Acidic foods: Avoid cooking large quantities of tomatoes and lemons in a cast iron skillet. The acid in these foods reacts with the iron of the skillet and the result is not pretty: somewhat blackened food with a metallic taste. Not a toxic combination, to be sure--but not terribly appetizing, either.

Say no to dishwashers: none of the utensils mentioned in this 2torial should ever be run through a dishwasher. The high temperatures of water and strong detergents will shorten the life and reduce the effectiveness of any of these implements.

2torial #0842: Learn2 Season Cookware (continued)   Season Wooden Utensils As far as materials go, wood is a bit temperamental: the levels of moisture, air, and natural oil content all vary depending on how the utensil is used and cared for. For this reason, it's important to keep wood away from very hot water and frequent applications of soap or harsh scouring pads. And if you buy an unfinished wood utensil, it's especially important to season it before you use it: soaking, soaping and drying a raw wood implement is a sure path to warping and cracking. On the other hand, you don't want a sticky buildup of food or oil residue on wooden utensils; therefore, you may wish to scrub down and reseason a wood utensil on occasion. The key to wood seasoning is the oil: light, food-grade mineral oil. Some mineral oil is made to be taken internally as an intestinal lubricant--that's the kind you want. Now you just have to apply it: 1. Pour oil onto the utensil in increments of a teaspoon (5 ml), adding as much as you need to give the entire utensil a light coating. Rub it in with your hands--their heat will increase the absorption of oil. It's a good idea to have a few other wood utensils cleaned and ready to go; as long as your hands are oily, you can have a little seasoning party.   2. Cover all bases. If you're oiling a cutting board, certainly oil both sides--even if you only cut on one of them. Otherwise, moisture can penetrate the underside of the cutting board and cause it to warp. 3. Let the items sit for a few minutes. You can clean up the rest of the kitchen while you wait; then wipe off excess oil with a kitchen cloth or paper towel.   Just as with metal cookware, you need to maintain the seasoning on wooden objects. Fortunately, it's just as easy to do so: Wash and dry promptly. The best policy is to wash and immediately dry any wooden utensil--and skip the hot water and the soap. If the surface starts to feel gummy with residue, take a spatula and see what you can gently scrape off. Wash thoroughly (okay, you can use a dot of soap if the utensil has very greasy residue on it), dry it thoroughly with a kitchen cloth (not in an oven!), and season as directed above. Season frequently. Reseason your spoons and boards once a month, or perhaps twice if they see a lot of use. Or just notice when they start to look dry, and reseason then.     -end- Learn More! or All steps at once (for ease of printing out)