This book is daunting in its breadth at first glance. When I saw it was over 900 pages, I steeled myself for a day of flipping through to find something palatable. Often, I find cast-iron recipe books are very stodigily North American in their recipes. Lots of breads and breakfasts, but not a lot of spices, seasonings, and varied flavours.

This massive tome does not have that issue! My mouth was watering reading recipes from every corner of the world. I recognized French, Italian, Jewish, Indian, Greek, Japanese, African, and Mexican dishes right out of the gates, and my Canadian self was thrilled to see poutine tucked amongst them. Diverse palates are so well supported in this book that I could easily see diving through the pages for meals throughout the entire year and not needing to switch it up.

More than a few recipes I dove straight into with what I had on hand, and I tagged ample more to try later. I genuinely love that so many images are included, however, some of the more diverse recipes could have suited them as well. It would be beneficial to see what the ideal complete recipe is, or at least a description of what the dish is. I spent more time than I'll care to admit searching images of delicious sounding dishes online, just to get a peek at what I should have as a finished product. On the same note (as the first pages state), these are stock images, and I find that this did take some personality away from the book. The recipes were occasionally in different pans that were very clearly not cast iron, and they also didn't have a cohesive feel in how the images were selected. It very much felt like they chose the first image that worked instead of one that fit with the rest.

As someone who loves to cook, bake, and try new things, this was an absolute treat to get my hands on. However, I did notice that the recipes themselves lacked key details that a newer cook would need. For example, which pans you would need, nor their size are ever mentioned, and the step-by-step directions can be a little vague if you're not used to knowing how to do each thing ahead of time. In the age of the internet, the latter isn't the end of the world, but the correct pan size and type is a pretty massive oversight, as cast iron comes in all types and sizes.

The very brief introduction on how to care for cast iron could have gone into way more detail as well, including the different types that exist and how they're used. When a book is called the Encyclopedia of something, you assume that will come with ample information on that product itself, not just how to use it.

With that being said, I've been eyeing my cast iron pans the entire time I've been writing this review, and I'm ready to put them to work again!

This is one of those books publishers put out compiling a lot of recipes from their other books and other sources into one big generic book around a theme. As other reviewers have mentioned, there is no information about caring for cast iron, sourcing it, seasoning, etc. so it seems odd to call it an encyclopedia. It is a large collection of recipes that you can cook in cast iron.

There are not many photos, and some of those are from shutterstock so they don’t necessarily accurately reflect the recipes (for instance, a baked hash brown, egg and cheese dish made no mention of peeling the potatoes and had a picture of baked peeled hash browns that did not seem to have eggs or cheese but did seem to have bacon bits). This is a pet peeve of mine— stock photos are misleading if they are not of the same recipe in the book.

There is no nutritional information. There are some recipes for gluten free dishes.

There are many recipes but the book lacks the depth, personality and trustworthiness of books written by actual authors with their own voices and points of view. I’m sure there are some good recipes in here though, for those who just want a huge collection of potential recipes.

I read a temporary digital loan of this book for review.

The Encyclopedia of Cast Iron is an absolute treasure for anyone who loves cooking with cast iron. This book offers an incredible variety of over 350 recipes, each designed to bring out the best in your cast iron cookware. Whether you're a seasoned chef or just starting out, the clear instructions and tips make it easy to create mouthwatering dishes. The range of recipes is impressive, covering everything from classic comfort foods to more adventurous culinary creations. It’s not just a cookbook; it’s a celebration of cast iron cooking. Highly recommended for any cast iron enthusiast!

I appreciate NetGalley and Cider Mill Press for providing me with an eBook advance copy in exchange for my honest review. The official release date is September 16, 2024!

What a great collection of hearty recipes! I absolutely love my cast iron and having a bunch of new recipes to try is going to be so much fun! Photos are really well done as well.

I absolutely loved the photos and recipes but I am confused with the title. There wasn't much of a history or a care guide which surprised me. I am relatively new to cast irons so I am deeply excited to try the recipes given but I am not confident yet with the pan.
Overall, this is a stunning cookbook about cast irons and I would definitely buy the physical copy to have accessible whenever I want it.

This is a great cookbook! I love using my great grandmother’s cast iron skillet and it’s exciting to see a cookbook devoted to cast iron. I was surprised by just how all encompassing it was with the recipes. So many and so diverse! Photography was good, though I would have liked more photographs.

This is a huge cookbook with recipes from every meal of the day and from different cultures/cuisines. There’s something for every craving and appetite in this cookbook. The reason I’m giving it 4 stars and not 5 is that I wish there was a section on the care of cast iron such as detailed photos about cleaning and seasoning. Otherwise this is a fantastic cookbook for someone who loves cast iron already or is looking to get started.

**Thanks to Cider Mill Press for the e-arc I received via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.**

Thank you Cider Mill Press and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review

3.5

I appreciate the idea of creating a recipe with the use of a reliable, simple, and long-lasting pan, the Cast Iron Pan. It opens up the possibilities of various dishes on this previously-assumed-only-for-savory pan. The recipes are simple and straightforward, I got to try some of the scones on my own pan. My biggest concern with this book, is the title, "The Encyclopedia of Cast Iron" but there is no list on what basic materials to have in this case. There are various types of cast iron pans, and it mentioned only needing a skillet in the introduction but had various types later on.

I have been using my cast iron pan for a long time, and there was no page for CAST IRON PAN CARE. When you purchase a pan, you should be doing some prep work in order to prevent the pan from rusting after every use. What sponges to use and not to use, methods of cooking and baking that prolongs the life of the pan ETC. There are also various oils with temperature differences that can lead to a different outcome when using a cast-iron type pan, which should be expanded upon.

I have always been a little scared of using my cast iron skillet, but this book inspired me to try and use it again. I feel much more confident in my abilities with what I learned in this book. There were so many great recipes featured in this book. The photos were beautiful and really inspired me to give my cast iron another chance. The recipes were varied and covered anything you could possibly want to cook throughout the day. They were well written and easy to follow. I would definitely recommend this book to a cast iron newbie or someone who has been cooking on cast iron their whole lives. There is something for everyone in this book.

In this cookbook, the focus is on the simplicity of meal preparation, respect for the ingredients and the versatility of the pan itself. From breakfast to dessert, the cast iron pan can be utilized by any home cook with ease after a little knowledge. This fine book features meals from around the globe in a simple way. Excellent cookbook. Makes me want to buy another cast iron pan.

So many different recipes and gorgeous pictures to look at. This is definitely one of the better, more detailed, and easier to follow cookbooks I have seen in quite some time. Certainly a table top display book!

#NetGalley #TheEncyclopediaofCastIron

Cider Mill Press’s The Encyclopedia of Cast Iron is a good, serviceable cookbook. As advertised there are more than 350 recipes in the book.

What works: the recipes come from a wide variety of cuisines and look like they are solid recipes. I tried a few recipes. I appreciated that the recipes were presented cleanly on the page. For me, a cook with years of experience, the straightforward directions were great. For an inexperienced cook, this could be frustrating because the book assumes you know the basics. The recipes I made ranged from stellar to good but not exciting. I substituted bone in pork chops for ribeye steak in one recipe and may never cook pork chops any other way.

What could be better: for a book calling itself an encyclopedia of cast iron, there isn’t much information about cast iron cookware. In the short introduction, the only cast iron cookware mentioned is a skillet. The recipes, however, call for a wide array of cookware from the fairly common Dutch oven to the rather less common cast iron aebelskiver pan. A few more paragraphs about cast iron cookware, its care and storage wouldn’t go amiss here. It also would have been nice to have the type of pan needed noted at the top of the recipe, or have it listed in the index. I inherited a cast iron wok, and have found some intriguing recipes that use the wok as a smoker, but it’s harder to find them when you can’t easily see which recipes call for a wok. This might seem like a nitpick, but I don’t want to flip through every recipe to find that one that was in a wok, when I can’t remember if it was a veggie, pork, chicken or seafood recipe. Usability is important.

There was at least one recipe that was wrong, and I hope that it will be corrected before publication. The charred sweet potatoes with toum recipe did not have toum, it had a honey butter. I was disappointed.

Imperfections aside, this is a pretty solid cookbook if you want more reasons to use your cast iron cookware.

I received this as an advance reader copy from Cider Mill Press and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.

I'd like to start by saying there are a million good recipes in here, most of which are really simple and basic. BUT ALSO, it's literally just recipes. I assumed it would be more, like maybe some tips about keeping your cast iron cared for, some tricks for starting out, where to buy your stuff from. I feel like cast iron knowledge other than recipes is so gatekept.

Absolutely amazing cookbook with gorgeous recipes. One of the best cook books i have come wcross with so much variety. I loved that the recipes were from a mix of different countries and cultures and that there was everything from starter to desert. The format of the book was also excellent and has really easy to follow instructions and pictures. I also liked the extra information about the cast iron pan and how to care for it and other cast iron products that are useful. Would 1000% recommend to everyone.

*The Encyclopedia of Cast Iron* is a comprehensive cookbook featuring over 350 recipes that showcase the versatility of cast iron cooking. Created with both beginners and experts in mind, this book offers a wide range of dishes with clear instructions and tips on cast iron care. It's an essential resource for any kitchen, celebrating the timeless tradition of cast iron cooking.

Most kitchens ( at least in New England) have a beloved cast iron skillet. The Encyclopedia of Cast Iron is a love letter to that very kitchen utensil! Brimming with comforting recopies and practical tips to maintain your pan, this book will find a loving home both on your own shelves and in gift bags!

A versatile book filled with really delicious sounding (and looking!) recipes. I can't wait to try some of these and I really appreciated the variety of recipes available for readers to try with their cast iron. I also really really liked the appendix section with a bunch of recipes for things like sourdough starter, tzatziki, and glaze.

This book was very easy to look at, the formatting and graphics were great. I really enjoyed this book, and will be getting a hard copy!