Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Our View: BLM caught in the middle over forest policy ... Are smoky skies the new normal for the Rogue Valley? ... Since You Asked: 1983 building collapse affected three businesses ... Our View: BLM caught in the middle over forest policy ... Are smoky skies the new normal for the Rogue Valley? ... Since You Asked: 1983 building collapse affected three businesses ... Lost in Suburbia: Out of the cast iron pan and into the fire Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Dec. 3, 2014 at 12:01 AM Posted Dec. 3, 2014 at 12:01 AM » Social News By Tracy Beckerman More Content Now When a friend gave me a gift of a cast iron pan, I was very appreciative. She’s a great cook and she swore by her grandmother’s hand-me-down cast iron pan. I am not a great cook so I thought anything that could make me a better cook was worth a try. Emboldened by my new gear, I was all ready to take my pan out for a sear when my friend stopped me and told me there was something I had to do first. “You have to season the pan,” she advised. I had no idea what she was talking about. I know all about the change of seasons. I’m very adept at giving season’s greetings. And I know when something is out of season. But when it came to seasoning pans, I didn’t have a clue. “Are we winter-proofing it?” I wondered. “Doing some spring cleaning? Falling back? Springing ahead? Help me out here.” She chuckled. “When you season a cast iron pan you coat it with cooking oil to make it non-stick.” “Ah. OK, that sounds simple enough,” I replied. “Is that it?” “No, there’s more.” I listened as she gave me a laundry list of cast iron pan rules. Don’t use soap to wash it. Don’t let water sit in it. Don’t let it air dry. Don’t boil water in it. Don’t use it in the microwave. Don’t cook flaky fish in it. Don’t use a metal spatula. I started to tune her out when she got to the part about not feeding it after midnight or it would turn into a gremlin. This was not turning out to be the wonder tool I thought it was going to be. As much as I wanted to be a better cook, the one thing I did not need was a complicated frying pan. I already had a high-maintenance dog and a high-maintenance husband. I didn’t need a high-maintenance cooking appliance to boot. I knew exactly the way this would go down. First would come the seasoning, then the special drying towels, and then the next thing I knew, I’d have to buy the pan fancy cooking oils and shower it with expensive gifts just to get it to make a stupid grilled cheese sandwich. No thanks. As my friend rattled on about her grandmother’s cast iron pan, I wondered who’s idea it was to bring this thing back into fashion anyway. What was wrong with good old Teflon? So what if her grandmother cooked on a cast iron pan? That didn’t make it better. It just made it older. Her grandmother also cleaned her clothes on a washboard and didn’t have email. Who wants that? I could see that this cast iron pan was going to take over my life. Today the kitchen… tomorrow the world. I loved the idea of a cast iron pan, but it was clear I was going to have to simplify the whole process. “All of that sounds great,” I said to her. “But I think there’s really only one thing I need to do.” “What’s that?” she wondered. “Get take out.” “Lost in Suburbia: A Momoir” makes a great gift for the holidays! To get a copy for a mom you love, go to http://amzn.to/1thnHA5. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Dec. 3, 2014 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501