Something Delicious

[Sun]

Originally Posted by Ursy

I invested in some vintage Griswold and Wagner cast iron skillets. Australia doesn't have the same wonderful heritage as the U.S. where cast iron is concerned, so I got them shipped all the way from the U.S. via Ebay.

It was expensive, but as I said before, it was an investment. I expect to be cooking with them for a very long, long time and pass them on to Bek one day. Besides, it was still less than a brand new Le Creuset skillet from a local department store, and many will say superior quality, so I still feel like I got a great deal. Plus, I am never going to have to send another useless two year old teflon coated non stick frypan to landfill ever again. I am really excited about that!!

I researched it up and down all over the place. Here is a good discussion:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/615264

I cherish the two skillets I have and love cooking with them. Maybe one day I will buy myself some more

Wow Ursy you did well. Ok I should have checked with you before I drove myself mad searching for these things. But really, I wanted to be able to see the cast iron skillet, touch it, feel it. That is one of those weird things with me, I really want to be able to handle the item if I am going to take it home. So I guess I had ruled out mail order but am now rethinking this.

My Dad had an awesome skillet that he cherished and I assumed that I would inherit this when he died. That never happened. That is a whole other story. When I started trying to learn to cook Filipino food, I realized how much I needed a cast iron skillet for frying fish, but had long been discouraged by trying to find one. Ok, ebay it is.

As for Le Cruest, I believe that every serious cook should have at least one piece in their collection. I am madly in love with the line. If I had to have just one piece it would be a round dutch oven. Though I love my stock pot too and use it for soup. The dutch oven is perfect for braising.

This is the one that I would suggest:



It will last for generations.

A friend said "Oh those are too expensive"

I replied, "really? How much did you pay for your iphone?"

[Bit]

Originally Posted by Ursy

I invested in some vintage Griswold and Wagner cast iron skillets.

I love mine even though they're only Lodge--I think Griswold and Wagner must be awesome! Someday I will find some.

Originally Posted by Sun

It will last for generations.

A friend said "Oh those are too expensive"

I replied, "really? How much did you pay for your iphone?"

Nothing like a good dose of perspective, eh?

[Sun]

Originally Posted by Bit

I love mine even though they're only Lodge--I think Griswold and Wagner must be awesome! Someday I will find some.

For me, only American cast iron will do the trick. Call me a snob, but there are too many mixed metals coming out of China. They even put lead into the steel that they sold the people reconstructing the Bay Bridge in CA, so after retrofitting the welds did not hold and the bridge started to fall apart. Nice. So no, I do not trust my cookware to just anyone.

Nothing like a good dose of perspective, eh?

Seriously! The cost of an iphone now makes Le Crueset look like a bargain.

[Ursy]

Originally Posted by Sun

This is the one that I would suggest:

I just love the colour of that one.
I'm actually very interested in the doufeu that Le Creuset makes.
You put ice in the top, and it keeps the lid a bit cooler so that the steam condenses and drips down on the food, keeping it moist.



Whatever I get, I hope to get a black or dark coloured one because I'd like to use it in the solar cooker that I hope to buy one day.

I'm all about the green and sustainable these days

(Just have to sell the house and downsize before I can afford it, so send good house-selling prayers and thoughts if you can, I'd appreciate it muchly) xx

[Sun]

Originally Posted by Ursy

I just love the colour of that one.
I'm actually very interested in the doufeu that Le Creuset makes.
You put ice in the top, and it keeps the lid a bit cooler so that the steam condenses and drips down on the food, keeping it moist.

Whatever I get, I hope to get a black or dark coloured one because I'd like to use it in the solar cooker that I hope to buy one day.

I'm all about the green and sustainable these days

(Just have to sell the house and downsize before I can afford it, so send good house-selling prayers and thoughts if you can, I'd appreciate it muchly) xx

Good luck with the sale of the house Ursy. With all of the good energy that you 3 put into the home it will surely sell.

The condensation of steam was not a problem for me with the Dutch oven but whatever seems a better fit for you makes sense.

What kind of temperatures can you get up to with the solar cooking that you are interested in? I am taking a good hard look at the solar industry right now for another reason entirely and am impressed with how many people are reporting smooth sailing with new solar systems that are not only providing electricity but generating more than they need. So power goes back to the grid. Fascinating.