Sharon Kramis - The Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook: Recipes for the Best Pan in Your Kitchen

for elsiemother, grandmother, and great-grandmotherwho inspired us to continue cooking in the cast iron skillet
s. k. and j. k. h.

Copyright 2004, 2013 by Sharon Kramis and Julie Kramis Hearne
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form, or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published by Sasquatch Books
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Editor: Gary Luke
Project editors: Nancy W. Cortelyou and Rachelle Long McGhee
Photographs: Charity Burggraaf
Design: Anna Goldstein

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

Trade Paperback ISBN: 978-1-57061-905-2
eBook ISBN: 978-1-57061-906-9

Sasquatch Books
1904 Third Avenue, Suite 710
Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 467-4300
www.sasquatchbooks.com

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T O MY DARLING DAUGHTER J ULIE , who loves to cook. We have so much fun sharing food experiences together. To my husband, Larry, who was our taster and food critic. To my sons, Joe and Tom, and their families, who appreciate gathering together to cook and share good food. A very special thanks to Marion Cunningham, who invited everyone to the table for a memorable meal. To all of our friends at Anthonys Restaurants, with respect and appreciation for their commitment to quality and community. S. K.

T O MY COAUTHOR, MOM, AND FRIEND , who took me through the looking glass into the wonderful world of food. A special thanks to my supportive husband, Harker, and my little taste testers, Reilly, Konrad, and Andrew. J. K. H.

I N OUR FAMILY , we are part of three generations of women who have been cooking side by side for many years. We love to cook. We can always be found shopping for food, cooking food, talking about food, or reading food magazines. Our favorite outing is a visit to our local farmers market. We load up our baskets and plan our menu for that nights dinner. Its our passion, and we discover something new each time we cook, usually in the cast iron skillet. We hope you will rescue your cast iron skillet from the garage or back cupboard and enjoy the sounds and smells of cooking the recipes in this book.

I T S A WONDERFUL THING TO STEP INTO A FRIEND S KITCHEN AND SEE a cast iron skillet on the stove. You know right then that you are going to have something delicious to eat, that you are in the home of a true cook. A cast iron skillet has an heirloom quality about it. Every pan has its own stories to tell, memories of sharing great meals with friends and loved ones. No other pan has this kind of history. Passed from generation to generation, old cast iron skillets remind our senses of smells and flavors that make us want to heat them up and hear them sizzle with good food again.

The cast iron skillet is one of the most important pans in your kitchen. It is the key to good cooking. Well admit up front that a cast iron skillet is heavy and a bit more difficult to clean and maintain than a skillet coated with Teflon or other nonstick material. So why use it? For browning, searing, roasting, and caramelizing, we have greater success with cast iron than with any other kind of pan. Certain recipes require an iron skillet; others just taste better when cooked in one. Cast irons unique characteristic of producing dry, even heat makes it ideal for baking as well. Baked goods come out moist on the inside with a crisp, golden crust on the outside. Vegetables roast and caramelize perfectly. Meats sear and brown just as they should and dont seize up or stew because cast iron doesnt cause additional moisture to form.

For three generations the cast iron skillet has played an important role in our family. Sunday mornings always meant peeking into the oven to watch the Dutch baby rise, the sauted apples and powdered sugar waiting on the table. Weve included many of our favorite recipes that have been in our family for years. Our well-seasoned cast iron skillets connect our family history with love, one generation to the next.

Here we present to you our classic family favorites alongside adventurous new dishes with ingredients that bring together flavors from around the world. You will find recipes that are timeless and versatile, and cooking them in cast iron makes all the difference.

The cast iron skillet is the reason cooks are making tarte tatin in France, tortilla Espaola in Spain, rsti in Switzerland, and Irish soda bread in Ireland. These old-world dishes were made in cast iron more than a hundred years ago, and cooks are still making them in cast iron today, with good reason.

Its time to rediscover the cast iron skillet. Whether yours once belonged to your grandmother or is a new preseasoned pan fresh out of the box, use it and enjoy it; it will only get better with time. Best of all, youll find that it will bring generations together to cook, share good food, and create lasting memories.

C AST IRON COOKWARE HAS BEEN AROUND FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS . Centuries ago, cast iron kettles and skillets were used over open fires in Europe. They were some of the very few treasured items that settlers brought with them to the New World.

Cast iron pans are formed through the process of sand casting. Molten iron is poured into a sand-clay mold of the desired shape. After it cools, the mold is removed and the pans surface is smoothed by a stone-washing process. Pioneer cast iron companies Griswold, Wagner, and Lodge Manufacturing were the leaders in cast iron cookware. Today, Lodge, founded in 1896, is the largest domestic producer of high-quality iron cookware. Lodge products are readily available in cookware shops and hardware stores throughout the country. You can occasionally discover them at secondhand stores.