Jon, I'm sorry. Of course you're in Vegas, and I just forgot. You know
why I couldn't find the cookbook you got on bookshare?
I was looking the word castiron as one word. Once I made it two words,
there, indeed, is your book. I'm so pleased to have a copy of it. I
will say, though, to any of you who get cookbooks from bookshare: to my
knowledge, these aren't proofread; so if you're reading a recipe and
things sound just wild or unbelievable, better it would be to check the
recipe against a print copy.
Sometimes reading the braille can pose some trouble. It's not a big
thing if you're reading a story, but when you're reading numbers,
amounts, and the like, well, just be aware of that.
It's really fun to have jon's book. Well, the one he purchased. I
think it is called The Cast Iron Cookbook. Someone will correct me if
I'm wrong.
In fact, after I had downloaded a copy of it tonight, I realized that I
already had it in my folder of Bookshare books.
Someone's havingmentioned a cast iron frypan on Amazon, I guess I'll
look for one. Or maybe I'll be lucky enough to find one on a sale or
something.
Okay, enough of my chatter.
Hug baby for us.
Penny
On 3/18/2016 10:54 PM, Jonathan Rawlings wrote:
Penny:
I am in Las Vegas, which is not in Arizona, though the AZ boarder is not far from my house. I just use solid vegetable shortening from Crisco in the round cylinder containers found in the baking section of the grocery store. I like the shortening because it is a very refined, pure fat, and is very easy for me to feel where the pan has been coated and where it has not, unlike oil, which can run down the sides and pool in the bottom of the pan and in the corners. To others reading this reply; I know there are ways of seasoning the cookware on top of the stove by placing it over high heat and constantly brushing with oil, but I don't like this method because the sides don't generally get as much oil as the bottom of the pan, and oil is harder for me to see and I certainly can't use my hands to feel what I am doing.
Jon
----- Original Message -----
*From:* Penny Golden <mailto:pengold2@xxxxxxxxx>
*To:* blindcooks@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:blindcooks@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
*Sent:* Friday, March 18, 2016 8:13 PM
*Subject:* [blindcooks] Re: New cookbook
What sort of shortening do you use, jon, I'm a total novice.
Penny
On 3/18/2016 6:11 PM, Jonathan Rawlings wrote:
Caring for cast iron is not complex at all. To season it, simply
coat the inside of the skillet with a thin film of shortening and
bake it in a preheated 350-degree oven for about an hour. The
more often you do this, the more resistant to rust and the more
nonstick it becomes. As far as difficult to use as a blind
person, yes, the nandle can get very hot depending on how you are
using it, which is why I keep a heat-resistant glove nearby at
all times. If it goes into the oven, you can bet that glove is
right there with me. I am not totally blind, but have some
usable vision, so I can usually see the handle. To clean it, I
either use a soft brush, or, if needed, a little kosher salt. If
there's a bit of food stuck on there that doesn't want to come
off, I can set it on the stove and bring some water to a boil and
usually scrape it off with a wooden spoon or spatula.
----- Original Message -----
*From:* Sharon <mailto:mt281820@xxxxxxxxxxx>
*To:* blindcooks@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:blindcooks@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
*Sent:* Friday, March 18, 2016 4:03 PM
*Subject:* [blindcooks] Re: New cookbook
John, how can you as a blind person use cast iron? The handle
is hot. I guess you could use an oven mit. But isn’t care
complex?
Sharon
*From:*blindcooks-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:blindcooks-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
[mailto:blindcooks-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] *On Behalf Of
*Jonathan Rawlings
*Sent:* Friday, March 18, 2016 4:17 PM
*To:* Blind Cooks List
*Subject:* [blindcooks] New cookbook
Hello all:
I just thought I would tout a new cookbook I recently
bought for myself, since our finances seem to be improving a
bit lately. It is called "Cook It In Cast Iron" by "Cooks'
Country" magazine, and there are a lot of recipes I am
looking forward to making from this book.
I developed a love of cast iron some years ago because
of its ability to get hot and stay hot, even in the face of
relatively-cold food. I like how it is naturally-nonstick
with proper care and use, its durability, how it helps foods
cook more evenly, how it doesn't warp, and how it only
improves with time. One of my cast iron skillets was passed
down from my Grandma, who used it for over 60 years. Yes,
cast iron is heavy, but that's exactly what gives it the
heat-retention properties that make it so valuable.
But back to the book. Most of the recipes in this book
are fairly-simple and straightforward, as is the whole idea
behind the "Cooks' Country" magazine. For example, the
recipes I look forward to trying from the chapter titled
"Sear it" include Crisp-skin salmon with honey lime sauce,
Blackened chicken with pineapple cucumber salsa, and
Thick-cut steaks with blue cheese and chive butter. From the
chapter on one-dish dinners, there's Pan-seared flank steak
with crispy potatoes and chimachuri, and marinated steak tips
with charred peppers and onions. In the sandwiches and
burgers chapter, there's a recipe for a smoked turkey panini
that is made with a sun-dried tomato mayo, and the oil from
the jar of tomatoes is brushed on the outside of the bread
before cooking that I can't wait to try. There's also
something here called a Baltimore pit beef sandwich that
sounds really good and is served with a horseradish spread,
flank steak tacos with a charred corn salsa, and Italian
sausage and pepper subs. There is even a desserts chapter,
and Emily was almost drueling over the recipe for the easy
chocolate pudding cake, and this recipe for a skillet
chocolate chip cookie sounds odd enough that I just might
have to make it soon. I guess you'd cut it into wedges to
serve with some vanilla ice cream? Many fun and tasty
dinners are waiting to be made from this book. And last
night, I made the recipe for the buffalo chicken salad, and
we actually went to the trouble to make our own creamy blue
cheese dressing. The blue cheese we had was an unusual
smoked variety, which made for an irrestistable dressing. I
will definitely let you know which recipes turn out the best
as I make them.
Jon
