A Cast Iron Pan Primer from Lynne

"When buying a cast-iron pan, there are some quality features to look for: The pan should be thick and heavy and the surfaces and edges should be very smooth. One quality brand that comes to mind is Lodge. If you're bargain-minded, keep your eyes open for cast-iron pans at thrift stores and yard sales.

"When you get the pan home, scrub it with a steel-wool pad to get rid of all the sticky surface coating designed to protect the pan prior to purchase. Set the pan over very low heat until it's thoroughly dry, coat it generously with a flavorless vegetable oil, then place the pan in the oven set at 300 degrees and leave it for several hours. Turn off the heat and leave the pan in the oven overnight. Lightly rinse the pan with hot water, wipe out the moisture, dry over very low heat, rub it with oil and place it again in the oven to bake for several hours. After that, every time you use the pan, clean it with hot water only, try not to use soap, wipe it out and dry over very low heat.

"As you use the pan, it will become more and more non-stick, but if anything does stick to the surface scrub it off with salt. Because cast iron is brittle, each time you use the pan, start off with moderate heat to warm up the pan gradually, then increase the heat if you need to." — Lynne Rossetto Kasper

Listen to The Splendid Table:
Cheryl Day on vintage desserts

The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook
By Griffith Day, Cheryl Day

Complete with flowered tablecloths and old-time aprons, Back in the Day Bakery in Savannah, Ga., is definitely a vintage land. It’s a throwback to the imagined comfort zone of 1940s and 50s, when baking from scratch was a badge of honor. Looking into the cases at Back in the Day, you’d think you were at a community bake sale maybe 60 years ago.

Owners Cheryl and Griffith Day make it all happen: She does the sweets, he does the breads. Together they’ve written the Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook.

Cheryl Day Cake Recipe: Chocolate Heaven with Chocolate Buttercream

Visit The Splendid Table Store!

The Splendid Table: Recipes From Emilia-Romagna, the Heartland of Northern Italian Food
By Lynne Rossetto Kasper

The Splendid Table will take you from Parma, Bologna, Modena, Ravenna and Ferrara to tiny villages in the foothills of the Apennines, from Renaissance banquet halls to the simplest of farmhouses, offering history, folklore and substantive cooking tips along the way. The book's focus is on the northern region of Italy called Emilia-Romagna, the homeland of balsamic vinegar, Proscuitto di Parma, tortellini and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

"Ask an Italian where to take only one meal in Italy, and, after recommending his mother's house, he will more than likely send you to Emilia-Romagna." — Lynne Rossetto Kasper

Fresh Pears with Parmigiano-Reggiano and Balsamic Vinegar
From The Splendid Table: Recipes from Emilia-Romagna, the Heartland of Northern Italian Food by Lynne Rossetto Kasper (Morrow, 1992). © 1992 by Lynne Rossetto Kasper. All rights reserved.

This appetizer from Reggio shows off two of Emilia-Romagna's most renowned foods, a stunning Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and the lushest of artisan-made Balsamic vinegars. There is no cooking, and the dish is assembled effortlessly.

Ingredients

• 3 ripe Anjou or Comice pears
• Juice of 1 small lemon
• 3 to 4 ounces imported Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, in 1 piece
• About 1 tablespoon artisan-made Balsamic Vinegar ("Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena" or "di Reggio")

Instructions

Working Ahead: The antipasto is best assembled and then eaten right away.

Assembling and Serving the Antipasto: Shortly before dining, halve and core the pears, leaving their skins intact. Then slice each half into long thin slivers. Drizzle with a little lemon juice to keep from turning brown. Fan out about 4 or 5 pieces of pears on each of six salad plates. At the base of the fan place a knob of cheese. Moisten each chunk with a few drops of balsamic vinegar, and serve.

Wine Suggestions: Drink a white Sauvignon Blanc from the Bolognese hills or one from Friuli.

Cook's Notes: If you are using a commercial balsamic vinegar, blend 1/4 teaspoon dark brown sugar with 1 tablespoon of vinegar.