My wife and I got married in the fall of 2017. Upon the return from our honeymoon, like all newlyweds we began opening up all of the items from our registry and setting them around our one bedroom apartment. Blender here, photo book there, plates in the cabinets, and blankets on the couch. All items to be expected and properly accounted for.

What we did not account for or know what to do with was the item we now use the most years down the road. A thick, heavy piece of wrought iron shaped as a 10” cooking skillet, with a note from my cousin who worked the restaurant scene. She swore by it, and encouraged me with a couple of recipes handwritten on the cards.

Through the last few years, cooking with that skillet has improved my health, happiness, curiosity and sense of place. It became the tool through which my daily expectation of good, quality home cooked meals was achieved. Gone are the days of relying on someone else to prepare my food, freeze it, and then waiting for me to hit “Thaw” on the microwave. Dinner isn’t a chore, it’s an opportunity to create, stretch the mind, work the hands, and enhance the day.

It’s fair to ask: is this guy seriously in all his feelings about a piece of cookware?

Welcome to Cast Iron Soul, where we will teach everyday recipes for Tuesday nights, Saturday afternoons, Sunday dinners, and everything in between. Grab a skillet for yourself, and let’s get supper on the table.