from our kitchen

Cast-iron Cookware

We had great fun testing the recipes for "Home-cooked Comfort" (page 86) and experimenting with the different types of cast-iron cookware, from grill skillets and drop biscuit pans to Dutch ovens and casserole dishes.

Cast-iron cookware has been the touchstone of Southern food and hospitality for generations. Aside from being virtually indestructible, it has the remarkable ability to evenly distribute and maintain heat, creating perfectly fried chicken and cornbread so crisp you can hear it crackle when cut.

The most treasured pieces of cast-iron cookware are those well-seasoned windfalls we're fortunate enough to inherit from a much-loved relative or friend. With proper care, these will last for years longer. Even that rare flea market find, splattered with rust, can be scoured with a steel wool soap pad and reseasoned.

If you've never purchased a new piece of cast-iron cookware, you might be surprised by its gray color. During the seasoning process, oil is absorbed into the pores of the iron, creating a slick, black surface that only improves with age. To learn more about seasoning cast-iron cookware, visit southernliving.com/features.

Lodge Manufacturing Company also offers seasoned cast iron that is ready for use. To view the different types of available cookware, including the drop biscuit pan shown above, or to order a copy of A Skillet Full of Traditional Southern Lodge Cast Iron Recipes & Memories, visit www.lodgemfg.com.

Sectioning 1-2-3

For picture-perfect grapefruit segments (such as those Test Kitchens professional Rebecca Gordon used to make the Grapefruit Tart on page 137), just follow these easy steps.

* Using a sharp, thin-bladed knife, cut a ¼-inch-thick slice from each end of the grapefruit.

* Place a flat end down on a cutting board, and remove the peel in strips, cutting from top to bottom following the curvature of the fruit. Remove any remaining bitter white pith.

* Holding the peeled grapefruit in the palm of your hand, slice between the membranes, and gently remove the whole segments.

Winning Tips and Tidbits

It's time to send in those prize-winning recipes for the 2004 Southern Living Cook-Off. To increase your chances of becoming a finalist, check out these insider tips from our Test Kitchens professionals.

* Recipes are selected based on taste, appearance, and appeal to our readers. Dishes don't need to be complicated. The judges are just as likely to choose a quick and easy recipe with a unique combination of flavors as a recipe with a long list of ingredients and complex procedures.

* Follow the rules and guidelines. We receive many wonderful recipes that would have been finalists but were disqualified because they didn't meet the category requirements. For example, if you enter a main dish in the Easy Entree category, make certain the hands-on prep time is 30 minutes or less. It might be a terrific recipe, but if it takes 45 minutes to assemble the ingredients, we won't be able to consider it as a finalist.

* Have a friend or relative prepare your recipe before you send it in to make sure it reads correctly. Give the exact measurement of each ingredient used in preparing your recipe. Be specific about pan sizes and procedures.

* Include any personal tips that make your recipe special.

* Visual appeal can often be the deciding factor when judging two equally delicious recipes, so add a note to your entry that describes creative garnishes and serving ideas.

* For details on entering this year's contest, see pages 103-104, or visit www.southernlivingcookoff.com, where you'll also find a copy of the 2003 winning recipes. MARY ALLEN PERRY

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Feb 2004
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