The reason lard works so well for pastry is the size of the fat crystal in lard is larger than in shortening or butter, so besides the flavor, there is some science to it. And definitely find fresh lard, not the boxed hydrogenated stuff at the grocery store. Cholesterol is essential for all animal life, and people tend to forget that now that the medical world has made billions of dollars off of it. In a test using lard, olive oil, corn oil and safflower oil, the life span of test animals fed diets containing these different fats had the highest survival rate with lard, and the shortest survival rate with safflower. Go figure.... From what I've studied on the subject, hydrogenated fats is where the problem is. I can get frozen fresh lard this time of the year at a local meat packing plant and I use it for a couple old family recipes for the holidays that aren't the same without it. If there is any lard left, I'll have good old fried chicken in a cast iron skillet. I think you had to be raised on lard to appreciate the flavor. A friend of ours has been a sales rep. for a paper goods distributor for 48-years. He was telling us the cardboard boxes for lard were his #1 seller for years, and now they don't even carry them. Times they are a changing.... -Grainlady

Our dish drainer is out all the time on the counter. It's part of the kitchen landscape and it's an extremely useful tool. It folds up and can be put away--but that really only happens when we're taking pictures :) My mother's drainer is in one sink of her double sink. I find it very awkward. It's difficult to use the sink without splashing or dripping on the dishes that are supposedly drying. It's difficult to pour cooking water out of a pot when one sink is full of sudsy water and the other sink has clean dishes. I prefer the better air circulation on the counter top. I wash quite a few dishes. We're home all day long (dh and I both work from home) so the rack is constantly being used. I like to hand wash easy-to-clean cooking pots (i.e. ones used to steam veggies or cook pasta). I find it easier than loading them into a dw--plus I don't like taking up a lot of space in the dw with bulky items. We also wash all plastic, wood, cast iron and any pots that aren't all stainless steel. I prefer air drying to towel drying. Our dish drainer sits on a sloped drain board built into our stone counter.

We also got Emeril cookware for the induction top. I really like it...it has drain holes in the lids and the lids are clear so you can see how something is simmering or boiling without removing the lid. They are also reasonably quiet...some pots can be noisy on induction. Of course the best for induction is cast iron...either plain or enameled. Just make sure there aren't any burrs on the bottom of the pans or they may scratch the cooktop.

Always cook mine in a cast iron skillet, as did my mother. This is really close to my mother's recipe, though she never used one, just eye balled it, but I watched her make it many many times. Recipe: Southern Skillet Cornbread ©From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish Prep time: 10 min |Cook time: 20 min |Yield: About 8 servings Ingredients 1/4 cup of oil, shortening or bacon fat ^^Mother always used lard or bacon fat 1-1/2 cups of all purpose white or yellow cornmeal 3 tablespoons of all purpose flour 1 teaspoon of baking soda 1 teaspoon of baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 2 cups of buttermilk, more or less 1 large egg, lightly beaten Instructions Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Add the fat to a well seasoned 10-inch cast iron skillet and place the skillet into the oven to melt the fat and heat the skillet. In a bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Using mitts, carefully remove the skillet from the oven and swirl the hot fat around to coat the entire skillet. Pour the fat from the skillet into the cornmeal mixture; stir. Stir in half of the buttermilk and add the egg; add more buttermilk as needed to make a thick but pourable batter. Depending on the grind of your cornmeal and the type of buttermilk you use, you may not need it all. Fold ingredients and don't beat the batter. Pour the cornmeal mixture into the hot skillet. Carefully place directly into the oven and bake at 450 degrees F for about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven, let rest for 5 minutes, then very carefully turn the cornbread out onto a plate or platter to preserve that nice crispy crust! Cook's Notes: If your cast iron is not well seasoned, your cornbread may stick. Slice out of the skillet if you are unsure. Use a medium grind of cornmeal, not a fine grind. Don't beat the batter or your cornbread will be crumbly. If your baking soda is not fresh, you won't get much of a rise. For insurance I've added a teaspoon of baking powder. I store both my baking soda and my baking powder in the freezer. Can substitute milk for the buttermilk, you'll need less. Can also substitute 2 cups of self-rising cornmeal mix. Eliminate the baking soda and salt if you use a cornbread mix. I prefer White Lily brand, buttermilk, white cornbread mix.