Stoneware vs. nonstick

There are thousands of psyche self-analysis tests and tools out there. You can find sites that will tell you what your favourite food or colour say about you. Prompts about what your preferred romantic date or model of car or flavour of ice cream reveals. Caught in the idle mind time of washing some dishes, I realized that my preference for cast iron cookware and stoneware says something about me.

There is a heft, a solidity, to stoneware, and to cast iron cookware, that suits me. It's old school. It's reliable. It's resilient and versatile. Unlike nonstick cookware, it won't give off fumes that kill birds, or chip off and pass through the guts of my guests. It's not too fancy. It's not suspect as to how it's made or what went into its production. Much like me, a good cast iron skill requires a bit of conscious care, like never washing it with soap (just hot water and a scrub brush, thanks!), but it will give and give and give with just that one little admonishment. It makes cornbread and frittatas with equal flair and perfection. It will go in the oven. It will go on the stove top. Handle it with a hotpad, and you are good to go. No melting handles. No exclusions on metal spatulas. Same with my stoneware baking stone. Nothing but flawless, consistent, delicious production, all for just a bit of upfront investment and a couple of hard-and-fast rules -- no soap, use a hot pad to handle.

That's really me in a nutshell, with just two little rules: don't lie to me, and communicate like an adult. If you can do those two things, I'll be golden for you.