Cinnamon Cooper -- Everything Cast-Iron Cooking

Mashed Potato Boats

Sun, 05 Jun 2011 09:07:28 -0500

This is a brilliant dish to make for a brunch. Great way to combine eggs and potatoes in one dish. And a great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes.

bvsc: So I finally got up my lazy butt and bought some...

Sun, 01 May 2011 23:02:33 -0500

The Everthing Cast-Iron Cookbook

Decided on the Dutch Apple Baby

Mint Sunshine

Organic Bartlett Pear

Baked Dutch PEAR Baby

Final Product

bvsc:

So I finally got up my lazy butt and bought some ingredients to make my first recipe off of a new cookbook I recently purchased, The Everything Cast-Iron Cookbook. Actually Gastrodamus’s friend authored it so I had that much more pressure to make this look nomnacious. I went simple and baked the Dutch Apple Baby recipe since I’ve never ever had one before. I made a few modifications: had pears instead of apples and used some brandy when caramelizing the pears. The result? A puffy light treat that tastes like a fluffy french toast stuffed with Bartlett pears. Yeah, exactly, no way this can go wrong ;)

-Braised Bombshell

Intentionally Left Blank: Somebody Else's Beef Stroganoff

Wed, 02 Feb 2011 11:18:47 -0600

Intentionally Left Blank: Somebody Else's Beef Stroganoff:

Everytime I come across somebody’s writing about a recipe from the book, I cringe a little out of fear that the recipe bombed. So when I saw this I smiled from ear to ear. And then I remembered how good this dish really is and wished I had egg noodles to make it right away.

Thanks, Dan!

dciskey:

I love things that end in Stroganoff. I have a pretty simple hamburger Stroganoff recipe that nobody will mistake for haute cuisine but is delicious and comforting. Since the moment on Christmas day when I cracked open Cinnamon Cooper’s Everything Cast-Iron cookbook, I knew it was only a matter…

Grilled Dijon Tomatoes: Page 175: These are seriously the best...

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 22:48:56 -0500

Grilled Dijon Tomatoes: Page 175:

These are seriously the best tomatoes I have ever put in my mouth and I LOVE tomatoes. It doesn’t hurt that these tomatoes (a “Siberian” variety gifted to us our favorite Mr. Damon) came from our garden. But I scooped out the seeds and filled them with a mixture of dijon mustard, parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and spices. They then went on the grill for a bit, got a little warmed and melty and oh my holy mama! Yummers!

Bringing the Bacon For You to Take Down

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 15:26:04 -0500

Bringing the Bacon For You to Take Down:

Andrew Huff and I will be making 15 pints of Bacon Jam for attendees of the Bacon Takedown on 9/11 at Lincoln Hall in Chicago. If you like bacon, you should come see it and vote for us. Tis going to be yummers!

Reviews

Sat, 17 Jul 2010 12:12:07 -0500

I’ve been nervous about reading reviews, especially those from strangers. But so far it’s been great. There is one on Amazon and one on Goodreads that I’ve encountered. I liked the one on Goodreads so much that I’m including it here:

“I don’t have a whole lot to learn about cast iron, really. I checked this book out of the library so that I could see if Cooper agrees with me. :)

But I’m going to need to buy this, because she includes a plethora of sauces, salsas, rubs, marinades, dressings and such that are just fantastic, and really useful.”

Serious Eats breaks down Cast Iron Cookware and Care

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 22:43:55 -0500

Serious Eats breaks down Cast Iron Cookware and Care

croque madame

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 09:20:38 -0500

croque madame

Lauren of The Hungry Knitter was fantastic enough to take a...

Wed, 02 Jun 2010 17:49:26 -0500

Lauren of The Hungry Knitter was fantastic enough to take a picture of The Croque Madame from the book. It’s essentially the fancy French name for a toasted ham sandwich a fried egg on top. It makes a great breakfast sandwich, or lunch, or even dinner. Thanks for the great shot, Lauren!

Best Roast Chicken Ever!

Mon, 24 May 2010 17:52:03 -0500

Best Roast Chicken Ever!:

Oh, I’m so touched! A woman I’ve never had the pleasure to meet (or at least haven’t YET had the pleasure to meet) made two recipes from the Everything Cast-Iron Cookbook the first night she had it. TWO! And it looks delicious. So excited to see people putting the book to use. Thanks!

Ceramic Stove and Cast Iron Pans

Mon, 24 May 2010 00:13:57 -0500

Cast iron pans work great on gas stovetops. If you have an electric stovetop with conductive coils, then they’ll also work great. However, if you have a ceramic-glass stovetop, you need to read your user manual before cooking with cast-iron pans. Most manufacturers will tell you not to use cast-iron pans or any pans without a flat bottom.

If you decide to use a cast-iron pan on your stovetop, here are a few things that may make it safer to use cast iron.

Do not drag your pan across the surface of your stovetop. This can result in scratches which can degrade the surface and can cause the stovetop to crack.
Don’t use a pan that is larger than the burner. Since cast iron conducts so well, this can cause heat to tough the surface that isn’t heated and can cause cracks.
Don’t use heat that is higher than medium. Using lower heats can reduce the chances of heating up the surface of the stovetop and causing cracks.
If your stovetop manufacturer instructions suggest a heat diffuser, consider using one of these with your stovetop. These discs will spread the heat over the surface evenly and permit you to use a larger pan over higher heat, while keeping space between your cast-iron pan and your sensitive stovetop and reducing scratches. Not all manufacturers suggest heat diffusers, so play it safe and read your user manual first.

And if you don’t want to risk putting the cast-iron pans on your glass-ceramic stovetop, heat them up in your oven to brown meat before cooking. It won’t quite be the same as browning over a flame, but it’ll be better than not browning meat before you bake ingredients in a recipe.

I need a starter skillet

Thu, 20 May 2010 15:31:18 -0500

I need a starter skillet:

A few folks have asked me for advice about what they should get first if they’re going to start cooking in cast iron. I would suggest getting an 8”, 10” or 12” skillet to start with, depending on your family size. If you are mostly likely only going to cook for 1, go with the 8”, if you’re going to cook for 2-3, the 10” is just fine. If you’re going to find yourself cooking larger amounts of food more often, the 12” or 14” is what you’ll want to get.

I’m lucky that the lid that came with my 4-quart stockpot also fits tightly on my 10” cast iron skillets. But in case you don’t have a lid that can do double-duty, Lodge makes lids that fit their skillets as well. These are a great price and the glass means you can see how things are going without lifting the lid.

But almost all of the dishes in the chapters on cooking in skillets will permit you to use any of these sizes. The recipes were designed to use a 10” skillet, but you can decrease or increase as needed pretty easily. Baking recipes are a little trickier, admittedly. But good luck on your cooking foray.

101-Banana Tart: This incredibly easy dish is similar to a...

Mon, 17 May 2010 00:06:37 -0500

101-Banana Tart:

This incredibly easy dish is similar to a Pineapple Upside Down Cake, but it uses puff pastry as a crust instead of having a cake batter poured on top of the caramel and fruit. The recipe for this dish will be available soon on Drive-Thru at GapersBlock.com

Book Sales — WOW!!!: Thanks, y’all! None of you...

Fri, 14 May 2010 13:43:08 -0500

Book Sales — WOW!!!:

Thanks, y’all! None of you have even laid eyes on the book and I’m already in the top 100 books in two categories on Amazon. I’m not really sure what this means, but I’m floating with the love and support. I’m very honored. Very honored.

Where to buy cast-iron cookware

Thu, 13 May 2010 23:05:16 -0500

A few people have asked where and how to get started. If you’re lucky enough to have a relative or friend who has an older seasoned skillet who will give it to you, take it. Seriously the best. Otherwise, try to find a flea market or check yard sales. You may be able to find a piece of good used and well-cared-for cast-iron there.

However, since this isn’t a usable answer for many people, I thought I would suggest you consider purchasing cookware from Barbara and Doyle Bailey who run The Cast Iron Cookware Shop. When I needed a few pieces to be able to work on the cookbook, I did some research and found them. I was impressed with the variety, the price, and the customer service. It was surprising, but I was happy with every item I purchased from them and was delighted with the personal responses I got from them when purchasing cookware.

If you’re trying to decide what you should purchase first, I would suggest getting a 10” or 12” skillet to start with. If you’re most likely to only cook for 1 person, you could get the 8” skillet. I have 2 10” skillets that are round, 1 10” square grill pan, 1 14” skillet, and 1 4” skillet. I have two Dutch ovens, muffin pans, loaf pan, corn stick pan, and a grill grate for using on our grill. This is all I used to write every recipe in the cookbook, but most of the recipes were made in the skillets. I love them. I think you might, too.

Beginning of a Banana Dessert: If you picture a Pineapple...

Thu, 13 May 2010 22:30:37 -0500

Beginning of a Banana Dessert:

If you picture a Pineapple Upside Down Cake, then replace the pineapples with bananas and then use puff pastry instead of cake batter, that’s what this will be. I may need to make it once or twice to tweak the recipe a bit.

99-The Everything Cast-Iron Cookbook: It’s here. It has...

Thu, 13 May 2010 22:30:37 -0500

99-The Everything Cast-Iron Cookbook:

It’s here. It has finally arrived. It’s 304 pages of green, black and white, glory. I haven’t found any typos yet, but I’m sure Andrew will find any lingering ones. I got a little weepy reading the acknowledgments page. I have so many people to thank, and so little room to do it.

Here is the book photographed in the drawer we keep our skillets in. Yes I keep cast iron skillets in 1 drawer. It pays to know a great kitchen designer.

It's HEEERRRREEEE!

Thu, 13 May 2010 22:03:23 -0500

My book is here. In my house. In my hand. In my kitchen. And it looks great and it makes me happy and I read the acknowledgments page and cried (again) and I reread parts and smiled. I’m proud of this. And while I understand if you don’t buy the book. I’d be delighted if you would actually purchase it. I have a pen specifically for making autographs that the delightful <a href=”http://www.vivalafeminista.com”>Veronica</a> got me. I guess I should practice my signature a bit.

Shipping Soon

Thu, 13 May 2010 12:56:18 -0500

Shipping Soon:

Just found out today that the cookbook will ship from Amazon.com on May 16, 2010. So go ahead and place your orders now so you can get it right away. Can’t wait to see it in print, a full month earlier than I expected.

Cast-Iron Goddess

Thu, 06 May 2010 13:34:46 -0500

Cast-Iron Goddess:

Many thanks to Chuck Sudo over at Chicagoist.com for recognizing that I am indeed a Cast Iron Goddess. Honestly, I’m blushing and pretty sure that I’m not ethereal enough to be a goddess. Maven, maybe. Proponent, for sure. Lover, for definite.