I collect cast iron and am ashamed to admit I stopped using it about 20 years ago... But I still collect it.
Currently its all packed in my bus (moving van) as I am moving from Minnesota to California. I am hitting the road on Friday morning.
So back to cast iron. I collect griswold it really all started with trivets. For some reason I liked them and bought everyone I could. Not the ones with tile as I think those are just a decoration. The ones that are solid cast iron. most of my trivets are wilton with only a few griswold and a few more with no makers mark.
My favorite skillet is a griswold and its square with a 3 divided sections. I thinks its called a breakfast skillet. The largest section for potatoes the other two for eggs and bacon/sasuage or what ever meat.
My favorite recipe is packed at the moment but its for a fruit cobbler baked in a cast iron skillet.
(OMG now I want some. I'm tired of fast food and sandwiches. No time to bake or cook while packing to move.)
My best hint is about cleaning a very crusty piece of cast iron. Sometimes you can find a really great piece of cast iron second hand with horrible build up. If you have a fire place or a wood stove you stoke up a good fire and place it in the red hot coals. Leave it there and let the fire go out. In the morning, Get it out and wash it and season it. It will be as good as new.
I love to hunt thrift stores and yard sales. One time I was shopping at my favorite thrift store and found a giant cast iron skillet. It was about 18" I put it in my shopping cart and kept shopping. When it was time to check out I counted the cash I had and realized I had to make a choice between the skillet and some clothes I wanted. (I guess I had a lapse in my sanity.) I put the skillet back and bought the other things. Just as I drove away it struck me what a dumb ass I was and called my brother and asked him to get over there and get it. Well he went and of course it was already gone.
I went home and looked up the value and it was $1,500.00 *damn* I have never forgiven myself for that dumb choice I made.
I wish I had pictures to show my cast iron. I used the trivets around the tops of my walls like some people put up wall paper boarder. and the skillets hang around on the walls. It looked pretty cool because My house is an old farm house with lots of wood. I sure hope it looks as cool in my next place.