Seasoning a cast iron skillet

I do apologize blog fans that I did not take pictures throughout this process, I'll try better next time...

That out of the way, I have successfully seasoned a cast iron skillet.  "Big deal" many may say, and they are probably right, but it was fun, and its even more fun cooking in the thing, because, after every meal, I get this little sense of accomplishment... a little thrill that I was able to cook whatever because I successfully seasoned this skillet.

The first thing you need to know is that you CAN screw it up.  I did...

As you can find all sorts of instructions on how to do it on YouTube, I'll not go into all the nitty gritty details, but hit the highlights.

The first thing they will tell you is if you have a brand new piece of cast iron cookware, you will need to strip it, and you can find ALL sorts of ways to do that from homemade electrolysis devices to spray oven cleaner.  I didn't bother with any of those, I just used soap and hot water.  Its the only time you will ever use soap on your CI cookware, so enjoy it.  Now, I'm not a smart man, but I know what rust is, so I dried the skillet in the oven, but I let it cool to room temperature afterwards, and that was a mistake. When you start applying oil to the pan, it should be warm enough that you need to use a towel or oven mittens to handle it, but not so hot that you can't apply the oil.  There is something about the iron being hot (or the oil being hot) that makes it stick better to the skillet.

The first thing I tried was to follow the instruction for seasoning on the packaging...that's all wrong.  The best I did there was to get a layer of goop on the pan that burned and turned my food black.  Then I found a site that said to put like a half inch of oil in the pan and bake at like 350.  That just made more goo... I was re-inventing the sticky part of the sticky-notes.  That was a little hard to clean off, so I thought I would cook it off... it was essentially cooking oil, after all...  After cooking some chicken breasts in it, it developed a fine soot like dust.  Back to the soap and hot water with it...

After that, I learned that the best way to season a cast iron skillet is to apply very fine layers of oil to a hot pan, then bake it (upside down) at 400 for about an hour.  To get a very fine layer, you oil the pan lightly, then you get a cotton rag and dry the oil off.  You will not be able to dry off ALL the oil, there will remain a light film of oil... that's what will polymerize and make a non-stick surface.  Four layers was all I needed.  The next step is to cook in it as much as you can, so I baked some biscuits and scrambled some eggs, and will soon grill a steak in it.  The biscuits fell right out and the cooked on egg cleaned right up.  I think I'm going to have fun cooking in this thing, and if I ever get an induction stove top, it's the only cookware I have that will work on it.

The perfect cookware

Over the past few years, I've had sort of an obsession to find the perfect cookware for me.  Of course I thought that the perfect cookware for me was the perfect cookware for anyone.  I'll say right now that that is wrong.

In years past, I've had a variety of inexpensive cookware, and I've caught some of it on fire... yes caught it on fire.

I forget the brand names of most of the cheap stuff I've had, however, I do remember having some TFal nonstick pots and pans that, at the time, I seemed to like, but eventually, the inside coating started to flake off.  My last TFal pot caught fire because I turned on the wrong burner. The exterior coating caught fire and was quite alarming.

After the Pot on fire incident (it wasn't the only one.. just the last dangerous one), I decided to get some no coated, or at least more durable cookware.

I bought a full set of Cuisinart Stainless Steel cookware.  I figured I 'd have a lot of trouble catching steel on fire... I was right about that.  It is extremely difficult to catch steel on fire.  I liked this cookware; it was durable, although I had to use nonmetallic utensils with it, and I could put it in the dishwasher, which is a selling point in my book.  However, something in me was unsatisfied... I eventually learned that this was not dissatisfaction, but an addiction or drive I have to buying cookware.  The main problem I had with the Cuisinart stainless steel was that it was not "nonstick."  Yes, I have since learned that you can 'season' stainless steel, but 1) I have trouble believing that stainless steel is porous enough for seasoning to get a good 'grip' on the pans, and 2) I got this set cause it said it was dishwasher safe, and putting it in the dishwasher would remove any seasoning I put on it.  Another slight issue with stainless steel is that it discolors in hard water.  The water in my apartment needs to be cut with a diamond saw its so hard.  Because of this, my Cuisinart cookware has rainbow discolorations that would make Cy Twombly envious, but that is merely an cosmetic problem and does not effect the quality of the cookware.  Another problem with putting stainless steel in the dishwasher is that any particles from other dishes can scratch the finish... so I usually wash this stuff by hand now, or I make sure that its the only think in the dishwasher... oh, and its recommended that you do not use dish-washing detergent that contains citrus... the acids in citrus will damage the finish.

The pots in the Cuisinart set are great, and I use them regularly, but I was still looking for the perfect non-stick frying pans so I could the perfect eggs... Next, I tried Calphalon Contemporary Nonstick.  This has a coating of some material from area 51 and, although you can burn stuff onto them, it will usually rinse right off.  I sometimes need to use a sponge on my Calphalon, but cooked on foods wipe right off.  Again, use silicon or nylon utensils with it and do not put it in the dishwasher... but you never need to, this stuff cleans up in seconds.  I also like my Calphalon skillets because they are oven safe up to 400 degrees, so I can toss them in the oven to put a finishing touch on omelets and steaks.

One day I was in Bed Bath and Beyond and there was a deal to get two Aeternum Enamel coated aluminum skillets for $50.  That weakness kicked in and I got them... Talk about non-stick... nothing sticks to this stuff... the first time I was ever able to flip a fried egg by just flipping the pot was with an Aeternum enamel coated aluminum skillet... that was fun... this stuff is so non-stick that sometimes you can't even get a spatula under the thing you are trying to flip cause you push it instead of slipping under it.  I really enjoy cooking eggs in these skillets... unfortunately, one night I wanted to make some tea, and turned on the burner beneath my empty Aeternum skillet instead of my tea kettle... and you guessed it... I damaged the pan.  It didn't catch fire, but It came close.  The coating on the bottom is marred.  the enamel actually melted onto my electric burner, and the cooking surface cracked slightly.  It's still usable, but where the cooking surface got damaged, it is not 100% non-stick...

After reading several blogs on cooking with cast iron, I went and bought an Emerilware cast iron skillet.  I wanted to get a Lodge and recommend them because they are made in America, but I couldn't find any, and when I get the buying bug, the Internet just won't do.

The first thing that I'll say about cast iron is that cooking with it is a hobby.  You are going to spend a lot of time caring for cast iron than any other cookware.  Oh yes, they make seasoning cast iron look easy on YouTube, but truth is, it is rather time consuming, especially when you compare it to the other cookware in this post.  The cost of brand new cast iron cookware is about the same as the others listed in this post also.  When someone says that cast iron is a lot cheaper than other pans, they are usually referring to the fact that you can sometimes... SOMETIMES... find old, used, neglected cast iron cookware in garage sales for a handful of dollars.  Turning that rusted, neglected piece of junk into a beautiful cooking utensil that will last generations is a fairly major project... that you can get wrong the first couple times.  Keeping cast iron viable is also sort of a chore.  I am in the process of re-seasoning a cast iron skillet, and will no doubt blog about it.  Although there are no lack of YouTube and blog posts concerning how to season cast iron, none of them mention what happens when you do it wrong... I now know what happens when you do it wrong.

Summary: As some website I saw said... The best cookware is the cookware you love to use every day... My favorite of all the ones listed above, in all honesty is the Calphalon Contemporary Non-stick.

The Black Bear Diner, Federal Way, WA.

If you are ever in Federal Way WA. you have to have breakfast at the Black Bear Diner.  Actually, you should have breakfast, lunch and dinner there, but if you are only going to have one meal there, make it the one that starts your day.

On my last trip to the Sea-Tac area, I stayed in Federal Way, and when I'm there, I always make it a point to eat at least one breakfast at the Black Bear Diner.  This time I had time for two breakfasts :)

The furnishings and décor in the restaurant stays true to their theme of a country hunting lodge.  The menu is even printed like a little local newspaper, which I thought was a nice touch.

I always have trouble deciding what I'm going to want there... a stack of pancakes with maple syrup or a full breakfast platter with all my favorites.  My first breakfast was the Hickory Smoked Ham Combo.  This includes a huge over 1/4 inch thick ham steak, country potatoes and 2 eggs... any style.  I had mine scrambled this time, and they were light and fluffy and perfect!  We added a side of bacon, because I wanted to try that too.

The bacon was done perfectly, or at least how I like it, just on the right side of crispy.  Like the ham steak, the bacon was thicker than expected, almost as thick as a slice of beef jerky... and tasted... well.. it was bacon!!!!  The country potatoes are mixed with onions and peppers and definitely one of my favorites. 

Due to the great "over medium egg debate" (about which I may at some day go into greater detail), for my next breakfast there, I ordered eggs over medium on the link sausage combo.  The eggs were dead on truly over medium.  This time I got the hash browns, cause I like to use them to sop up the egg goodness, and again, they were just how I like them; crispy on one side and tender on the other.

I wish I had not waited so long before writing this blog post, because I'd have much better descriptions of the food... especially these sausages.  Exact memories fail me now, but I remember truly enjoying these sausages.  I guess I just need to make my way up there again and take notes... but that would be impossible... I'm not doin' nothing but eatin' when I'm at the Black Bear... that food puts me in the zone!!!

Geoduck at last!!!

I finally got to try geoduck (pronounced "Gooey Duck")!

As the reader may know, I'm a huge fan of Seattle Washington.  Its one of my favorite towns.  So my friend there wanted to find something uniquely regional for me to try there.  That's how I learned about the geoduck (see my post "Christmas Duck"), and, as they are only found around the Puget Sound area, that makes them a prime candidate for a regional delicacy.

 

The geoduck was the culmination of a great day.  We had reservations for Shiro's Sushi bar when it opened at 5:30.  Reservations are required, and there is always a line.  Shiro's looks to be that good.  Its a very small, but elegant, Japanese Restaurant/Sushi bar.  Its well worth the time to get a table.  No reservations are needed for the sushi bar itself, but all the seats were taken when we got in. 

As we were going to downtown Seattle around rush hour, we left very early to avoid the traffic which is not much unlike Houston's, and spent some time sight seeing.  Down the hill from Pike's Place, is the touristy waterfront area with restaurants, amusements and tours of the sound.  Last year, an entrepreneur built the Seattle Great Wheel.  It is a huge Ferris wheel, much like the eye of London.  It is the largest observation wheel on the west coast, rising 175 feet above the piers.  It gives a great view of port including the Seahawks stadium, Mt. Rainer and the cargo loaders that inspired George Lucas' Imperial Walkers...

 

 Back to the geoduck...  I had watched some videos on YouTube about Geoduck and people described it as very buttery.  Well, I had never had clams before... yes, reader, I who likes to eat, had never had clams before... so, when they said that geoduck was a very "buttery' flavored clam, I thought it meant buttery in some sort of seafood way, like people say lobster is 'rich.'  I've never had lobster either, so, I've no idea what 'rich' means there... I know what a rich cake is, but not what a rich lobster is...

 

Shiro's serves their geoduck grilled in butter with asparagus and shitake mushrooms on a bed of lettuce with tomatoes on the side.  My first bite was amazing... that's all I can say... when people say that geoduck has a very buttery flavor, they are dead on... imagine if you grilled a pat of butter without it melting and give it a very tender fleshy consistency... and you have geoduck...  

 

Another wonderful thing about geoduck is that the geoduck you get in the restaurants and stores is farm raised, so the wild geoducks are free to live their lives minding their own business without hunters going after them for our culinary pleasure.

 

Hiatus

Hello Blog fans, sorry for the absence...I'll be back soon. If you're wondering what I've been up to... well, I've been distracting myself and escaping reality in various ways... most recently, Role Playing...  Take a peek at my other blog.  Not sure if I'll keep it yet, but we will see.

http://rpglegion.blogspot.com/

Don't try this at home...

I attempted the Mel's Diner Mega Mel... and... well... why rush to the end,,, As you all know, This past Saturday, February 9th, 2013, at 2pm CST, I attempted the Mega Mel Challenge.  The challenge: if you consume the entire Mega Mel burger along with trimmings in two hours, your name will be inscribed on Mel's wall of glory... and the honored dead of Skyrim will sing songs of you in Sovngarde.  Well, the Sovngarde stuff is my embellishment... but I guarantee it will be so if you finish this culinary monster.

Mel's diner... actually, Mel's Country Cafe is located at 24814 STANOLIND RD about one hour and 20 minutes from downtown Houston.  The drive out was an enjoyable trip. I kept thinking of my plan. I had only had one meal the day before.  I stayed up later so that I cold sleep in on Saturday and easily skip breakfast.  Needless to say, I was very hungry when I got to the cafe.

Evidence to Mel's popularity, the place was packed, but the wait was not very long.  Several friends, family members, and even a friend from work showed up, but seating was difficult that day due to the crowd.  My friend from work, and my sister are regulars, and they were surprised to see it so full, but, though I would have like for all of us to have sat together,  I am glad that the diner was crowded, because Mel's Country Cafe deserves to be very popular and do good business... they take food seriously. If you are anywhere in Northwest Houston, you HAVE to try Mel's.  My sister got the fried catfish... and when I got a whiff of it, and saw the huge portion, I sort of wished I was getting that.. then they brought a chicken frined steak to another table.. and I wished I was getting that...  I will be going back... quite a bit... it will be worth the drive... and they have many country dishes I HAVE TO TRY.

 

Then my Mega Mel arrived... the Mega Mel Burger is 1.5 pounds of juicy ground meat divided into five patties (if memory serves).  between each burger is a slice of cheese that melts and coats each patty in cheesy glaze.  Atop these patties is a pound of bacon... not the paper thin bacon you get with breakfast at your typical greasy spoon... this is a pound of thick cut Texas bacon.  The meat sits upon a shredded head of lettuce, about one and a half sliced tomatoes and onions and pickles.  The bun is pretty much just for show... but you still got to eat it.

 

I had not really been daunted until I saw it.. it was indeed huge... the first true Mega ANYTHING I had ever seen that deserved the name... but I had my plan. 

 

I slowly removed the saber-like tooth picks and slid the meat to its own plate.  My idea was to eat as fast as I could; thinking I could 'pshyc out' my stomach... This was a mistake.  I can eat A LOT of food... ask anyone who knows me.  I often try not to eat large amounts of food, because I'm a tad heavier than I should be, but when I get in my groove, I can eat some food.  I should not have changed that.  I should have trusted my groove.  I grabbed two burger patties an wolfed them down really fast.  Then I ate some bacon.  During all this time I'm chewing faster than I usually do, and I'm chewing a lot.  I had not expected the bacon to be so thick.  I had to chew a lot on it.  Then, I ate some lettuce and tomato.  Next, I made another 'sandwich' with lettuce, tomato and bacon, using burger patties as a bun.  I started trying to eat this as fast as I could, and then it hit.. the wall... my jaw was killing me, and my stomach started to let me know that it was not happy.  At that point I knew I wasn't going to make it.  My brother-in-law says I made it about a third of the way through, and I will defer to his assessment, I wasn't really paying attention... It seemed that the more I chewed the more there was yet to chew... it didn't seem to me that I was even making a dent.  Fifteen minutes in.. I threw in the towel, and the Mega Mel Burger had beaten me... but it was a lot of fun, and I was glad to have been able to share this friends and family.

It's On!!!!!

Well, blogger fans, I can put it off no longer... Saturday, February 9th 2pm... Tomball, TX... I will take on the Mega Mel Burger challenge.  This is the first of what I hope to be many food challenge. 

http://www.melscountrycafe.com/mega.html

At first, I had doubts as to whether I could do this... more important, I had doubts as to whether I SHOULD do this.  Now that I've set a date, and people are cheering me on... I'm sort of jazzed....

My strategy is to divide and conquer... I sort of have to.  Do you remember those ignorant chicken sandwiches that KFC had for a while... the ones that had no bread?  Well, that's what I have in mind for the burgers... it WILL NOT be a pretty sight.  the last burgers I'll eat with the buns as regular burgers... Then the remaining lettuce and tomatoes will be eaten as a salad...

Wish me luck.

Cresent City Beignets

My brother says that I have a tendency to wax nostalgic...and that may be, but it is hard to avoid when I go to Crescent City Beignets at 2360 Westheimer.  I'm from New Orleans, but that was a long time ago, and I remember very little of my youth, but I do remember mom's homemade beignets, and when I go to Crescent City, I always think of them.

I've had beignets at some other places before and was not impressed, but Crescent City gets it right.  They are a good size, about the size of your palm.  Light and crispy on the outside... warm soft and doughy on the inside, and covered generously with powdered sugar that sticks to your lips and fingers as your eat them.

Of course, they have coffee too... full bodied, rich, chicory coffee... another culinary delight that makes me wax nostalgic.  It's a perfect pairing with the beignets.  The price isn't all that bad either.