I bought myself a Christmas present
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We gave up buying Christmas gifts decades ago but decided we'd splurge and order a 10" cast iron skillet from these guys:
https://smithey.com/collections/castiron
I thought maybe this was a way to build some muscle. Of course buying an 8 lb weight would have been a more cost-effective way to go...
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We gave up buying Christmas gifts decades ago but decided we'd splurge and order a 10" cast iron skillet from these guys:
https://smithey.com/collections/castiron
I thought maybe this was a way to build some muscle. Of course buying an 8 lb weight would have been a more cost-effective way to go...
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Nice!
I鈥檓 a big fan of cast iron cookware.
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What will be your inaugural recipe?
I鈥檓 hoping for cornbread!
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What will be your inaugural recipe?
I鈥檓 hoping for cornbread!
@Steve-Miller said in I bought myself a Christmas present:
What will be your inaugural recipe?
I鈥檓 hoping for cornbread!
No cornbread yet. I started with some sauteed vegetables, and then some breaded pork cutlets. The pan is really non-stick and the food cooks up beautifully.
It is pretty heavy, however, especially when I hold it with one hand, tipping it, and scraping the contents into a bowl. Definitely a weight lifting exercise, at least for me.
A 12 inch skillet would probably be too heavy.
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What will be your inaugural recipe?
I鈥檓 hoping for cornbread!
@Steve-Miller said in I bought myself a Christmas present:
I鈥檓 hoping for cornbread!
Finally, we have achieved cornbread! Came out perfectly.
I used this King Arthur recipe for sourdough cornbread.
https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/sourdough-cornbread-recipe
I really like the way the butter is prepared. You put a stick of butter in a 10" cast iron pan, put it in the oven, and set it for 425 degrees. In 15 or 20 minutes, the butter has melted, foamed, and is starting to brown a bit. You take the pan out, let it cool a little, and then pour most of the butter into the batter you've already prepared, leaving a tablespoon or so in the pan to brown the cornbread as it bakes and to keep it from sticking.
Great way to use up some discard. And you get totally delicious cornbread.
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That Smithy pan looks great, especially since it has that really smooth cooking surface that the Lodges don鈥檛 have. Enjoy it!
I have two Lodge skillets from some 30 or 40 years ago. At this point they could use restoration and reseasoning, and I鈥檝e been reading about that on a Facebook group. May get to it in a month or so.
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Cast iron seems to be having a moment just now. I鈥檝e seen collectors on Reddit that have dozens of pans. Some have hundreds!
There are collectible skillets going for hundreds of dollars - watch for Indian Head brand but be aware that cheap fakes are a thing. I find the idea of faking a cast iron skillet absurd but here we are.
What鈥檚 kind of fun is the electrolysis rigs that hard core collectors set ip to bring back particularly grungy/rusty examples. A car battery charger, a plastic trash can and some washing soda and you鈥檙e good to go! All sorts of grinding/polishing schemes too.
Hot ticket for seasoning appears to be doing it outdoors. It can be done in an oven but it generally sets off the smoke detectors.

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I want cornbread.
I'm also looking for bread pudding. I can't find any. I might have to order some.
Love cornbread! If you鈥檙e looking for an easy first baking project cornbread might be it. A box of Jiffy cornbread mix costs very little and is very easy to mix up. Turns out decent as well.
Bread pudding is another simple dish and it鈥檚 difficult to mess up. Might be a nice project to get you through those frigid Florida winters!
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Love cornbread! If you鈥檙e looking for an easy first baking project cornbread might be it. A box of Jiffy cornbread mix costs very little and is very easy to mix up. Turns out decent as well.
Bread pudding is another simple dish and it鈥檚 difficult to mess up. Might be a nice project to get you through those frigid Florida winters!
@Steve-Miller said in I bought myself a Christmas present:
A box of Jiffy cornbread mix costs very little and is very easy to mix up. Turns out decent as well.
I second this recommendation!
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So I was in the Range, do you have that shop in the States? Getting a few bits&pieces, checking their post christmas sale and came across...

(pen is for scale)Cute, 拢8 down to an irresistible 拢2 so got a couple.
Get home, MrsA likes them and wants to go buy more (I think for Chinese New Year presents 馃お)



