google search this blog, doesn't always work

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

the Paula Deen hoecake pan

This is the Paula Deen cast iron hoecake pan, $49.

I'm not sure what a hoecake pan is, but it sure looks like a griddle to me!

Hoecakes are pancakes with cornmeal in them. Some recipes are here, here, and here.

You definitely don't need this pan to make hoecakes, though. This pan is expensive and ugly. Get the $15 Lodge 10 inch griddle.

The cast iron griddle is the most awesome and versatile piece of cookware, second only to the skillet and dutch oven. It can cook just about anything you can think of. I have several!

It may be called other stuff, such as pizza pan, hoecake pan, fajita pan, serving platter, skookie pan. A griddle by any other name, is still a griddle.

If you like the looks of the hoecake pan, and want to spend the extra cash, then you will indeed find many uses for it. But, since it's enameled, you can't use it outdoors.

"Why is that important? I don't go camping!"

Should the electricity go out for days after a storm, you will definitely want to subsist on more than just canned soup. You can cook regular meals outdoors, using an outdoor propane burner, and cast iron cookware.

If you want a classic looking pan, with even more uses (outdoors), and costing a lot less, most definitely get the Lodge 10 inch griddle.

The three basic cast iron pieces are the skillet, dutch oven, and griddle. If you have those three, you can cook anything.

2 comments:

  1. The Deen hoecake pan is awesome. Not sure why you feel the need to knock it. I have s cast iron griddle and prefer the texture I get with the hoecake pan. Definitely not the same as a lodge griddle. And if you call the hoecake pan ugly, do you think the lodge griddle is in any way attractive?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I wrote this a while ago. Most of my issue was with the price... I'm glad you like the hoecake pan. If it indeed produces different results, then so be it. Actually, yes, I do find the lodge griddle attractive.

    ReplyDelete