A good skillet is worth its weight in gold–and you almost can pay that much.  I’m fond of my Le Cruset and All Clad ones. But by my lights, the best  in my kitchen are cast iron.  These instant heirlooms cost around $35  from Lodge Cast Iron, made here in the South in South Pittsburgh, Tennessee.  See www.lodgemfg.com

I remember my mother wiping bacon grease out of hers (now mine) with a paper towel.  Although she sometimes ran hot water on crusty remains, she never scrubbed it with dish soap because that ruins the “seasoning” of the pan.  The Lodge website explains this simple process that prepares your pan for the next hundred years or so. Besides skillets in several sizes, Lodge makes a useful nine quart Dutch oven with a lid and a spiral metal handle on the pot. This is handy for stews, gumbo, soups and for deep frying, if you have muscle enough to hoist it.  I’m glad to see that they still make old-fashioned cornstick pans .  I have my mother’s and although I seldom use it, I like seeing it propped up in the cabinet, reminding me of the toasty cornbreads that mimicked an ear of corn and came to the table whenever we had baked ham or smothered quail with cheese grits.