Many years ago I had a boyfriend who was really into his cast iron skillets. Having grown up in a Teflon-worshipping household, I found them to be quite unwieldy. But with a little cast iron education, I soon became a lifelong fan.

Cooking in cast iron means you get some of that iron leaching out into your food. This is excellent for those of us who could use a boost of iron in our diet - anemia is especially prevalent among women. Besides, aluminum and Teflon leach into your food, too, and that’s not what you want to be consuming!

Washing iron skillets with mild, soapy water is fine, but they need to be dried right away or they’ll begin to rust. It’s important to oil your skillet down to keep that natural non-stick surface, and I find coconut oil works well for this. Although brand new iron skillets need to be “seasoned” before use, it is well worth the effort, and cooking in cast iron will bring rustic flavor to your food and your kitchen.

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