Skillet suppers surprise with flavor, ease

Life seems to have taken a U-turn lately. More people seem to be gardening, going out less and taking "staycations." What was once considered old-fashioned - the savings account, the library card, the root cellar - has had new life breathed into it. It's heady times for family dinners. And a great time to brush off the skillet.

A skillet (which is the same thing as a frying pan, if you are wondering) is essential for cooking everything from scrambled eggs to tarte tatin. A skillet is the perfect vehicle for whipping up a one-pot meal - "whipping" being the operative word. Dutch ovens, after all, are great for one-pot meals, but the kind of meals you cook in a Dutch oven take long, slow cooking. Skillet suppers are quick and satisfying.

If you can, use a well-seasoned cast-iron frying pan for your skillet suppers. It will require virtually no more oil than a nonstick pan. It can be moved from stovetop to oven or broiler without a hitch. Some cooks prefer stainless-steel pans on the grounds that they brown food more evenly. If you choose a nonstick skillet, be aware that researchers have raised questions about toxic chemicals that can be released when the pans are subjected to high heat. Should you use nonstick pans, never heat them without ingredients in them, and avoid nicking the surface by using only plastic utensils, cleaning with nonabrasive products and refraining from stacking them.

You can find skillet recipes in almost any cookbook.

Here's a tip: To season a new cast-iron skillet, rub it inside and out with a thin film of vegetable oil. Put both oven racks in the lowest positions, and place a sheet of foil on the lowest rack to catch drips. Invert the skillet on the higher rack, and bake in a 350-degree oven for one hour. Turn off the oven, and let the skillet cool inside. Clean a skillet by sprinkling it generously with coarse salt and rubbing with a clean paper towel. If you use dish soap, reseason by setting it over low heat to dry and then rubbing with vegetable oil.

• Marialisa Calta is the author of "Barbarians at the Plate: Taming and Feeding the American Family" (2005 Perigee). For more information, go to marialisacalta.com.

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Recipes</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=297878">Home-style Sausage and Potato Skillet </a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=297897">Tejano Beef </a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>