Breeding Skillets

I think the skillets have been breeding in my lower kitchen cabinets. I pulled out all my pots and pans to install an extra shelf in the lower kitchen cabinet, and I counted 16 skillets of various types and sizes – for a two-person household! That’s a lot of skillets! I have large skillets for those times that a crowd gathers, small skillets for a one-person breakfast, and other sizes in between for the intermediate-sized cooking tasks. Then there’s the wok for stir-fry, the omelet skillet, various kinds of non-sticks, high sides and low sides, which I have experimented with in my quest for the perfect skillet. There are even a couple of cast iron skillets which can’t be used on my ceramic cooktop stove, but will be nice when I get a new gas cooktop, hopefully sooner rather than later.

Finally, there are the two expensive stainless steel-plus-other-metal-layers skillets that I got at a great sale price. They are supposedly the best on the market, but they seem to only work well if you use lots of oil…yikes! What would my pioneering ancestors say! First of all, they’d ask, “What’s the problem with oils? How else you gonna fry up your meat?” Actually, they’d probably say “lard” not “oil.” They would also probably say what I think, but don’t know how to apply – “You don’t need all them skillets, girl. You need to live more frugal-like!”

I could manage with a few less skillets, except that over the years they’ve accumulated. I can’t quite bring myself to toss them out because sure as I do, I’ll need the very ones I tossed. So, I’ll just add another couple of shelves to house my collection. Or maybe I could stack them all neatly back in the cabinet, turned upside down. This time next year, the ones that are still upside down will earn a little ride to the thrift store donation center where they will be rewarded with a owner who will actually use them. Yes, I think I like that idea.  Maybe I can reduce the cooking collection in my kitchen and effectively expand my storage space. Look out, casserole dishes! You’re next!