Cast-Iron Cooking with Sisters on the Fly

By Irene Rawlings

With a motto of, “We have more fun than anyone,” Sisters on the Fly member Irene Rawlings introduces readers to the culinary comfort of cooking with cast iron inside Cast-Iron Cooking with Sisters on the Fly.  Harkening back to the days of car travel before the interstate highway system made it easy to get to today’s popular camping spots, Irene offers heirloom and contemporary recipes presented alongside engaging stories and action photos of kindred Sisters cooking deliciously flavorful meals with readily available ingredients over campfires and at their home ranges. Special to this collection, Rawlings explores the basics of cooking with cast iron for 100 tasty main dishes, delectable sides and appetizers, scrumptious biscuits and breads, to-die-for desserts, and luscious libations.

 From Un-Stuffed Cabbage and Camp Dutch Oven Roast to Chicken-Cashew Pasta Salad, Sweet Potato Biscuits, and Miss Verbena’s Pimento Cheese, as well as favorites including Cowgirl Bean Bake and Bertie’s Quick Peach Cobbler, Cast-Iron Cooking with Sisters on the Fly is a photographic cookbook travelogue complete with informative sidebars covering everything from poison ivy to a broken heart, along with tips for purchasing, seasoning, cooking with, and caring for cast iron. Share in the Sisters’ love of cooking with cast iron inside Cast-Iron Cooking with Sisters on the Fly.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
• Release date: Apr 23, 2013
• ISBN: 9781449431327

Book preview

CONTENTS

I N T R O D U C T I O N

WE HAVE MORE FUN THAN ANYONE

Here is how it all began: Maurrie Sussman (Sister #1) and her real-life sister, Becky Clarke (Sister #2), were having a well-deserved glass of wine after a hard day’s fishing on Montana’s legendary Madison River. Maurrie swears that the monster trout that one of them caught weighed ten pounds, if it weighed an ounce. As they floated on that cool wide river under a big blue sky filled with big, puffy marshmallow clouds, they thought the same thought . . . at exactly the same time: We have to invite a few of our friends.

The next year, a dozen women met in Montana to fish, camp, cook over a campfire, and enjoy the tranquility of no children, no husbands, no pets.

The following year, it was nearly 100, and from there, it grew to more than 3,000. Sisters from every state in the union; from Canada, Australia, and New Zealand; and ranging in age from 25 to over 90.

WHO ARE SISTERS ON THE FLY?

They are mothers, daughters, grandmothers, businesswomen, musicians, teachers, nurses, accountants, pastors, civil engineers, and federal judges who get together with their Sisters to spend a few glorious, sunny days getting in touch with the true cowgirl within.

If you’re a grown woman with a family and responsibilities in your community, where can you go to act a little silly, to be young and frisky again? asks Maurrie. She answers her own question: Sisters on the Fly . . . we make girls out of women.

Sisters on the Fly are the little girls who in the 1950s and 1960s climbed into the backs of the station wagons that would pull their families’ Airstream trailers on cross-country vacations that instilled a sense of adventure without really having to rough it. Now, they are finding vintage trailers through want ads, in junkyards, in farmers’ fields, and on the Internet. They are restoring those trailers to their original glory and creating uniquely decorated homes on the range in which to start a brand-new page of travel memories.

SISTERS ON THE FLY: GIRL SCOUTS FOR GROWN-UPS

Our group has been called Girl Scouts for grown-ups . . . except with martinis. There are patches to be earned. Some Sisters have a lot of patches; some have just a few, but they wear their patches proudly—sewn to their denim vests or jean jackets. There are Rosie the Riveter patches for women who are handy with tools and cheerfully come to the aid of their Sisters who are not. There are patches for kayaking, for outdoor cooking, and for attending Cowgirl College. There are funny patches awarded for camping in bad weather and going potty outdoors. Helping Hands and Sisters in Need patches are awarded for lending a hand or a shoulder to cry on. Sisters are always there for each other . . . and no one gets left behind.

HOW WE GET TOGETHER

Some Sisters travel great distances, hauling their trailers, to meet up in the mountains, at the beach, or on the prairie. Others never wander far from home. If you look around, there are sure to be Sisters in your hometown, says Maurrie. Sisters meet in Steamboat Springs, Colorado; Branson, Missouri; Tybee Island, Georgia; Johnson City, Texas. Activities range from Synchronized Fireflies in the Smoky Mountains, where every June the fireflies dance and twinkle, to Cowgirl College on a working ranch in Kaycee, Wyoming; from Grandmas on the Loose, teaching the next generations about the joys of camping, to the Dutch Oven Divas of the Desert, in Quartzsite, Arizona.

WHICH BRINGS US TO THE SUBJECT OF THIS BOOK—COOKING IN CAST IRON

Cast-iron cooking, well . . . that’s a big part of our adventures. For most Sisters on the Fly, food is love. That love is represented by finding and perfecting recipes not only to cook over the campfire and at home but also to share with other Sisters all year long. Some of the recipes in this book come from family recipes, enjoyed by Grandma and Grandpa in the early days of trailer travel before the interstate highway system made it easy to get to today’s popular camping spots in national parks and along good-fishing rivers. Others are newly developed by Sisters—either on purpose or by happy accident—or adapted from vintage copies of Sunset or Gourmet magazine. No matter where the recipe comes from, the food is cooked to perfection, served with a flourish, and garnished with love.

For everyone who has happy memories about meals cooked in cast iron but doesn’t know where to start . . . this is the book for you! And it comes complete with delicious go-withs—soups, salads, and desserts—and luscious libations—everything you’ll need for a meal out in the wilderness or right in your home kitchen.

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CAST-IRON COLLEGE

A little homely, a little old-fashioned, cast-iron pots fell out of favor for many years, replaced by more streamlined and sleek aluminum and Teflon-coated cookware. Now cast-iron frying pans and Dutch ovens are making their way back into the kitchen as both home cooks and professional chefs realize the many benefits of cooking in cast iron.

Cast iron absorbs heat slowly and distributes it evenly and consistently—with none of the hot spots that can occur with other cookware. In addition, cast iron is stick-resistant and requires very little additional oil or butter. Cast-iron pans can be used on top of the stove, in the oven, or over a campfire. They are easy to clean, last forever, and get better with age. They are good for sautéing and stir-frying at high heat as well as simmering and caramelizing at very low heat.

HOW TO SEASON AND CARE FOR CAST IRON

First check to see if the pan is preseasoned. If you have a modern cast-iron pot, pan, or Dutch oven, it may already be seasoned. If you have an antique, you’ll have to go through the following simple steps:

Clean with a steel wool soap pad and hot water.

Wash with a detergent and then dry.

Using a paper towel, spread several tablespoons of melted shortening or vegetable oil into the pan, making sure to coat not only the bottom but also the sides.

Put the pan in a 400°F oven for about an hour. Turn off the oven. Leave the pan in the oven to cool.

Once the pan is seasoned, don’t wash it with soap or detergent or put it into the dishwasher. To clean, just use hot water and a plastic scrubber.

Dry thoroughly by putting the pan on a burner on low heat, then turn off the heat and leave the pan on the burner to cool.

If you burn something in your cast-iron pan (a sugary syrup, for example), build a big fire in an outdoor grill or put together a campfire (if you’re in the woods and there are no fire restrictions) and put the pan into the fire. This will turn the food residue to ash. Then, simply reseason.

Right after cooking is the best time to clean your cast iron. Some Sisters suggest washing with a little water, soap, and a stiff nonmetal brush. Others say to skip the soap. Whatever you do, don’t scrub very hard. After it is dry and while it is still hot, wipe all surfaces down with oil.

Store cast iron in a cool, dry place with a dish towel covering the cooking surface. Do not store a Dutch oven with the lid on.

WHY SEASON YOUR CAST IRON?

Cast iron has tiny little pores and microscopic valleys as part of its surface. It is a characteristic of the material. Seasoning cast iron evens out the surface, creating a patina that keeps food from sticking. And the more you use it, the smoother and more nonstick the surface becomes.

SOME CAST-IRON DO’S AND DON’TS

Always preheat your cast iron before cooking in it.

Don’t put cold water into hot cast iron, or the cast iron will crack.

Don’t store food in a cast-iron pan, because the acid in the food will break down the seasoning and the food will taste metallic.

Don’t boil water in cast iron or let cast iron sit in water. It breaks down the seasoning and can cause your cast iron to rust.

If your cast iron gets some light rust spots, scour them with steel wool. Wash, dry, and reseason.

DUTCH OVEN COOKING

Before anyone ever even heard of a Crock-Pot, our grandmothers used Dutch ovens that were, we’re told, developed in Holland in the early 1700s. More history: There are reports that George Washington’s troops used Dutch ovens during the Revolutionary War and, from there, the versatile portable ovens traveled west with the homesteaders, miners, and ranchers. They were used to make sourdough bread during the California gold rush of 1849, and chuck wagon cooks used them during long cattle drives—from Texas and Oklahoma to the Chicago stockyards.

Source: Originally published by Kathleen Purvis, food editor at the Charlotte Observer, and refined by Rick Mansfield (www.cookingincastiron.com)

What to Look for in a Dutch Oven

The Dutch Oven Divas of the Desert, who meet every January near Quartzsite, Arizona, to show off their culinary skills, have a list of features that their Dutch ovens must have:

A flat bottom

Three short kettle legs to allow circulation of air onto the coals placed below the Dutch oven

A strong wire handle (called a bail) that can stand up at a 45-degree angle from the Dutch oven

A flat lid with a lip to allow coals to be placed securely on top of the Dutch oven

A small loop handle on the lid to allow the lid to be lifted off with a lid lifter or hook

A lid that fits properly (so there is no rocking motion when the lid is on the pot, but not so tightly that the steam can’t escape)

What Else You’ll Need for Dutch Oven Cooking

A Dutch oven—The most popular size is 12 inches. Many Sisters on the Fly also have 10-inch and 14-inch ovens.

A charcoal chimney starter—gets charcoal glowing in just a few minutes and does not require lighter fluid, which can