I feel like I have leveled up in domesticity because I have finally started cooking with a cast iron fry pan. I cooked my first meal in it today: fried chicken a la Alton Brown with a personal twist. I hate paprika. I really do. I don't like it as a spice or a garnish. My shake is a mixture of garlic, onion, and salt. Right now, at least. I'm sure I will mix it up a bit in the future. Maybe with some cumin.

The first pan of fried chicken was good but I was lucky. Keeping a consistent temperature when pan frying with oil is a lot more difficult that it seems. It takes experience and all that. The second pan of fried chicken was good but the skin was charred—and not in a good way. Thus, I have both leveled up and failed in the same cooking event.

That's one of the good things about cooking; you know immediately whether or not you have failed.

Next time, I don't think I will do the same kind of frying. I think I will try out a LOT less oil and do a mixture of oil and butter. More of a stir fry than a deep fry. I also think I need a cookbook specifically for cast iron pans.

Oh, yes. I actually think I need an apron.

Yes, really.

No, I'm not a pod person.

Still, it was cool. I will learn how to cook with the cast iron pan. Mostly because it tastes good and because if the apocalypse happens, I know my cast iron pan will last.

As a final note: serious kudos to the Food Network for having videos of their stars cooking on their website along with recipes. It helped a lot.