Down here in the South, most of us have fond memories of our grandparents cooking Sunday dinners in large cast-iron skillets. Just the look of those dark pans is enough to conjure the smells of fried chicken or roasts and, of course, cornbread—delicious delicacies shared with those we love the most.
During the 1960s and ’70s, lighter aluminum and chemical nonstick cookware began replacing heavy cast-iron pans. And as the pots and skillets changed, so did the food. (Good luck making your grandma’s cornbread in Teflon pans. I’ve tried, and it’s never the same!)
It’s no wonder that folks like me are waxing nostalgic for a simpler time filled with wholesome, home-cooked foods. Unfortunately, our grandparents are passing into history, and most of us have failed to acknowledge—much less document—their vast knowledge of cooking with cast iron. When I realized this, I began asking my own family how to clean and cook in cast iron. Then I experimented with old family recipes, making them my own. What started as a way to reconnect with my own family roots—and recapture those old flavors I missed so much—has become a way of life. I can now enjoy the flavors my family craves while eliminating the risk of harmful chemicals other cookware can introduce.
Whether you’re a Southerner born-and-raised, or you’re a city slicker from New York, you can make wholesome cooking a part of your family’s tradition as you learn the simple secrets of cooking with cast iron.