McCallie - The Well-Seasoned Skillet

2017 Kimberly McCallie

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form whatsoever, whether by graphic, visual, electronic, film, microfilm, tape recording, or any other means, without prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief passages embodied in critical reviews and articles.

The views expressed within this work are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of Cedar Fort, Inc. or any other entity.

ISBN 13: 978-1-4621-1981-3

Published by Front Table Books, an imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc.

2373 W. 700 S., Springville, UT 84663

Distributed by Cedar Fort, Inc., www.cedarfort.com

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

Names: McCallie, Kimberly, 1969- author.

Title: The well-seasoned skillet / Kimberly McCallie.

Description: Springville, Utah : Front Table Books, an imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc., [2017] | Includes index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2016053066 (print) | LCCN 2016055155 (ebook) | ISBN 9781462119813 (perfect bound : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781462127504 (epub, pdf, mobi)

Subjects: LCSH: Skillet cooking. | LCGFT: Cookbooks.

Classification: LCC TX840.S55 M33 2017 (print) | LCC TX840.S55 (ebook) | DDC 641.7/7--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016053066

Cover and page design by M. Shaun McMurdie

Cover design 2017 by Cedar Fort, Inc.

Edited by Jennifer Johnson

To my mama, Susan Fort, who was brave enough to make a better life for us.

Contents

Acknowledgments

To Judith Shuman who continues to support and encourage me through this harrowing journey of life. It means everything to still have you in my corner.

To Kristie Long and Melodie Fulcher, who bring friendship, laughter, and unwavering support into my life. I miss you both on a daily basis.

To my Mema, Ada Toole, who will never know how far-reaching her influence has been on all of us. Some of the best memories of my life took place in your kitchen.

To the memory of three special ladies, Cynthia, Fonnie, and Alice. I remember you all with love and miss your existence in my life.

To my husband, Eric, who still believes that something good will come from being married to me.

Everybody Has a Story

Everybody has a story; some people tell it better than others. If you have a little time, sit down and Ill tell you mine.

My great-granddaddy was the cook in the family. He was also a kind and gentle man who would load me into my little red wagon and pull me to a nearby general store to purchase a bag of penny candy. He died when I was six, so my memories of him are limited, but when I do think of him, I remember him standing in front of the stove. My mama remembers him as an attentive cook who nursed his food along and never left its side until it was ready to be served. I have inherited that gene.

While many people love the idea of throwing a bunch of ingredients into a slow cooker and leaving it unattended for hours while it simmers away, I do not share that passion for convenience. Preparing a meal in a slow cooker does not allow me to actually cook. The acts of searing, turning, stirring, seasoning, and testing are why I find so much satisfaction in cooking. Yes, the end means of cooking is to put a meal on the table, but I also must enjoy the process along the way.

Until recently, I cooked on a one-burner stove. It wasnt made that way. It started out as a regular four-burner stove, but over the years, the burners went out one by one. Being an adaptive creature, I just adjusted my cooking style along the way. When I was down to one burner, I learned very quickly that I needed to stick with meals that I could cook in one pot or skillet. Cooking in a skillet proved to be a quicker process, so it became my preferred method of cooking.

I found that I could cook anything in a skillet. I could boil pasta in a skillet. After the pasta was cooked, I would use a colander scoop or a pasta spoon to transfer the pasta to a bowl. I would allow the pasta water to cool until it was safe to move the skillet, and then I would pour out the remaining pasta water, wipe out the skillet, and begin the rest of the dish. I also cooked rice in a skillet. While some of my skillets had lids to cover the rice, I also made lids from metal pie plates, round cake pans, and aluminum foil. I just kept pot holders and oven mitts at the ready so I wouldnt burn myself. I may as well have been cooking on a chuck wagon during the western expansion.

My History with Skillets

Ive never been able to build a lasting relationship with cast-iron skillets. My mom has an iron griddle, black and smooth with years of use making pancakes and grilled cheeses. When I met my husband, he had a small cast-iron skillet that he used regularlythe operative word there being had. Then I came along into his life and things changed, not all for the better.

One weekend while we were dating, his parents came to visit and his dad used the skillet to fry an egg for breakfast that morning. I arrived at Erics apartment right after breakfast, and, calling myself helping, I removed the skillet from the stove and placed it on a pot holder. Now, apparently, these black iron skillets get hotreally hotso hot that it burned and melted the pot holder to the bottom of the skillet. Oops!

About this time, Eric walked through the kitchen and saw the mess. Feeling guilty, I didnt make eye contact or even mention what had happened. He assessed the damage and said, I cant believe Dad did that! Before I could clarify, he walked away, and I tried to salvage the skillet by placing it in a sink full of hot, soapy waterpot holder and all. Then his dad walked through the kitchen and saw the soaking skillet, then said, I cant believe Eric did that!

I was too far in by this point, so I quickly removed the skillet (pot holder and all) from the sink, dried it off as well as I could, and hid it in a cabinet. I intended to fix things later, but ended up throwing the whole thing away with the pot holder still stuck to the bottom.

Shameful, I know! It wasnt one of my finest moments and Im not proud of it. Amused by it? Yes! But not proud.

My friend Deborah encouraged me to purchase and season cast iron skillets using the following method: Take some grease (shortening) and grease that baby real good (all over) inside and out. Put it in the oven and bake it, bake it, bake it! On 350 or 400 degrees. It will take several times doing this. I wouldnt wash it until I had it seasoned. Just add some more grease and keep baking.