I have that skillet. My only complaint is that its a little small and shallow. Luckily I have a deep cast iron skillet about that same size for making corn bread and the like in. What I really want though to round out my pans is a larger Lodge cast iron skillet.

And nobody needs that many Shun knives...you know my address.

Tilapia in a Beurre Blanc
Roasted Garlic Red Potatoes
Roasted Asparagus dressed with Lemon and Olive Oil
Artichoke with a Garlic/Basalmic Aioli

Served with Concannon Sauvignon Blanc

easy and delicious, kids begged for more (no not wine)

I just see that as a reason to buy more pieces over the years - get something bigger, deeper, etc. Should make for a nice recurring pesent theme for ourselves. How's yours doing with food sticking? I've cooked bacon etc now like 7 or 8 times, and baked it with some grease / oil on it, and it's getting better.




Our boy Terry is mailing me a pretty scrap of wood, and tipped me to a good site to order rare earth magnets (which have arrived). I'm makin' a magnetic wall board for them with the magnets hidden. Can't fucking wait to finally get those bitches out on display. Best goddam gifts ever. Everytime they fall effortlessly through an acorn squash or some shit I think of busty and smile.

Last night I poached a piece of salmon in olive oil with some fresh thyme. Only cooked for a few mins (low heat), and was so tender. Some roasted Brussel sprouts for my veg.

I'm so glad I came around on brussel sprouts. So fucking good with a little bacon and onion.

says the bloke with bacon-flavored popcorn

I'm kind of a vegetable whore. I'll eat those brussel sprouts just steamed.

They are great. I like to do em in a littel water and then take em out and make a little mustard sauce to spoon over it.

We made a really good shpeard's pie last weekend with the potato crust and everything and fuck it was good.

Hey, the bacon and onions sound excellent.

Roasted with olive oil and balsamic vinegar is also a favorite. Now I have a craving for brussel sprouts. Oh, Obner, you so crazy.

Hey Salsa fans...

If you have a Whole Foods around you, I suggest you run over and pick up their 365Brand, chipotle salsa.

it is out of the freaking world!!!

this is exactly how i roast mine. so freakin' good.

Dave, what's the mustard sauce all about?

Yeah, it took some time to get it seasoned (there was an early bacon/eggs cleanup that essentially resulted in TEARS) but I've had for like three years now and its no problemo. Speaking of Lodge Cast Iron, I cook on the grill side of this thing a lot of nights during the winter and use the griddle side for everything from tortillas to grilled cheeses and beyond:



A good venting system is a must but you can do some damn nice work with it.

Post pics of your knife thingy when you make it, I may have to have something similar.

Holy shitballs that looks useful. Especially considering my current grilling option (here comes more fodder for Loog):

I have one of those small Weber travel grills, good quality but like 16" by 10" and maybe 10" tall. And of course the condo association for our building is anti-grills on the property, so to use it I have to go outside our parking lot and light it up in the next lot over. I usually take 2 beers and everything I need, get it lit, open a beer, call my dad, and chat for 20 minutes while it gets up to temp. In other words, I don't grill much.

Those grill things are pretty cheap. I bought those for my dad a couple a years ago. I think I may have spent 20 bucks.

the news just keeps getting better

You know how you have a little of that water left in the skillet? Just squirt/spoon enough spicy mustard on there to thicken it a bit, hit it with a couple grinds of pepper, and then scoop it out over the sprouts. Really good.

I also did 'em up with pureed kimchi when my bro (The Cheerful Vegan) was here.

Tell me about poaching in olive oil - what does the process entail?

The Lodge one is I think closer to 30-35 but its also the most heavy duty one I've run into and hey, Lodge is an American company that makes kickass shit.

Edit: It's $40 thru Amazon but mine was def. cheaper @ Target.

Oh also, that Lodge cast iron scrub brush is CRUCIAL because you will fuck up whatever sponge or scrubee you use to wash dishes--you gotta have some dedicated shit or it's tears/curtains.

Really? I just use a regular wash cloth with a little soap and wipe it out. Works fine for me. Shit gets dirty but that's what the washing machine is for.

I've got one of those griddles too and I just use old wash cloths...they're permanently blackened, but they're dedicated to that purpose so it doesn't matter

and if I need something abrasive to help with the cleaning I just throw some kosher salt on there

My way: mix a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar and whatever else you'd like (I just use garlic, fresh cracked pepper and parsley), all to taste, and pour it over whatever vegetables you would like to roast. I use about 1/4 cup of the mixture for a piled high 9x13 baking dish. 350 for however long it takes to get the softness you like, at the least a couple of hours, mixing occasionally.

edit: totally didn't realize how I completely scanned before replying until I read Dalen's reply below. Oh well, reading comp. fail yada yada yada.

Late lunch with an asparagus, white cheddar, and panchetta quiche

dead easy. i like to use salmon or a nice white fish...cod, halibut.

1. fill a pot with olive oil (quality taste obv), enough to cover the pieces of fish. throw in some fresh thyme.
2. bring it up to a medium heat. you should be able to put your finger in it without it burning.
3. place the pieces of fish into the oil, and cook for 5-7 minutes.
4. when you pull it out, let it sit for just a minute. it will be insanely tender, falls apart, and is very delicious.