Maine Nesties
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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
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Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
cast iron skillet
I want to make these:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Dutch-Baby-with-Lemon-Sugar-352279
but I don't have a cast iron skillet. I really should have one. So, here's the question: is the Le Creuset one really so much better that it's worth $100 more than than the cost of the Emeril one or the Crate and Barrel one or anything like that? Am I getting sucked in by the pretty colors, or is it really higher quality? (I have a gift card, so I can "afford" it...)
Re: cast iron skillet
I use my pie pan for a dutch baby... it works for me!
ETA: and to answer your question, my cast iron pan that I rarely use (should use more but I'm lazy) is a Lodge. I think it's pretty cheap (check Marshalls/ TJ Maxx)
I have a Lodge stove-top grill/griddle, which I love. My cast iron skillet was purchased second-hand at a garage sale for $5
I do LOVE Le Creuset, but they are so pricey. You can usually get a decent deal at their outlets, if you're remotely close to one - I used to have one 20 minutes from home, but I haven't specifically looked in ME yet.
Either way, as Maeghan said, you can use them for so many things that it just might be worth splurging on a pretty one.
There is a Le Creuset outlet in Kittery, but I agree that you pay for the pretty colors.
I have a couple of Le Creuset pieces - a 2 quart round casserole and a 9-1/2 quart oval Dutch oven - and they are nice. (I got a good deal on them and they were still very expensive.)
I used to have a fully enameled Le Creuset frying pan (it had beige enamel on the cooking surface) and I hated it! Everything stuck to it. I'm not sure if they even sell that kind anymore.
I currently have a red enameled frying pan that is similar to the Le Creuset ones with the dark textured interior that I got at Target for $35 and it works great. Now that I'm not a single woman with lots of disposable income, I would have a hard time justifying buying a Le Creuset again.
I have 2 Le Creuset iron skillets and the best thing about them, IMHO, is that they season well and withstand abuse.
The BEST iron skillet ever, however, is my grandmother's (now my father's) which she got from HER mother (who may have gotten it from HER mother). They don't make 'em like that anymore...
Honestly, if you get an iron skillet, just make sure it is truly and iron skillet and not some cheapo knock-off that is some kind of iron-alloy or whatever the not 100% high quality iron is. (I read about them once on Saveur or some such site but didn't pay attention greatly because I have my Le Creuset skillets that I got for free).
Just make sure you season the skillet religiously...
The aim of life is to live, and to live means to be aware; joyously, drunkenly, serenely, divinely aware. -Henry Miller
http://cookthehumbletable.blogspot.com/
I actually have the Emeril one - I've been using it for about four years and I think it's great.
My only issue with it is that I need two hands to pick it up - I weighed it empty and it's 11 pounds. If I have to scrape the pan, I get DH to come hold it for me.