Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

The one-container-recipe collection is popular again, though of late it's veered toward the sheet pan. By resurrecting a centuries-old implement, Byrn, author of several cookbooks including American Cookie (2018) and the Cake Mix Doctor series, reminds cooks of the almost infinite versatility of the cast-iron skillet. She avoids the one and done syndrome, which concentrates on easy recipes that will accommodate the tool, and instead details the skillet's 10 best uses, from hot searing to cooking with residual heat, and applies them to world cuisines, different culinary techniques, and a mix of familiar and foreign dishes. Preceding the 160 recipes are directions for general care and use, covering history, selection, and seasoning, among other tips. Further inspiring home cooks, Byrn helpfully identifies specific dishes as blueprints skillet pizza and Dutch baby pancakes, for two that can easily accept variations. No gimmicks here, just great recipes. The enthralling options include Irish soda bread, beignets, shakshuka, sticky chicken thighs with ginger and garlic, and prune and rye cake with buttermilk glaze.--Barbara Jacobs Copyright 2010 Booklist

Publishers Weekly
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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.)