Pancakes + Pans

Call me hyperbolic, but anyone who has ever owned a cast iron pan seems to have a cast iron story. 

Years ago, my father-in-law found an old cast iron pan at a dumpsite. It was orange, rusty, and neglected, and it certainly didn’t look like it belonged in anyone’s house, let alone anyone’s kitchen. But my father-in-law knew then what I have only learned now - that a good cast iron pan simply cannot be thrown out. He brought the discarded pan to a sandblaster; he cleaned it, he heated it, he re-seasoned it. And he continues to use it til this day. 

Cast iron is forever. 

I, myself, am new to the cast iron world. I started cooking with cast iron pans less than a year ago, so my cast iron skills are a bit on the rusty side (pun intended). Cleaning cast iron pans is a new experience for me. For those who aren’t familiar, here's a quick summary 

A month or two into my cast iron experience, I put my newly washed pan onto the stove for seasoning. I hadn't quite adapted to the routine yet and I swiftly got distracted by another errand or two, and... I went out for a walk. Yes, you read that correctly. I left the house with the burner still on - the ultimate homemakers shame. Upon arriving home, it took me a while to even realize what I had done. It was only upon entering the kitchen and noticing a whiff of burnt oil that I became cognizant of my faux pas. I had, indeed, left the pan on an open burner. But that’s not even the craziest part of this story. What then - you ask? The craziest part was that the pan was totally fine. (And so was the house, thank goodness). A small superficial heat spot did form in the middle and some of my seasoning did burn off in the process, but otherwise, the pan was completely fine. I’ve never loved a kitchen item more. 

Cast iron pans are indestructible. And needless to say, I am a convert.

There is so much to celebrate in the world of cast-iron, and as much as I’d like to discuss each and every aspect - like how they can be used both on the stove and in the oven (that means only one pan to wash on chicken skillet night!) or how my omelettes have never been tastier or fluffier - there is one particular aspect that I’d like to give a special nod to. While cast iron pans are seemingly indestructible, our bodies, most certainly, are not. In a world that is more polluted and more health-obsessed than ever, recent research points to the fact that cast iron pans could be one of the safest and healthiest kitchen choices out there. 

How so? 

Firstly, cooking with cast iron can provide a much needed iron boost. Scientific research has shown that a small amount of iron gets absorbed into our food when cooking with cast iron pans. Iron is an essential mineral, and as a woman who has spent much of her life on a vegetarian diet, it is also a mineral that my demographic tends to be deficient in. There are two types of iron: heme iron, which is found in many meat products, and non-heme iron, found in many vegetables. Non-heme iron doesn’t absorb as easily into the body as heme iron. To compensate for this, nutritionists often recommend adding above average amounts of iron to vegetarian diets. Enter: Cast iron. 

Secondly, Cast iron is free of many of the harmful chemicals that are often found in cookware. PFAS chemicals (including PFOA) are toxic chemicals used in the manufacturing process of many kinds of non-stick cookware, as well as other household items. They are employed due to their ability to repel oil and water. Exposure to PFAS chemicals has been linked to cancer (Canadian Cancer Society and Health Canada), reproductive harm*, and hormone and immune system disruption, amongst others. 

The good news is that cast iron pans are produced without the use of these PFAS chemicals. And for those of you who are like myself and still need their eggs in the morning, a well seasoned cast iron pan is a great alternative to the traditional non-stick. We can continue to enjoy our daily omelettes knowing that we're not simultaneously consuming PFOA in the process. 

They say cast iron pans are forever. Who says we can't be either? 

Okay- it is important for me to note that in the grand scheme of things, the amount of added iron and chemicals avoided from using cast iron may be small. However, while cast iron pans won’t cure all your health problems, it can certainly be a step in the right direction. Today's world is a world inundated with chemicals and stressors, and perhaps a million small changes in the way we live is exactly what we need. 

SHOP Field Company’s Cast Iron Skillet and you won’t even have to build up a seasoning. All pans come pre-seasoned and are extremely light weight. 

We used our Field Cast Iron Skillet to make buttermilk pancakes from scratch in our 1973 Boler. Cooking pancakes on the skillet is a dream. I highly recommend using a metal spatula along with it. 

My Buttermilk Pancake Recipe (feeds 4)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour

• 2 tbsp sugar

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp baking soda

• ½ tsp salt

• 2 cups milk

• 4 tbsp white vinegar 

• 2 eggs

• 4 tbsp butter, melted

1. Make the buttermilk in advance: combine the 2 cups milk with the vinegar, and let sit for at least 30 minutes 

2. In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients. 

3. In a separate bowl, beat together wet ingredients (buttermilk, eggs and butter). Keep the two mixtures separate until you are ready to cook

4. Heat a lightly oiled pan over medium high heat. You can flick water across the surface to test if it's ready (if it sizzles, it's ready!)

5. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture using a wooden spoon or fork to blend. DO NOT OVER STIR. 

6. Pour or scoop the batter onto the pan. When the top of the pancake is filled with tiny bubbles/air pockets, that's a good indication to flip. Practice makes perfect!

Serve with Canadian Maple Syrup. Enjoy!

Sources:

*https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/reproductive-problems-in-both-men-and-women-are-rising-at-an-alarming-rate/

 

SHOP THIS BLOG POST

Maple Syrup

Field Cast Iron Skillet

Fernwood Instant Coffee

Falcon Enamelware

from SALT Shop - Journal https://saltshop.ca/blogs/news/pancakes-pans

SALTY HUMAN INTERVIEW : Meet Meg

Welcome to a new highlight, a series we like to call Salty Human's. Each month we want to highlight people who love the ocean as much as we do. There are so many rad people out there all doing great things for the ocean + we want to introduce you to them. 

Todays salty human is Meg. We connected with her at the local dive centre, Frank Whites Dive Shop.  Meg teaches diving helping others to explore + appreciate the underwater world. Meg is also currently on her journey to becoming a Marine biologist! 

 

SALTY HUMAN 

phrase 

• A person who closely interacts with the ocean for work, lifestyle or other. 
• Somebody who understand and respects the salty sea.
• A person passionate about ocean conservation + protecting marine mammals. 

 Time to get to know Meg! 

What is your earliest memory of the ocean?

My earliest memory of the ocean sounds pretty made up but you can call my mum to fact check. But I think I was probably about 5 and my parents were working on Little Cayman running a dive resort and my mum took me out snorkelling and I remember wearing my pink mask and snorkel and squealing at all the fish in the reef when out from under it swam this beautiful 7.5 foot nurse shark and I totally freaked out. I jumped on top of my mums back, apparently almost drowning her, and screaming with my snorkel in my mouth because I’d never seen a shark before. But my mum calmed me down and told me that nurse sharks were like the puppies of the sea and that I should try and put my face in the water again just to look and see that it wasn’t going to bother us. And when I looked down I remember being terrified but also just amazed at how it glided on the bottom. From then on was obsessed with sharks and wanted to tell everyone about them. I think that’s when I really fell in love with the ocean. 

 

How is the ocean a part of your life?

The ocean is a place where I can escape everything that is going on in my life. It has always been somewhere I feel at home no matter where I am in the world. I grew up snorkelling, then scuba diving, sailing, boating, and just going to the beach. I love to do beach clean ups and always bring a bag to put rubbish in when I’m planning to go. I don’t really know why but when other people on the beach see me picking stuff up when I’m walking people usually start to do the same thing and I love that it reminds people we should be respecting and protecting it because it does that for us.  

 

What does being a SALTY HUMAN mean to you? 

Being a salty human to me means sharing that salty love with others. I do this in my job as a dive instructor, studying marine biology at university, and anyone who wants to know more about the ocean if I meet them on the beach, on instagram, or my friends who are wondering why I love what I do so much. 

 

What is one thing you wish people knew about the ocean? 

I wish that more people knew that the ocean works so hard to protect the planet and us. It does this partly by being one of the biggest carbon sinks on the planet, being the biggest producer of oxygen, more so than forests, and it absorbs most sun radiation so it keeps the planet cool and habitable. It also houses so many important ecosystems that provide for the majority of world’s livelihoods such as the mangroves, seagrass, and kelp that are nurseries for juvenile fish and protects shorelines from erosion and storms. So I want people to know that if we protect the ocean, it will protect us too. 

 

What is something most people don't know about you? 

Most people don’t know that I name every single one of my 36 houseplants like they are my children, much to my parents disappointment. 

 

What is inspiring you currently?

The thing that inspired me the most recently was one of my students who was trying scuba diving for the first time and got super panicked when we were at the bottom of the pool. She came up to the surface and was telling me that she accidentally snorted some water up her nose while she was doing a skill but that she wanted to go back down and try it again. She reminded me that sometimes the best things in life happen on the other side of fear and if something scares you, you should probably try it. 

 

How do you spend your free time?

If I have some free time I like to spend it outside either biking or hiking or going to the beach because the pandemic has kept me pretty homebound so getting some fresh air is always welcome

 

What are 3 of your favourite things right now?

My 3 favourite things right now are London fogs, my growing number of house plants, and the documentary Fish People by Patagonia. 

 

What is something that you are currently coveting from SALT?

The Joanna Wool Cardigan. I am obsessed. Need it in my life ASAP! 

 

How would you describe your personal style? 

My personal style is pretty relaxed. I love long flowy pants and skirts with my birkenstock’s, even in the middle of a Victoria winter. I really like thrift shopping and pushing myself to put pieces together I wouldn’t normally to kind of venture off of the sweatpants I normally wear at home. 

 

What are you most excited about in life at the moment?

I am most excited right now about how close we are to summer. Not just for a break from the books but also for some vitamin D! We are very lucky on the West Coast to have such a mild winter but I cannot wait for the sunshine!

Meg is wearing:

JOANNA Cardigan | STAY SALTY Current Tee | SWELL Hoodie

from SALT Shop - Journal https://saltshop.ca/blogs/news/salty-human-meet-meg