Skilletheads is a stunningly well wrought resource, care & collecting guide, and passionate love letter to noble cast-iron cookware by Ashley L. Jones. Due out 2nd May 2023 from Red Lightning Books, it's 256 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.
I grew up in southern Appalachia and was surrounded by cast iron cookware and culture from my infancy. I still have my maternal grandmother's cookware which *she* inherited from *her* grandmother. It's still in near-daily use and shows no real signs of wear from the last 100+ years of hard work. It's not particularly valuable (probably most used is an old 12" skillet made by Lodge) but they're prized possessions and mean the world to me.
The author of this book gets it. It's full of beautifully photographed and documented cast iron pieces of all sizes, shapes, and functions. There are sections for history (accessibly written and interesting and not just piles of facts and tables to wade through). There are well written chapters for collecting (and using) vintage -and- modern cookware, as well as the best overall guide I've ever seen for evaluating and restoring cast iron.
The author does a warm and friendly job of introducing readers to the worldwide fellowship of lovers (fanatics?) of all things cast iron, and there are numerous resources to get help or come into contact with like minded collectors. The resources and links lists and recipes are worth the price of the book by themselves.
Five stars. This would be a great selection for public library acquisition, homestead/home library, cooks, gift giving, as well as for maker's groups, thrifters/resellers/antique hunters. Really really good stuff.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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