salad dressing with extra vinegar added will even do the trick. You also can experiment with your own marinades using vinegar, olive oil, wine, lemon juice, lime juice, garlic, and herbs.

Tip # 4 Splurge on grilling lessons. Grilling may seem simple, and it is — if you know how to do it properly. You’d be surprised at how valuable even a few simple grilling secrets can be. Do you know how often to flip a piece of meat and when to do it? How to tell when the food is done without cutting into it? The more you know, the more fun you’ll have.

Tip # 5: Skewer some squash, portabello mushrooms, eggplant, and zucchini. Many of your favorite fruits and vegetables will pick up an alluring new taste when grilled. Sliced squash, eggplant, bell pepper, portabello mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, pineapple, peaches, and apricots all fare well on a grill. Coat veggies with a little olive oil before adding to the grill. For small or thin slices that might fall through the bars of your grill grate, use skewers or special grilling baskets, which you can buy in home improvement and cooking stores.

Tip # 6: Packet cooking. Grill delicate foods in packets. I really like this one! Making dinner on the grill doesn’t automatically mean charbroiled meat and corn on the cob. Packet cooking lets you cook all sorts of foods on the grill. Put out a variety of vegetables (bell peppers, onion, snap peas, corn, etc.) and seasonings and let each member of the family design his or her own packet. Just center the ingredients on a large sheet of aluminum foil, add a little olive oil or broth, then fold up the sides, leaving some room for steam to circulate inside. Set the packets on the grill. This strategy works particularly well for delicate or quick-cooking foods, such as fish and boneless chicken breast. Even lean meats stay tender. (Adapted from readersdigest.com “6 tips for healthier grilling“)

Lodge’s BBQ GRILL-GRATE grills those vegetables AND holds them on the grill. There is no “veggie escape” into the coals. It also holds those delicate fish in place. This cast iron grill cooks your steaks, sausage, bacon and other meats evenly without flame damage. It is great for camping and grilling on the beach.

This professional size grill griddle combination from the Lodge Logic series measures 20 by 10 1/2 inches. The actual cooking surface is 19 1/4 by 8 1/2 inches. Use this large grill/griddle combo over two burners on your stove top or over your campfire. One side is ridges for grilling steaks, sausages and hamburgers. The reverse side is smooth for cooking pancakes, eggs or grilled cheese sandwiches. This reversible Cast Iron pan allows the drippings to drain into a gutter where it can be used for flavor or discarded. A loop handle on each end allow for safe usage. Use indoors or outdoors .

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Mamita’s Fajitas Con Cast Iron Cookware Fajita Skillet

In Spanish, fajita is the diminutive form of the word faja. It means to “belt” or “girdle” in English. The use of the word “fajita” has evolved from the term for a cut of beef to include the cooking method. Therefore you have chicken fajitas as well as beef (skirt steak). It also defines the grilled strips of peppers and onions that usually accompany the meat. The exact time in which the dish was named fajitas is unclear.

In many restaurants, the fajita meat is brought to the table sizzling loudly on a metal platter or skillet. It includes the tortillas and condiments served on the side. Make “fajitas” at home with a 15 3/4″ x 7 5/8″ x 1 3/4″ Skillet/Griddle by Universal. This pre-seasoned skillet/griddle is ideal for Fajitas with your family’s favorite meats and veggies. Grill your favorite steak, chicken, pork, fish or tofu. Onions and peppers saute to a perfection. Use your Cast Iron Skillet for other dishes as well. Your meals taste better with Cast Iron.

But most of all you will want to use this fajaita skillet to make fajitas como las de Mamita.

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Enjoy the Steak, the Sear Marks, the Sizzle with Cast Iron Cookware

When it comes to eating steak, enjoy all your sensory possibilities:

Sight Take in the beauty of the wonderful sears marks left by your cast iron griddle Nothing can “brand” your beef (pork, tuna,etc.) like cast iron cookware.

Aroma What a sensory sensation! It is a great preview of things to come off your cast iron grill. Maybe that is why I like to take a nap before I go to bed. It is a preview of how I will enjoy sleeping when I retire to bed. (Age has nothing to do with it!)

Sound. Stay close enough to your cast iron grill to hear the “sizzle” of your steaks grilling. Music to the ears.

Tactile. You might want to use cooking utensils such as forks or tongs.Even though you are tempted to touch or caress your steaks use your utensils.

Taste. Without a doubt this amounts to saving the best until last. The thing you will appreciate about your cast iron cookware griddle is that “Cast Iron Cookware allows you to taste the food not the cookware“.

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Cast Iron Cookware and 10 Ways to Enjoy Your Family

Even as Summer is Coming to an End, there are many ways to have fun with your family. Here are ten ways you and Your family can enjoy each other and summer.

1. Camp out in your great back yard with the kids. Pitch a tent and make memories and not travel expenses. Use a Firepit Cookout Set to make pies. Roast dogs or marshmallows. The kids will love them. How about S’Mores for dessert.

2.Create a family challenge and work together to reach it. It might be to ride bikes for 10 miles, or to hike a wilderness trail. Use your imagination.

3. Borrow a karaoke machine and spend an evening of singing and being silly.

4. Wash the car(s) in your bathing suits. The cars will get clean and a water fight will no doubt occur.

5.Prepare a meal together. Make pancakes on your cast iron griddle

6. Host a movie night. Invite friends or neighbors, pop corn and enjoy a favorite family flick.

7.Get in your neighbor’s dirt. Look for an older couple or a single mom in your neighborhood and offer to pull weeds, care for plants or mow grass.

8. Have a reading picnic. Take a picnic lunch and your favorite books to a shady spot.

9. Host a rubber duck race.Label rubber ducks with a marker and find a flowing stream. Cheer for them as they race.

10. Take a mini-vacation. Tour a historic site, or a place you have never been. Choose a place locals usually avoid.

This Rome Cookout Set includes one square cast iron Pie Iron, one round cast iron Pie Iron, one S’more Maker and eight hot dog and marshmallow picnic forks. Enjoy these cast iron cookware accessories with your cast iron camp cooking. Along with your cast iron camp dutch oven and your Sportsman”s Grill, include this camping accessory to complement your cast iron camp cookware.

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Cast Iron Cookware for Grid Iron Cooking

Cast Iron Cookware for Grid Iron cooking is here. Pork on the grill, pigskins on the field. Beef searing, crowds cheering. What a fun time of the year. It may well be my favorite season of the year.

Grid Iron trumps Gridlock. Rather than be stuck in a traffic jam where no vehicle can move in any direction, it is preferible to be in a parking lot at a stadium with thousands of other vehicles going no where. Then you can join the multitudes and be stuck in a foot traffic jam going in and out of the stadium. I see no contradiction or irony here.

Grid-dle is the operative word. Don’t you think the beautiful sear marks on a choice piece of meat resemble the marking on a football field. Just an idea.

[caption id="attachment_600" align="alignright" width="160" caption="Cast Iron Cookware on your "Grill Team""][/caption]

It doesn’t matter if you grill on your patio and then watch your favorite team on your flat screen, H.D. TV or tailgate and cook on your hibachi style charcoal grill. Either occasion can bring friends or family together for great fun. Enjoy food and drink but just not too much of either. We do not want to go from a “griddle” to a “girdle“.

This fajita skillet may not leave sear marks or your steak but it will cook it beautifully. Whether indoors or out, grill your steaks, hamburger patties, tofu and veggies on your Cast Iron Cookware. Griddle your breakfast bacon, sausage, eggs and pancakes. Cast-iron cookware last a lifetime. Grills and griddles, as well as dutch ovens, roasters and skillets are durable and distribute and hold heat longer than other cook ware. You can serve your family right off the grill. Eliminate serving dishes. Clean up is fast and easy. Just rinse your castiron pots and pans with hot water and use a nylon scrubber if needed.

This Cast Iron Grill by Universal has a ribbed inner surface that will leave beautiful sear marks and can catch juices that may be used to season your recipe or discarded if your prefer. You can grill veggies or meats just right for your taste and it’s Square shape makes turning easy. Use it for your family’s breakfast, lunch or dinner; indoors or out.

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Be a Master Griller with Cast Iron Cookware

One of the most common and popular methods of grilling is on a barbecue grill. This is a device for cooking food that applies heat directly from below. There are many varieties of grills. Most fall into one of two categories: gas-fueled or charcoal. There is a great debate over the merits of charcoal or gas as the cooking method for barbecue Master Grillers.

Barbecuing is a popular tradition in much of the world. In Argentina, where we lived for 15 years, the grilling of meat is an art. However they do not use barbecue sauce on the meat. Many work crews have an “asador” who is the Master Griller for the group. You will see them leave the job site, go to a local “carniceria” (meat market) and purchase the “carne” to grill for the workers. No cold sandwiches for these guys!

There is intense competition among grillers but almost all competition grillers use charcoal. Many times they use large, custom designed brick or steel grills. You can be a Master Griller with something that is much smaller and more portable. Many grillers take their grills camping, on picnics or to tailgate parties.

For those of us who prefer to be less competitive, the real challenge may be to do the grill work right and get better at it each time we do it. Cast Iron Cookware can be an essential tool on your road to becoming a Master Griller.

[caption id="attachment_590" align="aligncenter" width="154" caption="Seasoned Fajita/Skillet/Griddle Pan"][/caption][caption id="attachment_592" align="aligncenter" width="154" caption="Red Enamel Roaster/Grill Pan Lid, Two Cast Iron Pieces in One"][/caption]

Want to help others on their path to becoming a Grill Master? Share your tips and comments. Be less competitive and more collaborative. Maybe we can all make it if we work together.

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Do Your Tailgate Party Right with Cast Iron Cookware

Well maybe not as much as this grill unless you want firefighters coming to your tailgate party and plan to serve burned meat!

Have a Tailgate Party and Follow Your Favorite Team

Tailgate parties are popular as social events. When they take place
in stadium parking lots before football games they are especially fun.
Some groups have so much fun they tailgate before, during and after
the game.

Traditional tailgate fare involves the grilling of hamburgers, hot dogs,
and includes picnic staples like baked beans, and cold salads like cole slaw or potato salad.It is also common for fans to bring out TV equipment and boom boxes to tailgate parties to watch games from the parking lot.

A community of tailgaters (or “Tailgators” from Florida), often goes by the collective title of
Tailgation.

This Skillet/Griddle by Universal measures 15 3/4″ x 7 5/8″ x 1 3/4″ and is ideal for Fajitas or to grill your favorite steak, chicken, pork, or fish. Onions and peppers saute to a perfection. Use your Cast Iron Skillet for other dishes as well. Your meals taste better with Cast Iron.

This Cast Iron Grill by Universal measures 9 3/8″ x 14 3/4″ x 2 1/4 and has a ribbed inner surface that can catch juices that may be used to season your recipe or discarded if your prefer. Perfect for your Tailgate Party you can grill veggies or meats just right for your taste and it’s Square shape makes turning easy. Use it for your family’s breakfast, lunch or dinner; indoors or out.

Cast Iron allows you to “Taste the Food Not the Cookware”.

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