How to season cast-iron cookware

Many cooks swear by cast-iron pans, but for the uninitiated, they can be intimidating. The key to cast-iron success is to season it, says cookbook author Lucinda Scala Quinn in Mad Hungry. Fill your new cast-iron pan with vegetable oil, then let it rest in a 200-degree oven for 90 minutes. Afterward, discard the oil and wipe the pan clean. The first few times you use it, coat the cooking surface with oil.