Cast-Iron Cooking- book review with a bonus coloring page

I've been planning for a while to re-do and post the cast iron design I made for my daughter last year as a coloring page, then got this book to review and decided to combine the two. The coloring pages are at the bottom of the review!

Rachel Narins' Cast-Iron Cooking is a gorgeous book from Storey Publishing.

Open it up, and it starts with an overview of what cast iron is, the benefits of cooking with it, and how to care for it. For people who haven't started using it yet, it's the original non-stick, and properly cared for, it will last for generations. It retains heat well and can be used at high temperatures. Seasoning it and cleaning it are very easy and it's worth the effort.

Then it gets into the recipes- Oh my.. it gets into the recipes. So what I look for in a cookbook can be complicated. I want a good variety and good, clear instructions and ingredients that can be found easily. This one falls into that sweet spot quite handily. It's multi-culturally inspired recipes are a delight and as a bonus- it has a few recipes that are vegan or vegetarian. There are also some incredibly simple recipes like grilled cheese sandwiches- which I'll admit to be very partial to and picky about it. Making a grilled cheese sandwich in a cast iron skillet is simply the best way to get it perfect.

My favorite recipe in the book is the Salmon Cakes- they are a delicious use for leftover salmon and even my salmon-hating husband likes them. This recipe is savory, full of flavor, and includes a really good simple tartar sauce recipe.

Other highlight recipes for my family are the
Mango Curry with Cashews (vegetarian with a vegan option)- spicy and delicious and adaptable.
Cheesy Fondue- Everyone needs a good fondue recipe, this one is classic and simple.
Fajitas with Steak- this is one of those things that cast iron just shines for because of the heat you can use with it.

There is also a recipe for a spicy gingerbread that I'm looking forward to making when the weather gets cooler. I love a good gingerbread and this one looks fantastic for cold evenings.

You can get it from your favorite bookstore.

Check out Storey Publishing on Facebook!

Now for the coloring page, click the images below for larger versions.

You can get this design on a shirt on Redbubble HERE

Small jpg version:

Large transparent png version:

Cast Iron Skillet Box- crochet pattern

My daughter is a new cast iron enthusiast. It started with me getting her a skillet of her very own a few months ago, then I got a new grill pan for myself that she has been using regularly. So I decided to make her a little cast iron box for her rings. This box is very quick to make, but does take some piecing to attach the handles, and the disk on the lid so the lid sits right instead of just balancing on the pan.

You will need:
Black worsted weight cotton yarn- I used Lion Brand Kitchen Cotton
Size F or G hook (4.25 mm) - I work pretty tightly so a G hook worked for me.
large tapestry needle to sew pieces together and weave in ends
scissors

This box is made in 5 pieces.
Ch=chain
sc=single crochet
sl st= slip stitch
st or sts= stitch or stitches
repeat ** around means repeat what is between the asterisks all the way around.

Pan
Chain 2 or make magic ring
Round 1: 6 sc in first ch, sl st to join
Round 2: ch 1 (does not count as first sc), 2 sc in each st around, sl st to join (12 sts)
Round 3: ch 1 (does not count as first sc) sc in same st, 2 sc in next st, *sc in next st, 2 sc in next st*, repeat ** around, sl st to join (18 sts)
Round 4: ch 1 (does not count as first sc), sc in first st, 2 sc in next st, sc in next st,*sc in next st, 2 sc in next st, sc in next st*, repeat ** around, sl st to join (24 sts)
Round 5: Working in back loops only! ch 1 (does not count as first sc), sc in each st around, sl st to join.
Round 6-7: working in both loops, ch 1 (does not count as first sc), sc in each st around, sl st to join.
Round 8: Reinforce the top by slip stitching in each stitch around from last round. Break off and weave in ends.

Lid part one:
Chain 2 or make magic ring
Round 1: 6 sc in first ch, sl st to join
Round 2: ch 1 (does not count as first sc), 2 sc in each st around, sl st to join (12 sts)
Round 3: ch 1 (does not count as first sc) sc in same st, 2 sc in next st, *sc in next st, 2 sc in next st*, repeat ** around, sl st to join (18 sts)
Round 4: ch 1 (does not count as first sc), sc in first st, 2 sc in next st, sc in next st,*sc in next st, 2 sc in next st, sc in next st*, repeat ** around, sl st to join (24 sts)

Lid part two:
Chain 2 or make magic ring
Round 1: 6 sc in first ch, sl st to join
Round 2: ch 1 (does not count as first sc), 2 sc in each st around, sl st to join (12 sts)
Round 3: ch 1 (does not count as first sc) sc in same st, 2 sc in next st, *sc in next st, 2 sc in next st*, repeat ** around, sl st to join (18 sts)

Center the smaller piece on the bigger piece and sew together.

Handle for the pan:
Ch 9, skip 5 chs, and sl st in 6th ch, sl st back to first ch.
Round 1: ch 1 to turn, sc in next 3 sts, sc 6 times in loop, sc down the other side of next 3 sts. Break off leaving a tail to sew to pan.

Handle for lid:
chain 5, sk last chain, sl st all the rest of the stitches, break off leaving a tail to sew piece on.

Now it's time to sew it all together, the handle for the pan goes on the top row of the pan, the lid handle is centered on top of the larger circle and stitched into place.