Skillet Love: From Steak to Cake: More Than 150 Recipes in One Cast-Iron Skillet

Byrn (The Cake Mix Doctor) salutes the cast-iron skillet in this eye-opening and tasty collection. Calling it “the only pan you’ll ever need,” Byrn offers instructions for using it to sear, caramelize, roast, and bake. She presents a top-notch variety of recipes for small plates, salads, and vegetables, such as potato-onion latkes with cucumber raita; peppers stuffed with quinoa, raisins, green olives, and zucchini; and pan-roasted beets with spinach, cherries, and candied pecans. Her brunch and main dish offerings are less inspired, with more commonplace recipes including blueberry pancakes and chicken pot pie. Where Byrn really shines is in her chapters on desserts and breads, biscuits, and buns, where she showcases appealing items not traditionally made in a skillet: pound cake, a cranberry and almond tart, Irish soda bread with drunk raisins, and skillet Yorkshire pudding. For those looking to learn about cast-iron skillet cooking, Byrn is an astute teacher, and this collection showcases new and appealing ways to create delicious meals using a kitchen mainstay. (Oct.)