I'm not sure if it's a spillover from "extreme" sports or if it's a natural revolt against haute cuisine, but I'm getting a lot of questions lately about finding and using cookware that can stand up to anything this side of a nuclear furnace.

There also appears to be some doubt about nonstick cookware. Some people are dubious about the safety of Teflon coatings, and others are disenchanted at their fragility.

I'm here to lead you to the promised land, friends! Come with me as we discover the wonder that is cast iron cookware.

Cast iron is usually made by blending pig iron with scrap steel and injecting the purified mix into sand molds. The molds are then broken off and the cooling pans are blasted with buckshot or other scouring material to knock off leftover sand.

As you can tell by the gentle touch of the manufacturing process, cast iron cookware is built to take abuse. That doesn't mean it doesn't have some simple care requirements, of course, but we'll get to those shortly.

By far the largest manufacturer of cast iron cookware is the Lodge Manufacturing Co. It makes everything from skillets to grill pans to big fryer rigs and Dutch ovens. Eventually, I'll own one of everything, but let's start with the basics:

Skillet: Choose the size most comfortable for you. I recommend the 10-inch one, as it's the best tradeoff of size and weight. Personally, I own 10- and 12-inch models because on occasion I'm called on to feed large groups of ravenous carnivore humans.

Griddle: Want to make the greatest pancakes you've ever eaten? Want your French toast to have that crispy edge so prized at breakfast time? Friend, you need to get a cast iron griddle pan and get it good and hot on the stovetop. They work fine on electric or gas ranges, or over a campfire if you're so inclined.

Dutch oven: Before anyone ever thought of a crock pot, there was the cast iron Dutch oven. Nothing will hold a good, even temperature better than the heavy metal of this monster pot, and it can go from stovetop to oven without missing a beat.

With all the talk lately about putting "survival kits" together, you might want to think about making a cast iron addition or two to your emergency box. If the power goes out and you want to cook up the eggs in the fridge before they go bad, your cast iron skillet or griddle on the barbecue grill will do the job nicely.

If you're into camping or want to try your hand at being a campfire cook, there's a subset of one of the above selections you'll want: a "camp" Dutch oven. This pot's got three legs, to give it stability if set in a bed of coals, a lip on the lid to hold coals to top-brown things like cobblers and biscuits and a metal handle to hoist it out of its cooking spot. I've got an acquaintance who's a whiz campfire cook, and he can make everything from sourdough biscuits to venison stew in his Dutch ovens.

The Seasoning Solution

One thing that seems to intimidate most cast iron novices is all the mystique about "seasoning" a new pan to make it ready for use. However, there's no need to fear. Follow these simple steps and you'll have a ready-to-use pan in no time at all:

If you've got a deep pan, such as a chicken fryer or Dutch oven, you can put an exclamation point on the seasoning by deep-frying something in it. When the oil hits about 350° F., you'll hear a few deep "thunks" from inside the pan that, to me, have always indicated the last few pores of the pan opening and slurping up their share of seasoning oil.

Clean the pan with hot water and a stiff brush after use, then give it a light wipe-down of vegetable oil on the cooking surfaces before storage. If it ever develops rust or a metallic smell, reseason it.

Follow these steps and you'll very soon have pots with that rich, black patina so prized by cast iron cooks everywhere, which has made cast iron cookware an item of vituperative dispute in estate settlements.

As an added bonus: I've noticed that my well-seasoned 12-inch skillet (my favorite) is just about as nonstick as any Teflon pan. The nastiest cooked-on scrambled eggs come loose with one swipe of my cleaning brush. I just hit the pan with hot water from the tap and brush it stoutly, and it's clean in seconds.

Now that we've got your new skillet seasoned, it's time to make one of my very favorite skillet side dishes. This will go very well with grilled meats and is a great use for leftover roasted corn the day after a cookout.

Cast-Iron Corn Roast

4 c. roasted corn (about 6 ears) (can use canned Niblets corn)

3 tbsp. unsalted butter

2 tbsp. chopped pimentos

¾ c. chopped onion

6 cloves garlic, chopped

¾ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2 tsp. kosher salt

1 tbsp. sugar

Preparation

Melt butter in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and cook for three minutes or until onion starts to become tender.

Add corn and pimentos and cook, stirring frequently, until you begin to see browned kernels and smell the sugar in the corn carmelizing. This usually takes about seven minutes. If the mixture seems a bit too dry, add another tablespoon or two of butter as needed.

Add pepper, salt and sugar and cook for three more minutes, allowing the sugar to melt thoroughly and glaze the kernels lightly.

Serve hot. This dish will keep up to a week covered tightly and refrigerated.

Variation: To make this a creamy dish, remove from heat when done and stir in ¾ c. of your favorite flavor ranch salad dressing. Done this way, it can be served as a cold salad.

Basically, to sum up, cast iron is the ultimate in indestructible kitchenware. You can blast it, beat it, scrape it and expose it to haggis fumes and it'll shrug it right off. I have in my collection a corn stick pan that I found at a garage sale. It was so rust-encrusted that it was barely recognizable at first. Ten minutes with a wire brush, followed by a good seasoning and scrubbing, and I had a pan that often sells for upwards of $20 for which I'd paid $1.

Keep an eye out at garage sales and flea markets. That rusty, dusty hunk of cast iron cookware sitting on the $2 table could become the pride of your collection!

Got a question? Comment? Recipe to share? Drop me a line anytime!