Awesome article, Paul!!
A little over a year ago, I re-discovered cast iron, & have been loving it ever since. I totally agree with everything in your article, & have gone through most of it myself! I have a hard time with not useing
soap, but maybe I'll try it now that I know you haven't croaked from food poisoning!
Also - cleaning stuck-on stuff by boiling some
water is GREAT advice.
I have 2 little bits that I might add to what you have written. First is that Wagner cast iron is (IMHO) every bit as wonderful as Griswold - both American-made, I believe. I've bought both kinds on eBay & love them. (have also bought "other" kinds from eBay & HATE them!) The other thing I might add is advice about the spatula - I was surprised to find a fabulous (and REALLY inexpensive) spatula in the camping section of WalMart. I think it was a Coleman brand, and was somewhere around $2. I love it.
Thank you for your article!! It's awesome!