Dear old new friend

Ever since last spring I have been dedicated to three new but old pans. Last winter a cousin passed on, after a long-lived life and assisting in cleaning out the house I salvaged from the trash heap a trio of well-seasoned, family worked cast iron pans. My cousin and their family lived in the same house for the about 60 years, and I can only imagine how old the skillet, dutch oven and grill pan were. They are a testament to fact that cast iron, for me, are heirlooms to be cherished and passed along. They are so well seasoned, with a layer of carbon so set that I fear not it rusting, though I still never use more then a soft sponge and always dry it over a flame for there would be no greater loss than those years of dutifully preparing the family meals that are deeply enbedded within.

My cousin who onced owned these pans was one of the first foodie I had ever known. I remember back when I was in my late teens she came into New York from Atlanta for a culinary run. I was a bureougning foodie myself, and spent the day running around Manhattan with her on the hunt. I totally recall a small, floor to ceiling crammed stored in Chinatown where she was told a dragon and butterfly cookie-cutter could be found. In cleaning out the kitchen I was hoping to come across those detailed, delicate cutters perhaps her daughter found them and took them home with her. A cookbook collection spanned 5 decades and was rife with local self-published “Junior League” style contibutions that represents the anthropological development of the area and time – I scooped those up; even though I know I was never going to make a 7-up  Cake or Coca Cola Chicken.

I would never have thought that I would have ended up a chef, a hoarder of pre-loved rolling pins, apothecary jars and cast iron skillets. The history of food and cooking inspires, informs and releases me to create for future accumulators of the past.

Sautéed Radish, Turnip and Beets – yeilds 4 servings

2-shallots – thinly sliced

2-tablespoons olive oil

6 baby Japanese turnips - halved

4 radishes - halved

3 baby beets (preferably golden or candy stripped) - halved

2-garlic cloves – thinly sliced

¼-cup basil leaves

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat an eight-inch cast iron skillet over a high heat, then add the shallots and olive oil. Cook the shallots until golden brown, then mix in the turnips, radishes, beets and garlic.

Sauté the vegeables for about 5 minutes, until just tender then lower the heat, and mix in the basil, salt and pepper.

Serve warm.