Not your mothers Cast Iron Cookbook
By: Lucy Vaserfirer

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This was my first cookbook through Netgally and felt the need to give a truly non biased review. Let me start by saying I spent days reading and planning what would be my first meal cooked in a cast iron skillet. Needing to season and learn proper car of the skillet and cleaning and storage after cooking.

I received my first Cast Iron skillet for Christmas. Since I’d been planning and reading this great book and all it’s directions, suggestions and recipes so I’d planned some meals to cook. After spending several days cooking I can honestly say that this book is absolutely a fantastic read. Not only will you be able to follow along with simply put direction but you’ll also get recipes for the average person to enjoy. Highly recommend and the author writes with knowledge and know how.

Thanks Netgally for allowing me to read and review!!!

I inherited a cast iron skillet from my grandmother and was excited to use it, but i had no idea where to start.
Then I received an ARC of Not Your Mother's Cat Iron Skillet. Lucy Vaserfirer gave me the instructors to maintain my skillet as well as the cooking theory i needed to know. The first 35 pages are welcome knowledge for my cooking arsenal.
I was amazed at the variety of recipes included. Vaserfirer includes diverse recipes fro a variety of cultures breaking you out from just the typical bacon an cornbread routine. Create Mexican Chorizo, Shakshuka, and Falafel along with typical favorite such as dutch babies and pork chops. I just wish that the book included more photos so I could understand what I am making.
Get out of your comfort zone, bringing out the cast iron skillet and get cooking.

Being an avid collector (I've never seen so many) with many years of hard-earned experience, the author created a treasure trove of information for care, use and cooking with the immortal cast iron skillet. Careful instruction is given for each of the over 150 delicious recipes. In all their glory, sumptuous pictures highlight some of the mouth-watering finished masterpieces. Whether considering breaking the ice or improving upon your already honed skills for cast iron cookery, this invaluable cookbook comes highly recommended.

In recent years, the availability of cast iron skillets has made a tremendous comeback. Many are offered pre-seasoned, thereby, taking the guesswork out of the initial cooking process. A can't miss, many of the recommended tools and utensils are described with accompanying labeled pictures that clearly identify each. Countless cooking methods are described in detail that take their individual place in the order of preparing meals. Finally, careful maintenance of the skillets is provided so they will continue to provide many useful years in the kitchen.

I sent my thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - Harvard Common Press for this digital edition in exchange for an unbiased review.

Thank you Quarto Publishing Group – Harvard Common Press for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book has anything and everything you would ever want to know about cooking with cast iron. I found the background and information more interesting than the actual recipes. I learned how to strip an old nasty rusted cast pan and re-season it like new. However, I would have liked to see more pictures with the recipe portion of this book.

There are some amazingly creative recipes in here and has opened my eyes to new ways of using a skillet. I had never heard of Dutch Babies (a bit like a large, sweet Yorkshire pudding), had not tried something as great as Corn Fry Cakes (adapted - see below) and hadn't ever thought it possible to do cookies or cakes in a skillet.

The instructions at the opening on how to season a skillet, what it can be used for and its benefits are set out in great detail.

I really appreciated the metric conversions here! So many books don't have these and it's a constant back-and-forth with a calculator.

The only reason I took one star off was because I like to have a picture for each recipe - I like to know what I'm aiming for. Having said that, the recipes are very detailed in their description so I haven't been too lost so far.

As a person who is gluten intolerant, I was able to easily adapt the recipes to suit me.

This book offers plenty of tips and tricks, along with a bevy of recipes. There is a lot of info here that covers everything from care and cleaning of your cast iron cookware to tricks to get the best results. The book also has a large collection of recipes. Breakfast, main dishes, sauces, appetizers, side dishes and desserts are covered.

There is nothing better than a well-seasoned cast iron pan! While I wasn't lucky enough to have had old cast iron passed down from previous generations, I have lucked into great deals on secondhand pieces and use mine almost daily. The author begins her book with her own story of using (and abusing) cast iron pans and learning to love them. The reader gets some history of cast iron, tips on what to look for when making secondhand purchases, recommendations for buying new, care and usage tips and of course, how to restore cast iron in need of reseasoning. Tips for cooking with cast iron are also included along with descriptions of the various cooking methods called for in the recipes. Then we get to the recipes...

Vaserfirer has divided recipes into eggs and breakfasts, starters and snacks, main dishes, sides, sweets and baked goods and spices and sauces. As someone who chooses a vegan diet, I knew going in that the majority of the recipes wouldn't be of any use to me and this is certainly the case. Not the fault of the author at all. I was actually pleasantly surprised to see several recipes lacking animal ingredients - falafel (minus the yogurt dipping sauce) and many of the sides (some with easy substitutions ie vegan butter). This is not a vegan or vegetarian cookbook however and most recipes do contain meat of some kind, dairy or eggs. The main dishes are all very heavy on meat. The sweets nearly all contain dairy and/or eggs. Again, not surprising, just wanting to point this out for the veg*ns who might be curious how useful this cookbook would be for them.

Overall, for many cooks, I think this would be a good reference, but for those not looking to base every meal around meat, this would be a pass. The information on cast iron in the beginning however would be handy for anyone.

Thank you to Quarto Publishing Group – Harvard Common Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

In a recipe, I never thought I would read a 'Recommended Skillet'. Well, the reason is that would mean, that there are many choices available in size (I didnt know that before). Author Lucy Vaserfirer of 'Not your Mother's Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook' spends a good 10% of the book in introducing the CI (Cast Iron) skillet to novices. There must be many readers who have CI, MIA form cooking but hiding in the pantry. My hand is raised. Its because, I read something about seasoning. I didnt believe the wiping it in oil part after cleaning, even though that is how non CI pans seem to look after an ineffectual wash with the dish soap. Still, I never got the courage to cook with CI.
This book might change it all. Vaserfirer starts off her missteps with her two first CI skillets and the story ends up with a rack full of various CI skillets. Who knew they were collectibles? Her passion for all things skillet is infectious and will rub on you.
Looking through the recipes, I realised that Chinese Flaky pancakes (Mixing the dough with chopsticks) are similar to Laccha paratha. Garlic rubbed Heirloom Tomato Melts. Did that do something to you? Spaghetti frittata - What a great way to spruce up leftovers? Skizza. Figure it out Einsteins.. Since things cook differently in a CI skilet, it is wonderful to look at all the pictures to. Can I make a flag out of those Elotes?

PS: Inside out Grilled Cheese Sandwich.

Using this traditional pan, you'll cook up a slew of wonderful dishes from this book.

It starts with a wonderful guide to buying, seasoning, and using cast iron. If you are new to them, this section is a must to get you started right.

The recipes follow in chapters arranged by meals or courses. By far the longest chapter in on main dishes. I love that because there are so many wonderful choices. The recipes are inspired by cuisines around the world. Where ingredients are exotic, there are suggestions for where to find them, including a resources section at the back of the book.

Every recipe includes, along with the usual stuff, the recommended size of skillet and the cooking method used. In addition many recipes have variations to suggestions for alternative meats.

I'm ready to run off and make dish from here for dinner tonight!

I did not realise how versatile a skillet is. I will definitely be trying out some of these recipes. I really like the idea of cooking chicken dishes in a skillet. The book is beautifully presented and explains each cooking technique. The technique to use for each recipe is given along with clear instructions. I will really enjoy working my way through this cookbook.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Not Your Mother's Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook by Lucy Vaserfirer is a great cookbook for those that love cast iron or have a cast iron skillet passed down through generations and don't know what to cook in it. The book covers how to clean up an old rusty pan, how to season a cast iron pan, how to maintain your pan as well as how to clean and store your skillet.
The author's recipes are like a trip around the world. There are breakfasts, sides, main dishes and sweets. There are spicy, savory and sweet recipes. This is a definite must have for those who want to use their cast iron skillets. I highly recommend this cookbook.
I would like to thank the author, publisher and NetGalley for a ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The meal to cook with the Cast Iron Skillet is "very American" if you catch my drift, still there are some "international" recipes as well.

I piatti descritti sono decisamente "molto americani" se avete presente cosa intendo, ciononostante ce ne sono alcuni leggermente "piú internazionali.

THANKS TO NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!

This cookbook has a wide range of recipes for all areas of cooking - appetizers, mains, desserts. It also includes a detailed section on the history of cast iron cooking, use and care of cast iron, recommendations for pans and utensils, and how to cook in cast iron. I love my cast iron pans and the meals I prepare in them. It's a great method of cooking! So I appreciated the detail the author went to to get others to love their cast iron. Many of the recipes, however, didn't appeal to me personally. Nothing against the author or the book, but for my tastes, they just wouldn't be meals I would cook. I also prefer for my cookbooks to have photos of every dish. Again, a personal preference. The recipes were easy to follow and written with enough detail that even the newest cook can successfully make them. So if the meals and ingredients appeal to you, this is a great book for either cast iron pros, or newbies to cast iron cooking.

I read a lot of book where they cook using a cast iron skillet and i was curious.
This is a great book, it explains how to use an iron skillet and full of recipes and great images.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Quarto Publishing and Netgalley for this ARC

150 One easy One Pan meals. What's not to love?

You'll enjoy the recipes - they're classics like Yorkshire pudding, Dutch Babies, Hot Wings, and Potstickers. The tools and methods are clearly and simply laid out. There are pictures that explain the procedures, too.

I recommend this if you have a small apartment or limited storage - why not grab this book and a skillet - and learn to cook a few favorites?

Not Your Mother's Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook is a great cookbook that also includes tips and care for cast iron skillets. The recipes look amazing, though I wish there were more photos of the recipes. The photos that are included are beautiful and full page color. I would recommend this cookbook for cooks who use cast iron.

Not Your Mother's Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook
More Than 150 Recipes for One-Pan Meals for Any Time of the Day
by Lucy Vaserfirer


My father had a six-inch cast iron skillet he fried eggs in almost every day. My mother had cast iron heart and cornbread pans as well as a waffle iron that I don’t remember her ever using. My daughter collects cast iron and I have one pan I bought on a whim, seasoned and use daily. I decided that this book might give me new ideas for the pan I have and guess what? It surely did! I knew that some of the recipes mentioned could be made in cast iron but the variety in this cookbook is impressive. Recipes include: breakfast, egg dishes, starters, snacks, main courses, side dishes, sweets, baked goods, spices and sauces. There are recipes to make your own chorizo and sausage and a whole lot more.

The first part of the book gives detailed instructions about how to buy, season and care for your cast iron. Sizes are mentioned and what they are best used for in cooking. I came away realizing that just about anything can be made in a cast iron pot or pan and that I would like to look for a few in smaller and larger sizes to add to my kitchen.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Harvard Common Press for the ARC ~ This is my honest review.

5 Stars

At the beginning of the book, the author discusses her experience with cast iron cookware and she recommends the best type of cast iron pans to buy.
You are given a list of accessories to use with your cookware to help you to be able to cook any type of food with ease. You are also taught how to preheat your pan, prepare the ingredients, you are even told which stove burner is the easiest to use, and most importantly, how to keep food from sticking!
You are also taught how to braise, blacken, broil, and even how to turn the food that sticks to the bottom of the pan into the base of a sauce or gravy!
You are shown how to clean your pan of residue and how to season it so that your pan will last for many more years.
The first recipe is for Individual Dutch Babies (pancakes) using eggs, flour, salt, butter and milk - they look amazing, and they are so easy to cook in the oven in your new pan! Another recipe for Apricot Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast uses challah, cream cheese, brown sugar, eggs, milk and vanilla to create a melt-in-your-mouth treat!
You will need to follow the directions carefully so that your recipes turn out correctly.
There are even recipes to make your own smoked bacon using only three ingredients, along with a recipe for making your own chorizo!
Enjoy exploring the world of cast iron cookery and scrumptious recipes!