THE MODERN CAST IRON COOKBOOK
A New Generation of Easy, Fresh, and Healthy Recipes
By: Tiffany La Forge
Published: May 21, 2019
Publisher: Rockridge Press
Non-Fiction/Cookbook
If you are like me and afraid to use your cast iron skillet in fear that you will ruin it. Or if you don’t know what to cook in your cast iron skillet besides hamburgers or bacon, then this is the cookbook for you. You will find all kinds of menu ideas and ways to use your cast iron skillet in common and not so common recipes.
I am becoming a huge fan of my cast iron thanks to La Forge’s first chapter that explains how to prepare, use, and care for your skillet. I’ve used it probably a dozen times now and am finally getting the hang of it. The most important and sometimes difficult part is washing, drying, and seasoning it right away after use. I’m a soaker. I love to soak my pots and pans for easy clean-up, but no soaking here. Wash (typically with no soap), hand dry, season, and put away. It is easy, it just forces me to do it right away.
La Forge covers all the essential areas for cooking including breakfast, bread, vegetables, fish, poultry, beef, pork, lamb, and desserts. I’ve found some of my favorite ways to use my skillet is for desserts. I’ve made a couple of excellent desserts including one from this cookbook, Peanut Butter and Jelly Skillet Cookie. It was quite simple and quick to mix up and was ready in just 30 minutes. I let it cool for a bit and topped it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Just delicious! Each bit held a soft peanut butter cookie, with the sweet taste of strawberry jam and then the cold vanilla ice cream against the warm cookie was the perfect end to a movie night at home.
I printed out several recipes to try since I had an eBook version. One of my favorite treats to get at a restaurant is fried cauliflower. So, I was excited to see if I can make my own and have it taste as good. The surprise ingredient for me in the breading was lemon zest. I was skeptical but loved the hint of lemon and the cauliflower was so tasty and I’m guessing, likely healthier than the fried restaurant version.
Another recipe I tried was the Eggplant Parmesan Ratatouille. I only made the eggplant and instead had it with pasta. The breading for the eggplant was very similar to the breading I made for the cauliflower. It was quite tasty. Another recipe I’m hoping to try soon is the Reuben Grilled Cheese.
La Forge’s recipes are easy to follow and understand. She uses ingredients that are in your pantry or easy to find. I just wish every recipe had a photo. The photos that were included in the cookbook were fantastic and appetizing. I am just not as confident of a cook and like to have photos to compare my dish to theirs. Other mouth-watering recipes I’m hoping to try include Chicken Pot Pie with Puff Pastry Biscuits, Mushroom Stout Shepherd’s Pie, and Mediterranean Quesadillas.
I’m just thrilled to have the knowledge on how to use my cast iron skillet and recipes to try different ways to use it. The cast-iron skillet now has a regular spot in our kitchen, no longer tucked away where it is hard to get to. Just be careful when using as it is quite heavy and gets very hot. I have already burned myself on the handle once!
To purchase a copy of THE MODERN CAST IRON SKILLET, click the photo below:
Click below to purchase the cast iron skillet I use:
Tiffany La Forge is a professional chef, recipe developer, and food writer who runs the blog Parsnips and Pastries. Her blog centers on her passion―creating seasonal, balanced, and approachable recipes meant to be shared with others. Her writing and recipes have been featured on Healthline, Elle, BuzzFeed, and more. When she’s not in the kitchen, Tiffany enjoys yoga, traveling, gardening, and drinking copious amounts of coffee.
I also found this resource if you are new to Cast Iron Cooking. Click HERE to check out this website that offers a beginner’s guide to cast iron cooking.
I will be linking up this post as part of Beth Fish Reads’ Weekend Cooking. Weekend Cooking is open to anyone that has a food-related post to share including a book review (fiction or non-fiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. Grab the button and link up on Saturdays, but you can post any day of the week. To see all the Weekend Cooking posts and this week’s link-up, click, HERE.
Thanks to the publisher for sending a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. This review is my honest opinion. If you choose to purchase through the above links, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase.
Posted Under Book Review, cookbook, Tiffany La Forge
I adore my cast iron and have been cooking with it for years. Still, I can always use learn more about how to care for my pans and — of course — love new recipes. I’ll have to look into this book. Thanks!
Well, I’m loving it. I use it more than my other regular skillets. Sometimes being a book reviewer does have its perks! 🙂
Your description is interesting — sounds as if cast iron is coming back into favor. I know that Lodge still makes a lot of them. My cast iron skillet had to retire from every-day use when I switched to a smooth-top electric stove. It has found a second life now as a part of the steam arrangement for baking bread in the oven. It never occurred to me that I could do anything to ruin it as it’s been in the family for 2 or 3 generations, and I think it dates back maybe 85 years.
best….. mae at maefood.blogspot.com
That sounds like a great cast iron skillet…full of years of seasoning. I actually have a flat top electric stove and I still use mine. I’m just really careful with it so it doesn’t scratch. It may take a bit longer for it to warm up, but that’s ok too.