Cooking With Cast Iron, what’s the deal?
I hadn’t ever really understood the importance of cast iron cookware, until I saw an old cast iron pan or pot, it actually isn’t really clear what it is, but I can tell you that what comes out of it is my favorite dish outside of my own family’s repertoire of home cooked meals. It’s Pilaf. I had never even tasted this dish before, but I know now that I am forever spoiled because I had one made from a very seasoned and very old cast iron pot. In short….it is EPIC…
Pilaf: Uzbek rice dish (picture taken before adding the rice)
Why is it cool: It’s not so much “cool” as it is a very solid cooking apparatus. Cast Iron has excellent heat retention and distribution properties. It’s been used for hundreds of years and with good reason…the older and more used (read seasoned) the cast iron cookware, the better tasting the food will be.
Where can I get one: Cast iron cookware was especially popular during the first half of the 20th century, so it wasn’t hard to find. The 20th century also saw the introduction and popularization of enamel-coated cast iron cookware. Le Creuset is probably one of the most popular and “must have” enamel coated cast iron cook ware. It’s also probably one of the most expensive :\
How much? Cast Iron, although relatively low-tech to product and probably low-cost, doesn’t usually come cheap, you can expect to pay between $200-$500 for a solid enamel coated cast iron piece. But the upside is, you’ll have it for life. Le Creuset, for example, comes with a lifetime limited warranty.
Worthy / Not Worthy: I don’t personally have any cast iron cookware but I will be investing in some pieces, and knowing the true benefit of this type of cooking, this is definitely a worthy cookware that should be in everyone’s kitchen.
I likes to food. 
