This cookbook was incredibly informative. I appreciated the information provided. It's often difficult to find information about how to proceed with cast iron cooking (even how to choose a pan) without finding loads of conflicting information. The recipes sound delicious. I am from Canada, so many of these recipes are new to me (heard of, but never given the opportunity to try). I also very much like that she compared the prices based on what you actually need in a kitchen to demonstrate how affordable cast iron cookware can be.

I look forward to trying many of these recipes (especially the cornbread and peach cobbler type dish).

Thank you to NetGalley and Darcie Rowan PR for providing a copy of this e-book for review.

I really enjoyed this book and that's not usually the way you describe a cookbook! It was more than just a cookbook because it gave you the history behind cast iron, explained how to use it and finally how to take care of it. All that, before diving into the recipes!

There is a wide variety of recipes including breakfast, dinners, sides and deserts. I never ever thought you could cook desert in a caste iron, but you can and I did! I made the Brownies and they were both simple to make and oh so yummy!!

I'm so happy I found this cookbook. I've had a cast iron for two years and never used it because, for me, it was intimidating. Now that I've tried it and liked it, I've talked two friends into getting one too! We are going to make it a girl's night in and cook something in our cast irons once the threat of covid-19 is over.

Thank you NetGalley and Red Lighting Books for the ARC of this cookbook in exchange for my review.

#NetGalley #ModernCastIron

I grew up using cast-iron and have several old gems in the garage waiting for our kitchen renovation to be completed so I can use them again.

This book gives sone fantastic advice on how to use, select and care for cast iron I have ever run across.

I own cast iron pans and have used them for years and I still learned a ton of things that I never knew. This makes owning, takeing care of and properly using these pans a breeze.

I highly recommend it fantastic book!

I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

I posted about this title on Instagram, along with a photo of a recipe I made. I'll also post to GoodReads and to my blog in the upcoming weeks. Details provided directly to the publisher.

**I received an e-ARC from NetGalley for an honest review**

As a southern girl, I've always known the value of cast iron. I've inherited pans from grandparents, great aunts and uncles, and even from cousins who didn't know the value of cast iron and wanted shiny new stainless steel cookware for her new house (more for me!)

The recipes were easy to follow, and the photography was appetizing. While I don't really care about Lodge cast iron, it was a nice touch for someone who doesn't already own a lot of cast iron pots and pans. The trip to Lodge made it a little more commercial and made me stop and look to see if Lodge had a hand in publishing this book.

Overall, I found the book a great one to have if you have any cast iron at all.
However, I do think the author missed out on two things that most southern girls know if they grew up with cast iron. Every southern girl I've ever met has had the same advice about cast iron. Since she missed the following two items (especially number two), I had to mark her down to a four star out of five.

1- A pineapple upside down cake made in cast iron will be the best pineapple upside down cake you will ever have, don't even fight me on this because I WILL win.

2- If you have at least two cast iron skillet, one will ALWAYS be a cornbread skillet. Never, ever make anything else in your cornbread skillet. Yes, you can re-season a skillet after cooking, but it will never be the same until you've made at least 100 more cornbreads and have re-seasoned it properly. And no, I'm not lying about that number.

Three years ago my husband was given a set of cast iron pans that we have never used because of our glass covered stove, but after reading Modern Cast Iron, I think it’s finally time to break those bad boys out!

Modern Cast Iron was extremely interesting. In some cookbooks, I find myself almost bored to tears during the introduction and lists of ingredients sections. With Modern Cast Iron, I was engrossed in the history of cast iron that Jones included, both of her family and in general. The fact that she took a tour of the Lodge factory to see how the cast iron pans were made really showed the depth of her passion for these pans! All of the information included left me feeling pretty confident that I can properly cook with and care for my cast iron pans.

Onto the recipes, I’m not from the south, but just about everyone can appreciate the home cooked comfort foods that are prevalent down there! My husband is a huge fan of cornbread and biscuits and anything savory. Reading through Modern Cast Iron, there were several recipes that I bookmarked for later! Like all of the cornbreads and the delicious looking blueberry cobbler!

All in all, I learned a lot about cast iron and found some great recipes that I have a feeling will become staples in my house.

I definitely did enjoy reading about the history of cast iron, and learned lots about the care of them. However as cast iron aren't fussy cooking instruments, I found the recipe section a little lacking. I think it would be awesome to include some of the baking recipes (such as bread in the dutch oven), and maybe a bit more variety of food types in general.

A practical guide to cast iron cooking.

This book is part how-to, part recipe book. The first portion of the book is dedicated to understanding cast iron and how to buy, season, use, and clean cast iron cook vessels. You also get an understanding of the history of cast iron, how it's made, and the benefits of using it for your cooking. The remainder of the book is dedicated to simple recipes you can make using cast iron cookware.

Overall, I thought that the how-to portion of the book would be very useful for cast iron novices, and can provide some helpful advice for more seasoned chefs as well. The recipes are simple and easy-to-follow, but I would not consider them to be super revolutionary, as most of them are versions of the kind of meals many American prepare every day.

I would recommend this book for home cooks who want to get into using cast iron cookware, as well as a beautiful gift, perhaps for a wedding or housewarming.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for an ARC. All opinions are my own.


This book is a complete overview of what cast iron is, how it is made, and how to take care of cast iron. It additionally share great recipes using cast iron. Full of beautiful pictures to compliment the information shared.

I learned so much and even found I wasn't treating my cast iron with correct care. I am looking forward to trying more cooking using cast iron.

Already a cast iron lover, this book didn't need to win me over but it is chock full of great information and a variety of recipes for using your cast iron cookware as well. After having a couple different sets of non-stick cookware and having to replace them every few years as the finishes began chipping making them unusable, I turned to cast iron several years back. Since I cook vegan, I had been under the impression cast iron wasn't a good fit for me. How wrong I was! Now, I almost exclusively use my cast iron and recommend it to friends as well. If you're just starting out, check local charity and secondhand shops for great deals (as the author suggests as well). I got my Lodge skillets/griddles, corn stick pans and even an Aebleskiver pan that way and only needed to give them a scrub and a good seasoning. This book will tell you what you need to know to save an unloved cast iron pan to bring your them back to life! I did have to wait for a good sale to pick up new loaf pans, a Dutch oven and a wok, but if you're patient, good deals can be had and you can get off the cookware replacement cycle for good. Take care of your cast iron as suggested here and it will last several lifetimes. The author goes into other benefits of using cast iron, such as the heavy metals other pans can leach into your food. The versatility of cast iron means you really only need a few pieces to cover all your cooking/baking needs. The book then moves into recipes. As a vegan, many recipes here aren't suitable for me, but I did find a few I'll be trying and peppered throughout are tips and tricks for successfully transitioning to cast iron. This book would make a great gift along with a cast iron pan to a new graduate heading out on their own or as a wedding or holiday gift.

Thank you to Darcie Rowan PR/Red Lightning Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love this book and all of its helpful hints, Who knew that with cast iron if it rusts you can easily remove it with simple steps? All the recipes sound soo good, I want to try them. I am going to be getting my own copy of this book to put on the shelf. I would rate this as the must have for cast iron users.

I downloaded this book because I am a new owner of cast iron skillets and I had no idea how to take care of them or use them. I expected more recipes, but I was very pleasantly surprised by the information in the book. I learned a lot about taking care of my skillets and more importantly why to do so. As a complete cast iron newbie, this book was great. I would get this as a gift for someone who is an inexperienced cook in concert with a skillet itself. That would make a really nice gift.

This is a great book for anyone who is interested in expanding their cast iron knowledge. If you are a pro, or a newbie, you’ll find a new piece of information in this book, guaranteed. Everyone will eventually have a relationship with their cast iron, and the author goes into great explanation of not only, why that is, but also her relationship with cast iron. Cast iron’s not only create personal memories and history, it also has amazing history, in why and how we have used it in the past. It was super interesting to hear what she learned at the Lodge Cast Iron Factory and all the different products that they offer today.

Pretty much everything you’d need or want to know before you even begin cooking with one, will be in this book. Once you have picked out the type of cast iron you are interested in, this book will keep you well informed on how to care for it, and maintain it in it’s best condition possible.

When you’ve finally absorbed the first half of this book, you get to all the amazing recipes. The author knows her stuff, and I cant wait to try one of these amazing sounding recipes. I have already learned more than I honestly thought I would take from this. Newbie to Pro this book has something useful and informative with amazing recipes. I give this a 5/5 all the way!

Ashley L. Jones’ new book- Modern Cast Iron: The Complete Guide to Selecting, Seasoning, Cooking, and More

Ashley L. Jones new book is a winner and I highly recommend it to readers interested in cooking with cast iron. I am an experienced home chef and have used cast iron pans for many years. However, I confess that I didn’t uses them all that much nor did I know about how to care for them. Ashley’s book has changed all that. I am now more inclined to use cast iron for cooking and regularly search out opportunities to cook with it starting with the recipes in Ashley’s book. While I am not a big fan of traditional southern cooking for health and other reasons, I am keen to try some of Ashley’s updated recipes of southern classics as well as recipes I have not cooked in cast iron before such as eggplant parmesan, baked chicken and rib-eyes.
By the way, I also share Ashley’s belief that: “one of most valuable things in life is time spent with loved ones around the table.” Her new baby boy, Gordon Jones, is quite cute and will no doubt be spending lots of time around the table with his mom and dad----enjoying food cooked with cast iron.

Mike Potashnik
McLean, VA
July 29, 2020

3.5 stars The book has a lot of history of cast iron and usage and care information regarding the pans. The book has 50 recipes, many for baked goods and desserts. There are beautiful full color photos of all the recipes, which I appreciated. I was a little disappointed than many of the recipes use a Dutch oven rather than what I would consider to be a more common cast iron skillet. Overall, a good book, but I felt the recipes were a secondary focus.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Modern Cast Iron is an encyclopedic reference to selecting, using, and maintaining cast iron utensils. Due out 18th Aug 2020 from Red Lightning Books, it's 232 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

This is a very well written and lavishly illustrated guide. The information it contains covers not just the ubiquitous 12 inch frying pan but a host of other forms and uses (more than I even knew existed). The tutorials are accessible and understandable and very very well photographed. Most of the book is filled with a plethora of traditional southern cooking and the recipes are varied and tasty.

The recipes are written with English (American) measurements. There is no conversion table included. The ingredients are listed in sidebar format followed by step by step cooking instructions. Most of the ingredients are easily sourced at any moderately well stocked grocery store. The recipes are generally simple (and some use pre-made mixes or canned ingredients). The book also includes a cross-referenced index.

We're definitely going to try more of these recipes. Well written book, tasty recipes. The photography is gorgeous and plentiful. For cooks who -need- photographs for serving ideas, this will be a great resource.

Five stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I have to admit- I’ve always wanted a cast iron skillet, but have been incredibly intimidated by them. My family never used them, and I had no idea how to go about it. I now feel ready to go out and get one! This is more than just a cookbook. It breaks down the various cast iron types and what sizes are best for your cooking needs. I really enjoyed the fact that it talks about how to season and care for them. Makes it sounds much simpler than what I anticipated. I would highly recommend this for the novice and seasoned alike.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this cookbook.

This book is a must have for anyone who wants own and use or already owns cast iron pans. There is a lot of attention to the care and refinishing of cast iron pans. The different kind and sizes of cast iron cookware is discussed. The author also tours Lodge factory where Lodge Cast Iron cookware is made. This is a very comprehensive and all encompassing reference for today's cook. I felt the recipes were very basic recipes, but I have never seen so many in one place. There are 6 or 7 different types of biscuits. There are some very nice vegetable recipes and casserole recipes that a beginning cook would be able to prepare with positive results. I did not see very many spelling or grammar errors. The pictures are very clear and enticing. This is a very good cookbook to add to your collection, even if you do not have any cast iron and want to have some nice recipes that you can make and put on the table for weekly suppers. I recommend this book with 5 stars.

Everything you need to know about cast iron pans. What they are and what they are not. How to season and care for them and what to cook in them and how. If you want to know about cast iron pans this is your go to book.

I've only been cooking with a cast iron skillet for about 3 months, but I will never use any other type of skillet again. I really enjoyed this book and plan to buy a copy to have on hand, since this is full of so much information. The recipes are easy to follow and look delicious. I can't wait to try cooking them.