food advice?

[handmade34]

Last edited Tue Dec 20, 2016, 10:23 PM - Edit history (2)

I am starting a small limited serve "restaurant" (coffee shop/café...?) in my teeny tiny town... I have been picking up supplies and these small 4x4 (10oz) cast iron dishes came with some other supplies and equipment I bought 2nd hand... too small for a main entrée... any ideas for yummy stuff to serve in them??

My son (chef/cook) said that McMenamins in Portland (where he worked) used something like it... baked cookies/brownies in it and served with ice cream... we will not be big in desserts though


http://www.webstaurantstore.com/lodge-hmss-10-oz-pre-seasoned-heat-treated-cast-iron-square-mini-server/530LMSS.html

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[haele]

1. If you're within a day's drive of a city, you might want to check with resturant resellers.

We've got a couple here in San Diego, where you can get "gently used" kitchen and dining room furnishings, serving items, and cooking utensils from both diner and upscale restaurants that have gone out of business. I've purchased a couple odd sized pans that are difficult and far more expensive to find in normal cooking supply stores at these places over the years. I know a lot of caterers who go to these places to find equipment and bulk utensils.

Haele

[handmade34]

5. Yes, lots of used restaurant

stuff out there, but no time to go... still working my day job for a few more weeks we have gone to a couple of local auctions and places selling out... right now we are sitting pretty good, just looking for the perfect waffle maker and still working on design for counter that I will make out of old barn wood...

[pinboy3niner]

2. Cornbread? nt

[handmade34]

4. good idea!

maybe with some beans or with breakfast

[Brother Buzz]

3. Individual portion Dutch apple crumb pie

Cherry, too

Pie are squared, baby!

[handmade34]

6. this was my one good thought

apples (or other fruit) with either dough or yummy oats crumbles on top good size pans for that

[Brother Buzz]

7. Umm, a modest sized pan for a hedonistic male with a wicked sweet tooth

[blogslut]

8. Baked cheese dip?

[handmade34]

9. recipe?

[blogslut]

12. Sorry.

I don't make one I just know that such a thing exists. However, there are numerous recipes out there.

[canetoad]

10. I love cast iron

But would be leery of a commercial application when it needed to be scrubbed often in hot soapy water. Might be making a rod for your own back by having to dry and re-season it after scrubbing.

I'd go for something not a baked dessert, maybe a few shrimp or scallops, that kind of thing. Maybe three or four of them containing different items as a main or entree.

[mainstreetonce]

11. You can do a casserole of cornbread and sausage

It's kind of like a breakfast pie.

Today Rachel Ray did a dish with layering thin potato slices and cheese.
That would be a good side dish.

[handmade34]

13. I am going to pass that idea

onto my son... he will like that!... thanks for the suggestion of looking up Rachel Ray... I am a vegetarian but know my neighbors will like the meat dishes; we will just try to make them extra good and healthy

[TexasBushwhacker]

18. Yeah, I was thinking some kind of individual breakfast casserole

A frittata/quiche on steroids.

How long will you be open every day? You could have something for breakfast/brunch and something for lunch/dinner like sheperd's pie, deluxe mac 'n' cheese, broccoli rice casserole (added protein like roasted chicken extra).

The thing that's great about things like these is that you can prep them during slow times, prebake and refrigerate. Then just pop them in the oven for a few minutes to heat through for serving.

I know you said you weren't planning on a lot of sweets, but you could use these for daily specials. Apple pie one day, brownie the next.

[betsuni]

14. I don't think that's too small for an entree.

But I live in Japan, so ... Maybe you should try it! Lower the price, less waste. A nice salad or vegetables or bread on the side.

When I see that pan I think of (vegetarian or not):

lasagne/deep dish pizza
macaroni & cheese/gratin/scalloped potatoes
pot pies (with biscuit topping)
shepherds pie/seafood pie/moussaka
stew
curry
meatloaf
baked beans
chili with cornbread topping
soup with bread topping
nachos/cheese dip
cinnamon roll filled with apples
hash browns topped with egg/frittata

Something hot and homey and economical.

[handmade34]

15. all great ideas!

now we just have to figure what our customers would like best... here in the cold rural Northeast, the hearty loggers/farmers might need a couple to keep them going

[blaze]

16. How about bread?

Could do lots of variations... sweet or savory. On the savory side, you could offer flavored butter to accompany it. Like garlic butter to go with a mini lasagna?

Maybe a deep dish pizza?

Nachos?

Cheese fondue?

Would love to hear what you end up doing.

[Nac Mac Feegle]

17. The biggest problem I see

Is maintaining the seasoning on the cast iron. It may not be worth it to do something that would require running it through the dishwasher.

Although it might be used as a baking pan for a quick bread, such as cornbread. They could then be sprayed with release, have batter poured in, then baked. If done properly, the bread should just pop out cleanly. Cleaning could be done by wiping with an (food type) oiled towel. No or little damage to the seasoning. I have a couple cast iron cornbread recipes that preheat the pan (usually a cast iron skillet) before the batter is poured in.

I had a room mate many years ago that ran his cast iron skillet through the dishwasher after every use. He stopped using it after a while because of the funny taste. He was sort of known as a couple French fries short of a Happy Meal as it was, but he was prompt with his rent money. If I had the opportunity, I would have snagged that pan, it was a nice old Lodge.