Steel Skillet

This year I went on the World's Longest Yard Sale. That should come as no surprise to anyone since I have been doing that faithfully since my first trip in 1995. It used to be that I went for all four days and made the trip all the way to Covington KY, but that was back when I was working and could take vacation. Now that I have retired, it has been much more difficult to be able to be gone for four days in a row. I know that sounds counter intuitive but it just seems to work out that way.

Anyway this year I made it for the first day and did the section from Gadsden to Cloudland GA. Over the years I have become much more selective in what I buy. Mostly that stems from the fact that I already have at least  two of almost every thing I need or want. Maybe I should change the name of this place to Pi's Ark. One thing that I did not have was a steel skillet. I have several cast iron skillets and one that I use regularly but no steel skillet. When I lived at home, mama and daddy had a steel skillet. Seems to me that there was a story behind it, like the Chronicle knife, but I can't remember it. I remember using that skillet. Carbon steel skillets cook differently. They heat up faster. They really match my cooking style.

Every once in awhile at a flea market or yard sale I will run across a carbon steel skillet but they are typically rusted beyond usefulness. I could buy one off the internet for $30 to $40 but they are made differently and besides, what is the fun in that.

Back to the yard sale. On Thursday morning I got up early and me and Dixie loaded into the little Nissan pickup and headed toward Tabor Rd. in Gadsden. Linda was under the weather and did not feel like going. On the way, Dixie and I drove through the drive-thru at the Springville McDonalds and got breakfast and before we knew it, there we were at the start of the WLYS. The last few years, the WLYS has been off a bit, especially right in Gadsden. Don't misunderstand. It is still a big thing and well worth the trip if you are into yard sales, but now there is walking room and driving room and not as many yard's have sales. We proceeded on up the route, stopping at places where I had had luck before, passing places that never have anything worthwhile and looking longingly at yards and fields that once were busy with sales but now stand vacant. Also along the way we picked up the occasional new location that in the past had not had a sale. We kept that up until we got to Fort Payne around lunch. I was in the mood for a hamburger so we departed the yard sale route and headed down into Fort Payne to the Krystal. We went through the drive-thru and headed back up the mountain eating our lunch (Dixie likes Krystals too). We had finished the Krystals by the time we got back to the top of the mountain and were ready for some more yard saleing.

One of the places that I like to stop, if I can find a parking place is in the north edge of Fort Payne. They have a fenced in front yard and apparently rent spaces to other people. Lots of shade trees so it is always nice or at least not as hot as it is out in the direct sun. This year I was lucky as there was a parking place near the gate. I stopped and left the little truck running with the a/c for Dixie and walked down in to the yard. There are always a lot of interesting things at this location and this year was no exception. As I made my way to the back, looking over all the treasures, I noticed a lady seated at a small table off to the right. She was located at the far right of the drive way and the spaces next to her were vacant. I started for a moment to turn back to the left and finish looking at the other tables but something drew me to that table. As I walked up I could see nothing of interest on the table and then I looked on the ground in front of the table and there it was, a little 5 1/2 inch National steel skillet. It was really rusty and I first figured it was rusted out, but when I picked it up and tapped it, it seemed solid. I held it up to the light to make sure there was not some unseen hole. None, it was fine. I asked the lady how much and she said $6.00. I reached in my pocket and got the money and gave it to her. I now had a steel skillet.

At 5 1/2 inches, it is a bit smaller than the one that my parents had but it is fine for me. I have cleaned it up and begun to re-season it. In a few days it will be cooking bacon and eggs, okra and potatoes and who knows, I might even pan fry a salmon filet or a skillet steak. Life is good.

Tomato Gravy at Maxwell Field

It is strange how as you get older, memories from long ago just seem to pop into your head. I know it is an accepted characteristic of old people that they are always talking about something that happened years ago. If you think about it, it makes sense that they would talk about old things, after all, they are old, they have been around and they have amassed a train load of memories. I say they instead of we cause I still don't feel old, but I do meet some if not most of the criteria.

This morning I was sitting here at my computer reading emails and checking out some links when something, I don't know what, caused me to remember an incident that happened many years ago. It had to be around 1964 because I was still in high school. It was in the summer and I had attended Boy's State at Troy State College (now Troy University) in Troy, AL. I don't remember a lot about that experience. I do recall that Troy had a beautiful campus and that we were there to learn how the government worked (that was back before I learned that the government doesn't work).

Anyway, along toward the end of the session we took a trip up to Montgomery to visit the legislature. All that was relatively uneventful. What I do remember is that we ate lunch at a cafeteria on Maxwell AFB. Why, I don't know, but that is where they fed us. I don't recall what all they had on the menu but I do remember that one of the vegetables was mashed potatoes served with tomato gravy. There were a lot of us and I was near the back of the line. When I reached the servers, they had run out of tomato gravy. That was nearly 50 years ago but I can still think back and easily summon up the disappointment I felt. That was the first time my government let me down and it would not be the last, but just like the break up with your first love, it is something that will never be forgotten.

Over the years I have eaten at a good many restaurants that served tomato gravy and I never fail to order it. I have even learned to cook it myself. If I am making gravy and I have fresh or canned tomatoes in the house I am a threat to make it tomato gravy. Funny how such a little thing can make such a lasting impression on you, but I do come from a very food oriented family.