Bittman's Suggestion
Mark Bittman, last Wednesday morning, convinced me that I must have a cast-iron pan. As a new mom in the age of parental neurosis (it’s a miracle any of my generation is still around, what with the stomach sleeping and solid foods at three months), I dread making August a scrambled egg, because it means either making it in my regular pots and losing half the egg as it sticks to the surface or using my nonstick skillet, which (rumor has it) can release chemical fumes. Apparently a well-seasoned cast-iron pan is as good as nonstick.
All along I’ve been thinking I need a cast-iron pan, if only to make good cornbread with crusty edges. I guess I never realized its versatility. It’s nonstick, but it browns. It holds heat evenly and for a long time, which I knew (I’ve been using mine as the top part of a MacGyvered sandwich press).
Apparently Lodge has the market cornered and sells pre-seasoned pans (and they’re relatively cheap - around $20).
Loved this entry, Kim! I love my cast-iron pans, and they're definitely well seasoned. Lucky for me, my parents a few years ago went from a normal electric range to one of those glass-top ones, and my mother's ancient cast iron pans all had warped a bit over time and no longer worked well and she was forced to buy a new set. She then brought the old ones down to me in NYC, where I have a gas stovetop, so the slight warp doesn't really matter. They work like a charm. And they remind me of what my mom used to make in them.