Product Description

In some cooking circles, cast iron gets a bad rep – people think it's old-fashioned, heavy, and hard to take care of. And really, how often do folks nowadays need to hitch up a mule and wagon and leave civilization and Teflon-coated sauté pans behind?

True, cast iron is old; it's been around since the Middle Ages. And it is heavy. No one can dispute that even a small, cast-iron pot has a heft to it that no other cookware has. Nevertheless, cast-iron cookware has a place in today's kitchens, and that doesn’t mean simply hanging on the wall for decoration. Cast iron has much to offer modern-day cooks; it's easy to use, easy to care for, economical, versatile, and durable, and let's face it, it has a nostalgic appeal that no other cookware has. But more compelling than all those reasons is that it's a great cookware that makes great food. In fact, most cast-iron cooks will tell you that food cooked in cast iron tastes better than food cooked in anything else!

Cast-Iron Cooking For Dummies is for those cooks who may want to inject a little adventure and variety into their cooking. If you've never even thought of using cast-iron cookware, or you have a few cast-iron pots lying around, you'll discover all you need to know about making great food using cast iron. Here just a sampling of what you'll find in Cast-Iron Cooking For Dummies:

• Selecting the right cast-iron cookware for you
• Seasoning a new cast-iron pan
• Caring for your cast-iron cookware
• Discovering techniques to enhance your cast-iron cooking
• Enjoying cast-iron cooking in the Great Outdoors
• Tons of delicious recipes, from main and side dishes to desserts and international dishes
• Top Ten lists on ways to make your cast-iron cookware last longer, the best dishes suited for cast iron, and tips for achieving success in cast-iron cooking

So, whether you're a cooking novice or an experienced chef, you can find plenty of enjoyment from cooking with cast iron – and Cast-Iron Cooking For Dummies can show you the way.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #21683 in Books
• Published on: 2003-05-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 360 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780764537141
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From the Back Cover
Packed with cast-iron cooking tips, tricks, and recipes

Become a cast-iron chef in no time – the fun and easy way®!

Unlock the secrets of cast-iron cooking at home or in the great outdoors with this easy-to-use cookbook and guide! You’ll find everything you need to buy and use cast-iron pots and pans, plus more than 100 tempting recipes – from classics like Fried Chicken and Buttermilk Biscuits to modern dishes like Apricot-Ginger Glazed Pork Rib Roast and more.

Discover how to:

• Choose the right cast-iron cookware for you
• Season, clean, and care for cast-iron pots and pans
• Whip up tasty cast-iron main dishes, sides, and sweets
• Cook with cast iron indoors and outdoors
• Rescue and restore old or worn cast iron

The Dummies Way

• Explanations in plain English
• "Get in, get out" information
• Icons and other navigational aids
• Tear-out cheat sheet
• Top ten lists
• A dash of humor and fun

About the Author
Tracy Barr is the coauthor of Adoption For Dummies and Latin For Dummies. Lodge Manufacturing is America’s oldest family-owned cookware manufacturer and the sole domestic cast-iron cookware foundry.

Customer Reviews

Good introduction to cast iron
This is a very good introduction to cooking with cast iron. The first couple of chapters give you the basics of using cast iron (seasoning, how and what to buy, caring for and using, etc.). The second part of the book has all the recipes with chapters on meats, poultry, seafood, vegetables, breads/cornbreads, desserts, and non-traditional dishes. There is also a chapter on using an outdoor dutch oven and some recipes to go along with that.

Overall, the recipes are good but do use more bacon fat and butter than I would like. Every recipe is accompanied by its nutritional information so you can decide if you need to substitute some of the ingredients or not. The hushpuppies recipe has slightly more than 50% of its calories come from fat so let the cook beware.

Definitely buy this book if your are new to cast iron cooking. If you are a pro, I might hold off as the book will probably be too introductory.

Great Info
I'm not overly crazy about the lay out of the book, but the amount of info in here is worth the cost of the book alone.
Very few recipes call for processed pre-packaged foods (mostly just a few of the desserts).

Its a good starter book for both the info and the recipes.

Great cookbook
Not many people are used to cooking with cast iron, this is a great learning cookbook. I've used iron skillets for years and want to camp cook using a dutch oven. This cookbook will advance my knowledge without the quesswork. When your camping and hungry mistakes are not fun!