My mother recently gave me a cast iron skillet that belonged to her great-grandmother. It is well-seasoned and nearly 100% non-stick. It’s not only a treasured heirloom, but also one of my favorite pans to use. It browns meat beautifully, and pancakes flip like a dream.

That’s why I’ve expanded my cast iron collection to include skillets in varying sizes and shapes. Several brands make traditional iron skillets, but my favorite happens to be Lodge Cast Iron.

Get Your Daily Dose of Iron

I recently discovered an interesting fact regarding the nutritional benefits of cooking with cast iron. According to a study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, iron can be absorbed by food cooked in a cast iron skillet, especially when the food is highly acidic (e.g., many vegetables and most meats/seafood).

The study tested 100g of spaghetti sauce cooked in a cast iron pot and found its iron content increased from less than one milligram to 5.7mg. The absorption of iron into cooked food will vary depending on the age of the pan, food acidity and cooking duration.

Put Your Cast Iron Skillet to Use!

While cast iron skillets are most often used for frying, they’re also ideal for making cornbread. In fact, some cornbread aficionados believe cast iron is an essential tradition.

Speaking of great cornbread, the town of South Pittsburgh, Tennessee will host the 14th Annual National Cornbread Festival on April 24th and 25th. It’s interesting to note that contestants were required to prepare their entries using a cast iron skillet!

Why not challenge yourself to your own cast iron skillet cornbread cook-off at home by trying a great Bakespace recipe, like apesescape’s Sage and Honey Skillet Cornbread.

Today is one of those Mondays when I need a boost, so I’m going to brave the blowing snow in search of plump, juicy lemons at the market.

And when I get back home, I’m going to prepare the following recipe, which I discovered last year in a vintage recipe box I purchased online. It’s called “Lemon Sponge Pie,” and I’ve heard it originated with the Pennsylvania Dutch community.

The pie filling uses a custard base with a bit of added flour. While baking, the pie undergoes a magical transformation as the filling separates into an upper sponge cake layer and a lower custard layer.

Cake and pie? Now that’s worth a trek through the snow!

Lemon Sponge Pie Recipe

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
2 heaping tablespoons flour
Pinch salt
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 eggs, separated
1 cup milk
1 unbaked 9″ pie shell

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375F (190C). Cream together sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl. Add flour, salt, lemon juice, lemon zest, egg yolks and milk. Blend until thoroughly mixed.

Beat egg whites until stiff, then gently fold into the lemon mixture. Pour into unbaked pie shell and bake for 10 minutes at 375F (190C). Reduce heat to 325F (163C) and continue baking for 35-40 minutes or until the pie is set and lightly golden brown on top.

More Lemon Sponge Pie Goodness!

Several BakeSpace members have shared their recipes for lemon sponge pie. Pattit went a step further by also sharing a delicious-looking Lemon Sponge Pie photo.

The only thing that could possibly make this pie even better is a blueberry layer, which kc10 features in her Blueberry-Lemon Sponge Pie. I’m drooling as I think about it!

After seeing these wonderful recipes, I am more determined than ever to try this vintage recipe. Wish me luck as I wander out into the snowy, cold day!

As the Internet becomes a primary cooking resource, recipes are now also shared through social networks, blogs, and other food-related Web sites. As a result, handwritten recipe cards are becoming increasingly rare, and I miss them.

There’s something special about a handwritten recipe card that creates a personal connection to the cook who wrote it. The frayed edges, stain splatters, and notes written the margins all but exclaim, “This is a tried and true recipe!”

Family Recipes for Sale

It surprises me when I come across full recipe boxes at garage sales and flea markets. As one generation ends, the next decides not to carry on the tradition. I recently discovered many recipe boxes each filled with a lifetime of vintage, handwritten recipes are also for sale on eBay.

After looking through the eBay listings, I felt compelled to purchase two of the recipe boxes. When I received the boxes and opened them, it felt as though I had stepped into another person’s kitchen. I could see the cook’s likes and dislikes from the recipes she chose to keep.

I wondered how many birthdays, anniversaries, and holiday dinners these recipes had been used, as well as whom they had fed.

Saving Family Recipes for Future Generations

The digital age encourages some people to downsize and reduce paper clutter around their home. But, maybe with a little forethought, we can save a few more recipe boxes from being sold, swapped, or even thrown into the garbage.

The first step in rescuing recipes is as simple as making your wishes known. If you have amassed a personal collection of recipe cards, let your children, nieces, nephews, or friends know how much the recipes mean to you in the hope they will work to preserve them when the time comes.

In my case, I’ve let my mother know that I want the family recipes, some of which are written by my great-great-grandmother. I figured it’s best to let my mother know how important the recipes are to me, just in case she gets any ideas about throwing them out because she thinks no one wants them!

Recipes you might enjoy:
Vintage Banana Cake Recipe
Vintage Pumpkin Cake Recipe

Share your thoughts and tips on collecting recipes with other BakeSpace Members by adding a comment below.

Toast has been on my mind ever since visiting my parents during the holidays. I enjoy old kitchen gadgets and took the opportunity to rummage through their attic in search of long-lost culinary antiques. I came across a box full of goodies, including this pyramid shaped metal object – an early 20th century toaster.

Dried Bread and a Brief History of Toast

It seems odd to think about toast and that it has some history behind it. It’s just dried bread a quick breakfast or bland food for settling an upset stomach.

While the Egyptians mastered baking loaves of risen bread dough 6,000 years ago, toast is attributed to the Romans who dried bread as a means of preservation. The practice spread throughout Europe but it wasn’t until the early 1900s that toasters became widely available.

One of the first non-electric toasters was this triangular shaped model. Placed on a stove or used in conjunction with a campfire, it radiates heat to slices of bread placed on each of its four sides.

The Toaster Museum Foundation provides a detailed history of the toaster and shows how this now common appliance evolved over the last century. While most of us take the humble toaster for granted, there’s no denying that its features and design have come a long way.

In case this newsletter sparks your interest in finding a long-lost toaster from your childhood, keep in mind that Toaster Central sells vintage toasters and has amassed an impressive collection.

Toast Lovers Unite!

Whether I’m slathering it with peanut butter or topping it with a fried egg, a slice of crisp toast  is often one of my go-to quick meals. While I won’t be using antique toaster I found in my parent’s attic, I will be toasting plenty of bread in the year ahead.

And in looking around on BakeSpace and across the Web, it seems I’m not alone. Here are a few unique uses for toast:

Chipped Beef on Toast Recipe – BakeSpace Member Nanaleee

Mushrooms on Toast Recipe – Exclusively Food

Quail Eggs in Toast with Asparagus Cream – Lucullian Delights