Cooking in Cast Iron

Whether it’s your grandmother’s well-seasoned black skillet or the brightly colored enameled pot you received as a wedding present, cast iron is the perfect choice for nearly any cooking task. You can use a Dutch oven to slow-simmer chicken until meltingly tender; a heavy frying pan to sear steaks to a juicy, browned finish; a ridged stove-top grill pan to cook golden and oozing cheese sandwiches; and a sturdy roasting pan to caramelize sweet root vegetables in the oven. Organized by type of cookware, each chapter shows the many ways to use these popular pots and pans, adored by professional chefs and home cooks alike. More than 40 tempting recipes are included, many of which boast beautiful, full-color photographs. From a hearty vegetable frittata and spicy beef chili to comforting lemon-herb chicken and decadent chocolate bread pudding, this book offers recipes for every meal of the day.

Sample Recipes:

Dutch Ovens & Braisers

Olive oil–braised potatoes with herbs

Brussels sprouts with bacon & onions

Herbed beef stew

Southern-style fried chicken

Garlic-braised chicken

Asian-style braised short ribs

Rustic walnut no-knead bread

Berry cobbler

Frying Pans

Tomato, arugula & goat cheese frittata

Dutch baby with cinnamon pears

Zucchini fritters with herbed yogurt

JalapeNo-cheddar corn bread

Grill Pans

Summer vegetables with balsamic

Fish tacos with mango salsa

Chicken under a brick

Three-cheese panini

Peaches with cardamom honey

Baking, Roasting & Gratin Pans

Breakfast strata

Potato & chard gratin

Macaroni & cheese with bread crumbs

Meat lasagna

Rhubarb & apple crumble

Valerie Aikman-Smith is a chef, food stylist, and cookbook author based in Los Angeles whose work can be seen in many cookbooks, commercials, print, and advertising campaigns. She travels internationally for magazines, including Bon Appetit, where she has cooked her way through the Greek Islands, Paris, Mexico, Croatia and Scotland. Her television work includes the Emmy award–winning Giada at Home for Giada De Laurentiis and Disney’s The Muppet Kitchen with Iron Chef Cat Cora.