Cast Iron Meals: With Beverly Granberg

Archive for February, 2011

The Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron 3 1/2 Quart Buffet Casserole is a joy to look at and lovely to cook in.  It’s made from the cast iron that gourmet chefs praise and carries the name of Le Creuset, one of the most respected names in cookware.

With a 101-year warranty against defects, this heavy casserole will far outlive anything you put it through – and more. You can use it in the oven or on the stovetop and take it directly from there to the table.

The Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron 3 1/2 Quart Buffet has a tight fitting lid with a special, plastic knob that can be heated up to 450 degrees F.

France is famous for its food offerings and most French chefs will admit to using cast iron for delicate recipes to ensure food is heated evenly and thoroughly. France manufactures all Le Creuset cast iron cookware. It’s hand cast in a sand mold and then hand-finished with care and pride.

Le Creuset cast iron cookware can be used on various heat sources, including induction, electric, gas, ceramic and halogen. It’s perfectly safe and hygienic to marinate foods in Le Creuset products before cooking.

It’s no wonder that Le Creuset is one of the most trusted and respected names in the world of cooking. The Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron3 1/2 Quart Buffet Casserole will be a beloved and much-used addition to your kitchen.

Cast iron cookware is my favorite mode of cooking anything and everything. Cast iron skillets are great for everything from frying to baking and everything in between. Cast iron ovens can do the same, but are larger for recipes that call for lots of ingredients.

You may just be hearing about cast iron ovens because of their rise in popularity on television shows featuring chefs, but they’ve been around for centuries. Pioneers used them on campfires to cook everything, and even bake. They carefully kept their cast iron ovens clean and seasoned and passed them down as part of an inheritance.

Modern day gourmet chefs love cast iron ovens for their versatility and ability to retain and distribute heat evenly. Most cast iron cookware today comes pre-seasoned, allowing all foods cooked in it to slide out easily – similar to Teflon.

There are many types and prices of cast iron ovens. You can sometimes find them at yard or estate sales, but they can also be purchased online. Today, cast iron ovens come in a variety of sizes and even colors. Le Creuset manufactures a great enameled version in a rainbow of colors that will suit any décor.

If you’re purchasing a new cast iron oven, keep in mind that all American companies manufacture their cast iron cookware using a special food-safe wax that should be removed before using them.

You’ll never go wrong preparing your favorite recipes in cast iron ovens. The monetary investment you make will repay you tenfold in durability and excellence.

Some of my best recipes “require” a cast iron skillet. You’ve never had a more delicious pineapple upside down cake until you make it in a cast iron skillet. Many people might be amazed that you can find cast iron skillet recipes for baking, but it’s really great for that.

Until I was grown and had cornbread that had been fried in a cast iron skillet, I always had cornbread that was baked in one. A cast iron skillet is wonderful for baking cornbread, biscuits and cakes.

I remember my grandmother cooking up incredible meals using her old cast iron skillet. For breakfast, she might bake the biscuit, fry bacon and eggs and then make gravy in the same pan. One of her cast iron skillet recipes for cornbread that I make to this day doesn’t have measurements, but basically, here it is:

Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Pour between 2 and 3 cups of self-rising yellow corn meal into a bowl.

Add one egg.

Add enough buttermilk to make it into a cake-batter consistency.

Stir until well blended.

Preheat your oiled, cast iron skillet in the oven. Pour the cornbread batter into the hot, oiled skillet and bake for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Besides the excellent cooking benefits of cast iron, keep in mind that cast iron skillet recipes yield a very healthy meal because of the iron you receive. Yummy and healthy – what better reasons are there to use cast iron skillet recipes?

Making pizza on a cast iron pizza pan is the ultimate method of ensuring and even, perfectly cooked pizza. For the very best, choose the Lodge Pro Logic Cast Iron 14-Inch Pizza Pan. It’s round and ½ inch deep, so you can load on all your favorite toppings.

The Lodge Pro Logic Cast Iron 14-Inch Pizza Pan is heavy-duty cast iron pan that’s also perfect for cooking things other than pizza, like roasting vegetables or baking biscuits, breads and cookies. It’s part of the newest line of the Lodge Logic brand’s new, “Pro” products which come pre-seasoned and ready to use.

Lodge Logic pre-seasons its new line of cast iron cookware through a special “electrostatic” vegetable-oil spray method, so that you can use it immediately, without the hassle of pre-seasoning like the old cast iron pans.

You may notice that Lodge Logic has updated its look. The new Lodge Pro Logic Cast Iron 14-Inch Pizza Pan comes with a new look of rolled edges and curved lines and large loop handles on each side, making it easy to transport from oven or stovetop to table.

As with all cast iron products, it’s recommended that you hand wash the Lodge Pro Logic Cast Iron 14-Inch Pizza Pan and never put it in the dishwasher. Proper care and handling of all cast iron cookware ensures that it will last a lifetime and beyond.

You’ll get two for the price of one when you purchase this Lodge LCC3 Logic Pre-Seasoned Combo Cooker. The package features a 3 quart base that you can use as a skillet or Dutch oven and a 10 ¼” skillet that can also be used as a griddle or lid for the base.

Lodge Logic’s hardy and precise manufacturing ensures that your cast iron cookware will heat evenly and precisely, giving the food you’re cooking ample time to seal in flavors and perfect the dish. It’s pre-seasoned with vegetable oil, so you don’t have to worry about that step. It comes ready to use.

Cast iron cookware has been passed down from generation to generation, and you’ll want to pass on your own Lodge LCC3 Logic Pre-Seasoned Combo Cooker. Your new cookware has a lifetime warranty, but is virtually indestructible if you take care of it as recommended.

The Lodge LCC3 Logic Pre-Seasoned Combo Cooker is perfect for new brides and others who are just outfitting a home for the first time. Newbies to cooking can roast, fry, bake and even cook outside with this versatile cookware combination.

Use your Combo Cooker as an excellent stovetop oven or for baking and frying. The uses are endless and anyone you know will love it as a gift. The Lodge LCC3 Logic Pre-Seasoned Combo Cooker is simply the best cookware you’ll ever use in your kitchen.

The best grill you can find is made the same as the best cookware you can find – from cast iron. You can find cast iron grills to fit your every grilling need, from grill/griddles, where you can cook bacon or pancakes — and charcoal, cast iron grills to give you that great charcoal taste on meat and even vegetables.

One cast iron grill comes in the form of a Hibachi. It’s only 10 x 18 inches, making it perfect for two people. Stove top cast iron grills can be found in almost any size and most come pre-seasoned. They provide the same grilled look as larger grills, but without the size or hassle.

Cast iron grills cook food evenly and are so durable that you’ll never have to buy another. They’re also made in round, square or rectangular shapes, suiting your every possible cooking need.

If you prefer a large, free-standing grill, look no further than the portable, Blackstone, 36-inch Commercial Griddle/Grill. It’s perfect for carrying on camping trips and perfect for tailgating parties. This grill sports a thick, rolled steel cooking surface and cast iron burners so that the heat distribution is even.

Smaller cast iron sportsman grills are available for the campers in your family and make great gifts. Any cast iron grill will provide the same great cooking ability and can be passed down from generation to generation.

All manner of accessories are available for these versatile cast iron grills, including cast iron grill presses, long barbeque-style gloves and much more.

Le Creuset cast iron cookware may seem at first glance to be more costly than the original type of cast iron cookware. But, if you’re serious about cooking like so many gourmet chefs the world over, consider investing in this one-of-a-kind, amazing way to cook. The Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron 7-1/4 Quart Round French Oven is a good place to start.

Think of any recipe you love and chances are it can be prepared in this versatile cast iron pot. Anything that you slow cook normally on top of the stove, bake in the oven or cook on the grill can be prepared in the Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron 7-1/4 Quart Round French Oven.

The dream of any cook is to be able to use as few pots and pans as possible. With all Le Creuset cast iron cookware, that dream isn’t only possible, but desirable. The shiny and bright, Cherry Red Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron 7-1/4 Quart Round French Oven is perfect when used as a serving dish on a beautifully set table.

Other features of the cast iron French oven include cast-iron loop side handles and a lid knob that remains cool to the touch. A tight-fitted lid helps to secure moisture heat and flavor for any recipe you make.

You already know how wonderful cast iron is for heat retention and distribution. The Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron 7-1/4 Quart Round French Oven goes further by bringing beauty and long-lasting enamel to its chef-famous line of cookware.