Me and my cast-iron skillet

If you're one of my roommates you probably groaned when you read this title. Because, yes, it's true - I'm obsessed with my cast-iron skillet.

For as far back as I can remember (okay, maybe just a few years) I have longed for a cast-iron skillet. Not just any cast-iron skillet. I wanted a second-hand skillet made by one of the original manufacturers, such as Griswold or Wagner. While living at home, I was deprived of such cookware. My mother has feared cast-iron skillets since she "ruined" one (not possible) and the process of seasoning a skillet confuses her.

I realized my skillet-owning dream this fall at a flea market downtown. One of the vendors had Wagner skillets in a variety of sizes and was more than happy to share his skillet knowledge with me as well as a mutual distaste for the Lodge "pre-seasoned" skillets commonly sold in stores.

I purchased a small skillet from the jolly gentleman and smiled all the way home. Since then, it's been nothing but good times with my cast-iron skillet. Rather than clinging to my eggs, it offers them up to me from its seasoned, non-stick surface. It goes from the stove to the broiler for fabulous frittattas or blackberry cobblers.

In my opinion, a multi-purpose pan that can take a beating is an absolute essential for college students and everyone else.

To learn more:
The Wagner and Griswold Society
Background, care and seasoning
Recipes for cast-iron cookware