Quick! What’s the most versatile pan in your kitchen? It cooks up the most mouthwatering buttermilk fried chicken, it does double-duty with a Swiss cheese and apple frittata (starts on the stove top and finishes in the oven), and its raspberry-blackberry crisp is a textural delight. Cast iron cookware is a jack-of-all-trades: holding heat evenly, lasting virtually forever, and providing a unique cooking surface that improves with age.

This handy recipe deck includes timeless dishes, such as Mammy Lape’s roast beef, mom’s mac and cheese with bacon, cast iron cornbread, and favorites from the early twentieth century, like Aunt Ellen’s oyster pie and Swiss steak.

Cast iron is ideal for many techniques, as seen from the recipes chosen for this set: caramelizing apples, glazing butternut squash, roasting asparagus, and even smoking salmon are all described in scrumptious detail. Also here are directions on seasoning and keeping your cast iron skillet in tip-top shape. This recipe deck celebrates the comfort, pleasure, and joy of food.