I do a lot of cooking with a Lodge combo cooker, and a Griswold dutch oven. The double cooker is essentially a large pot with a handle and a frying pan for a cover. Each piece can be used separately. It is beautifully seasoned, and it serves a decorative function in the kitchen as well. I also picked up a vintage European made cast iron Swedish pancake pan at a yard sale for a buck last week.

Cast iron cookware does add some dietary iron to food. This can be a good thing or a less than good thing depending on your age, and the quality of the piece. For this reason, I keep my cookware well seasoned, and don't use it to make stew or anything that is acidic or requires a very long cooking time. Others under 50 may not have this concern.

Lodge published a book in 1996 named "Black Magic, 100 Years of Cast Iron Cooking" by Chef John Folse. ISBN #0-9625152-5-6. It is about 100 ringbound pages and covers a little history, care, and some recipes for cast iron cookware. I got one online for $1.00.