Let me introduce myself.

I am the Master of Spice and Heat. Having rightfully wrestled control of culinary affairs away from that utterly hopeless cooking knave who writes the other dreck on this blog, I shall do hope to do some level of justice to art of food creation and presentation. In any case, my musings cannot *possibly* be any worse than *his* inane babblings that pass for "art".

Without further ado, let me begin today's treatise...

Iron, without a doubt, is the type of metal that rewards its owner for its dedication.

As a material for cookware, iron is indeed the most attention craved one of them all. It requies immediate maintenance after cooking lest its form begin to corrode away from oxidation. When compared to corresponding pieces made from modern materials, iron cookware weighs inordately more; the user must be careful not to underestimate the amount of effort required to move iron cookware from one place to another. Finally, the user must exercise caution and use a pot holder or another similar implement when moving a heated piece of cookware to prevent burns.

However, the rewards of using iron cookware far outweigh those drawbacks. Once properly seasoned, iron cookware will require little oil to prevent food from sticking to it. In addtion, it is also very sturdy, requiring little thought as to what type of utensil is being used in it and taking years of abuse. Most importantly, metal keeps a constant temperature for a very long time, perfect for controlled temperate cooking techinques such as braising.

So I ask you, the reader, to try using iron cookware whenever and wherever appropriate. Your food and stomach will thank you.