Cooking Lesson: Seasoning Cast Iron Like the ProsWritten by Michael Lansing
In days before we had non-stick cookware, we had next best thing – seasoned cast iron cookware. While non-stick cookware has certainly outdone cast iron cookware in non-stick category, cast iron pots and pans are still favored by many chefs, including professionals because of their durability and ability to retain flavor.But, if you’re not lucky enough to have a hand-me-down from Grandma, you may find yourself confused about how to become a cast iron chef. Have no fear – you can learn to season cast iron cookware with pros and keep them in great shape for years to come. Seasoning New Cast Iron Cookware The process is actually quite simple. When done correctly, your pans will last a long time and may even become your own hand-me -downs in future. 1.Heat your oven to 300 degrees. 2.Coat pan with lard or grease. (Be sure that you do not use vegetable oil or commercial cooking sprays. While they may seem easier, they will not only cause your cookware to be seasoned incorrectly, but they will also leave a sticky film on outside of cookware that is impossible to remove.) 3.Place pan in oven on middle rack and allow it to bake for 15 minutes. 4.Remove pan and pour out any excess grease or lard. 5.Put pan back into oven and bake for another two hours. 6.Repeat as needed Many cast iron enthusiasts will swear upon repeating seasoning process several times before ever using cookware first time. Each time you season cookware, seasoning bond becomes stronger. Many people will recommend that first few times cookware is used it should be used to cook greasy foods (bacon, fatty meats, etc.) to again strengthen seasoning bond. Re-seasoning Cookware
| | Vegetarian Tips: Make Your Vegetarian Diet A Balanced Diet!Written by Jasdeep Singh
The world has opened eyes to harmful side-effects of non-veg food like red meat and is now opening arms to Vegetarian Food. A very common myth found among common man is that vegetarian food doesnt provide you with necessary nutrients but a Vegetarian Diet, in no ways, is deprived of necessary nutrients, Only if you have a balanced Vegetarian Diet. Make sure you eat a lot of fruits and dont follow particular monotonous meals.Some Nutrients you dont come across normally in Vegetarian Diets are:- a) Iron b) Calcium c) Zinc d) Protien e) Vitamin D f) Vitamin B12 But you can always have vegetarian source for these nutrients. On a other side of coin, there are a lots of benifits of Vegetarian Food (incomplete) . They are rich in . You can Find Iron in following Vegetarian Food items:- Cashews, tomato juice, rice, garbanzo beans (chick peas) and tofu. . You can Find Calcium in following Vegetarian Food items:- Dairy products, fortified soymilk, fortified orange juice, tofu and broccoli.
|
