My Lucky Day!
This morning at a small yard sale in my neighborhood I ran across, and bought, an ancient, beautifully seasoned WagnerWare #8 cast iron skillet, along with a cast iron chicken fryer, and a 5qt. cast iron Dutch oven! All for $20!
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The Ten Most Recent Posts By 1stmakearoux
What to do with duck livers, etc.?
The last time I bought and roasted a duck (which was also the first time!) I wound up with a lot of organ meat; livers, gizzards, and heart (I guess). I hated to waste it all, but didn't know what to do with it. Suggestions, please?
Roast Duck
I've never cooked a duck, but I'm going to this afternoon. There's a recipe in the current issue of Esquire magazine that is making my mouth water. I'm just wondering if any of you have tried it.
Picky-eater dinner guests
My wife and I belong to a group of about 5 couples who are all best friends. However, when we have them for dinner, here's the rub: 2 are vegetarians, but will eat fish. My wife won't eat fish. One won't eat anything that she considers organ meat or fungus, e.g. mushrooms. The list goes on and on. I love to cook, but this group is a real challenge. Any suggestions?
The Ten Most Recent Comments By 1stmakearoux
Cast Iron Pans: Seasoning Issues
I've found that a pre-seasoning preparation helps considerably. Before you attempt to season your cast iron, it has to be very, very clean! Whenever I get a new or used (much better choice, esp. WagnerWare or Griswold), I always run it through the self-cleaning cycle in my oven. This removes all the wax and/or old seasoning, even minor rust. Then give it a good scrub to remove the dust that may be left. Now is the time to start seasoning it! I prefer top-of-the-stove on a low burner rather than in the oven, and I use mostly bacon grease. It's worked for me for nearly forty years.
One last thing: I always prefer a smooth finish in my cast iron rather than the rough finish in most newer cast iron, such as Lodge. I think that's only available in the older pieces. Try an antique shop, yard sale, or flea market.
The La Caja China Box, In Cake and Real-Life Form
Down on the bayou, it's called a "Cajun Microwave."
Is there a real difference between Soul Food & Southern Food
@bitter I was in Philly last summer and went to a fabulous Cuban restaurant down by the river. Of course I can't recall the name, but it was truly like walking into a restaurant in Havana! Beautiful decor, great Cuban food (I had ropa vieja), reasonable prices, and attentive servers and manager.
My gf makes great picadillo when I can talk her into it!
What are you known for?
1. Jambalaya
2. Pulled pork
3. Key Lime Pie
4. Shepherd's Pie
5. Shrimp Creole
Funny remarks you can re-use
She has more chins that a Chinese telephone book!
A co-worker of mine once said:
"It's either feast or fathom! I mean phantom."
"I guess I'm just a clog in the wheel."
Another one said," It's either six and a half dozen or one of the other."
Is there a real difference between Soul Food & Southern Food
I wasn't born in the South, but I got here as quick as I could. Personally, I think that Southern and Soul are virtually indistinguishable. I absolutely love them both! And you can throw Cajun, Creole, and Cuban into that mix. Now I'm REALLY hungry!
Frog Legs?
Living on an island on the edge of the Everglades, I have enjoyed frog legs for many years. An Everglades old-timer friend of mine told me the secret to really good frog legs: Freeze them for a few days, thaw them, then cook them. Great taste and texture. I prefer fried or sauteed.
Kraft Simplifies Snack Food. No, really, I mean it.
I use Cool Whip for one thing, and one thing only: Killer Key lime pie!
Responses to Comments by 1stmakearoux
Cast Iron Pans: Seasoning Issues
Can't add anything on seasoning but if you stack your pans to store them. Put a sheet of wax paper between pans. It helps prevents rusting. Both of my grandmothers practiced it.
"Drop It Like It's Hot"
Hmmm spectacular drops in my past include a tortiere that was baked in one of the infamous dollar store foil pans mentioned above. Ex hubby took it out of the oven, the pan folded and efficiently dumped the entire thing on the oven door, which of course, was hot so the contents COOKED onto the door. Then there were the hamburger condiments that were sprayed onto the living room wall when I tripped on my boyfriend at the time's cast. My mom once dropped an entire roast chicken on the floor with company sitting in the next room. I once flung a plate of spaghetti with meat sauce clear across the kitchen (I kept a hold of the plate but the contents went flying) when someone scared me as I was serving myself from the stove. Peppercorns are a nemesis. Oh and then the time I had raw cookies sitting on top of the stove waiting to go into the oven. Opened the door above the stove - my mom had not wrapped up the bag of rice correctly and it poured directly onto my cookies.
As a general rule, we salvage all we can! The cookies were, however, a tad crunchy!
"Drop It Like It's Hot"
Drop stuff on the floor on a regular basis. I reckon eating it gives me fantastic immunity from almost everything. Obviously not fond of basset hound hairs on stuff, so they get washed off if I can get to the dropped goods before the basset. Meat is definitely washed. We worry a little too much about bacteria. Food safety is necessary. But too much sanitizing leaves you open to food sickness when you travel to other countries. Why does the US think it can't eat raw milk cheeses under 60 days' old? Are the French and Italians dying like flies? Why do cured meats from Europe have to be pasteurized? Do you think if an Asian, a Latino or an African in their own countries tosses food when they've dropped it? It's a privilege of the wealthy.
New Orleans Jazz Fest: The 5 Must-Have Foods
"I love drinking, and I love New Orleans." — "New Orleans," Benjy Davis Project
Crawfish Monica is fantastic. And the Louisiana boiled crawfish will knock you on your bum in spicy ecstasy. I used to live in La., and moved to FL, so I get the seafood but not the spice.
The music, the food and the love...that's my kind of city. Plus, throw in a fight between a man dressed as a phallus and another as Spongebob...I'm there with bells on.
Cast Iron Pans: Seasoning Issues
Short of the self-cleaning cycle, you can also put your pan on your charcoal grill with a full bucket of hot coals underneath it, put on the lid, then walk away. It saves your house from smelling. I did this with a Griswold pan I inherited, and it turned out spanking clean and ready to season.
You can put soap in a iron pan, but only if you're willing to start seasoning from scratch. If your first attempt is uneven, then it can't get any worse to scrub it completely clean with soapy water, and start all over again.
What are you known for?
1) Soup - specifically, Arroz Caldo. I get requests even when it's 95 degrees w/ insane humidity outside.
2) Salsa, asian style (I add lime juice, fish sauce and the tiniest bit of sesame oil. Don't knock it till you try it!)
3) Shrimp Salad (I cook whole shrimp in a pot chockful of garlic, green onion, celery, bits of whatever vegies are sitting in my fridge, lots of black peppercorn, and salt. After peeling, I throw the shells/head back into the broth to reduce. The dressing is nothing more than a good mayo, lime juice, sambal olek, green onions, celery and a few tsps of that concentrated shrimp broth.)
4) Anchovy pasta. Recipe courtesy of the NYTimes. I guess I'm the only one in the family willing to suffer through the smell of anchovies sauteeing.
Cast Iron Pans: Seasoning Issues
I always run it through the self-cleaning cycle in my oven.
@1stmakearoux - you should submit that to Fine Cooking as a tip.
What are you known for?
1. Pastas - any kind, macaroni and cheese, lasagnas, baked ziti, you name it.
2. Carob chip, toffee and cherry cookies
3. Carrot Cupcakes
4. Party dips - Sweet Bell pepper with cream cheese and my Veggie dip
5. Hummus - very lemony and garlicky
Madelyn
KarmaFreeCooking
The La Caja China Box, In Cake and Real-Life Form
The best meat I've ever eaten was a whole pig (I saved a little for the other guests) slow roasted on a spit and this sounds even juicier. I love your word crispification. I think this pig would be even more crispificatious than mine.
Now, that's a seriously creative cake from a devious mind ...... fondant-ify away, but get some therapy!
What are you known for?
@bisbee......I'm right here! You want I should bring a box of jello? Where's the party?
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Favorite foods: Cajun, Cuban, Southern, Soul Food
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