FRYING PAN

Do you think its that bad to use my cast iron frying pan to fry an egg maybe on the weekends...i kinda miss the way it does such a good job...ive been using my stainless steel pan,..i dont trust the non stick types because of the chemicials in the coatings.....another think is im a veggie man and maybe i need some iron anyway....any thought would be appreciated..

r.s

[Marcia2202]

I only use my le creuset cast iron for all my cooking.  I even stay away from stainless steel, as it still has some toxins.

Unless you have high iron counts and your doc told you to stay away from all iron, it should not be a problem. It also depends on the quality of your cast iron pan.

[Rockerforlife]

My iron levels are within normal range,that was a while ago tho...the only problem with stainless is the nickel thats in it....my iron pan is made by WAGNERS-since 1891...my stainless is a designer pan made by alfred sung....i cant see my cheap pans....but i guess they are out there...aluminin pans are garbage

[Rockerforlife]

i meant:i cant see me using cheap pans

[Rockerforlife]

Brands
Well-established brands of bare cast iron cookware include Griswold (no longer in business), Wagner, Lodge, and John Wright. Emeril Lagasse also has a line of pre-seasoned cast iron made by All-Clad. There are many other producers of traditional cast iron outside the USA in France, Italy, Denmark, Sweden and the UK, manufacturing both enameled and unenameled cookware. In Asia, particularly India, Korea, Japan, and China, there is a long history of cooking with cast iron.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cast_iron_cookware#Health_effects

[Marcia2202]

Go for it! I love my le creuset, I got the all black series of pots and pans and also the wok. It looks so good on the stove and even on the table. And the most important, the food tastes much better.

[Rockerforlife]

Very Cool pots and pans you have,i was just googling them...you got class i see....you have some beautiful things...nothing but the best it seems....now your making me jealous.....LOL........:)

[Marcia2202]

LOL.... We invested when I was diagnosed. It's a life time investment and my hubby is also much of a health freak. It's cool when you are two, you can split the costs. :-)

[Rockerforlife]

you are lucky...its tough finding someone to even just share healthy living info with another human being...most people i know think im gone overboard with the health stuff....CAN YOU SAY CLOSED MINDED YAHOO`S.....LOL

[sunqueen]

Every now and then I have to be a little contrary. I like the Le Creuset for braising, slow and low. Now, don't stone me or anything, but I love aluminum. Most of my cookware is commercial grade heavy gauge and I got accustomed to it during two decades of cooking for a living. I understand that many people are cautious and erroneously believe that it has poor health implications. Even with foods that are highly reactive (ie. acidic), only a tiny teeny fraction of products prepared in aluminum leaches into what we consume. Aluminum is the third greatest element found in the topmost layer of solid earth and it is introduced into our diets from fruits and vegetables grown in naturally occurring SOIL.  

I don't eat any type of processed food. I think the stuff people eat out of boxes, cans and freezers pose a much greater health risk than the cookware they prepare them in.

[Rockerforlife]

Did you do any research on alumiun cookware?...from what ive been seeing is its not good....do you have any articles proving its ok to use?

[Rockerforlife]

The concern about aluminum cookware comes from the observation that Alzheimer’s patients have more aluminum in their brains than people who do not suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. However, it is likely that aluminum does not cause Alzheimer’s. Instead, the disease processes of Alzheimer’s may allow for more aluminum to be deposited in a patient’s brain. With this understanding, let’s consider aluminum cookware.


http://www.thedietchannel.com/Is-Aluminum-Cookware-Dangerous.htm

[Rockerforlife]

I think they revised the dangers of the cookware recently

[sunqueen]

I hadn't. I remember that in the 80s we all ran around like our hair was on fire because aluminum cookware was being blamed for all sorts of things. Then they later retracted and said it was safe.

Here's a quick basic google search.

"Tree Hugger" that piece links to a Clemson article:

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/05/ask_treehugger_16.php

Here's Environment Health and Safety:

http://www.ehso.com/ehshome/alzheimers.htm

Food Safety Site Online:

http://www.foodsafetysite.com/consumers/faq/index.html?m_knowledgebase_article=43

Aw heck, here's one more:

http://ezinearticles.com/?Aluminum-Cookware---Is-It-Really-Dangerous?&id=544776

There a ton more -  terms: "aluminum cookware safety"

Now, with all of that said, I probably wouldn't be caught dead using the kind of aluminum cookware that most users would purchase in department stores (it's cheap garbage). I have the really expensive anodized type from specialty stores and restaurant supply. I also don't like cooking in stainless steel and won't use anything with teflon.

[can-do-man]

If you would just go to McDonalds, burger kings, you know great places like that you wouldn't have no need for cookware..... Works for me. :-)

[Willy50]

First off..... I assume that you know where your iron (ferratin) levels are and that they may be high.  Therefore you are concerned about your iron.  I bring this up to point out that not all heppers have iron issues.  (pre-menopausal women could have low iron for instance- best to find out where one stands before considering such diet modifications)

But....IF you are trying to reduce iron uptake from cookware you might also consider pyrex.  I've owned one for a few years and are kind of possessive with it.  I don't prefer to let the kids use it since if you run water onto a hot skillet you might cause it to shatter.
Obviously, with pyrex you will have zero iron pickup.  I actually don't think that you are being too cautious since something that one may do for days or weeks or years can have a cumulative effect.  It all adds up and generally speaking anything over a certain amount is bad for you and can be tough (or expensive) to get rid of.

Yes; I don't use iron and really prefer to not use cast iron since there is an iron pick up issue.  Also keep in mind that VERY HIGH HEAT will also tend to transfer iron more readily.  Acidic cooking can also contribute to this so a very bad combination might be cooking tomato sauce in a cast iron pan.... and perhaps even worse....then storing the sauce in the pan say...in the fridge.

Stainless steel compared to iron has a much lower iron content and since it is stainless it also resists the acids found in some foods where cast iron will tend to share its iron with the food, so stainless is a much better material to use than cast iron IMHO.  (if one has an iron issue)

I stay away from aluminum cookware but the same basics also apply unless it has some sort of coating.  By not using aluminum I also sidestep the issue of teflon/ silvertone coatings.  The idea of cooking my food next to a plastic kind of scares me.  We aren't to "nuke" food with saran wrap on it, they just pulled a type of water bottle that leached toxins into the water.  For me it seems counter-intuitive to heat plastic and cook my food against it.

In general I don't cook at high high heats; no fried foods, I tend to feel as though there is less damage to the food (be it veggies, meats, or the vitamins, enymes and nutrients within.)

Yes, I agree that the processed food are potentially as bad or worse that cooking issues since EVERYTHING seems to be processed (and don't forget also potentially iron fortified)

IF you are worried/or interested in iron overload issues you might also check into "hemochromatosis".  It isn't really the same issue that we have but the diet concerns and the potential solutions will be similar.  There are also diet modifications that you can do.  For example;

drinking orange juice with your meal will increase your iron pick up
taking vitamin C before a meal will increase your iron pick up
drinking many teas or coffee (please cover your ears Co-writer) with a meal will decrease iron pick up.

You get the idea......

Yes....I cook with olive oil to keep things from sticking (but once again at a low heat)
(and I often will eat hard boiled eggs since they don't require cooking, and have the potential for being low fat as well, not to mention easy)

Good luck,
Willy

[Rockerforlife]

WOW...now that s a frying pan response...FREE WILLY i say

[Jacob43]

you may have something there - 'course the wife and I are referred to as health freaks...  yet, I'd highly recommend unless you're on good terms with the spouse 24/7, I'd consider keeping heavy cookware (especially skillets) out of the galley

[can-do-man]

You make a very good point. Thanks, hope all is well in Fort wayne.

[Jacob43]

Fort Wayne is spitting snow, and we're suppose to get it 'light' tomorrow.  My little four year old niece called this morning - she was getting ready for church and said, "Uncle Jaaaaacob, its shno-o-owing!" lol...  I know your in Indiana.  You close by here?  You might have already told me.

[Marcia2202]

Very interesting!

I use le creuset, because it is enameled cast iron, and it does not leak any toxins at all. It is expensive, but well worth it. It is supposed to be one of the only ones which is really safe. Some cast iron pans also leak toxins from the enamel.

[jmjm530]

People with liver disease are often told to avoid using cast iron cookware. Will cooking eggs once a week make any difference, I really don't know, but I did throw mine out. Not the eggs, the cast iron pan.

[Willy50]

It's crazy to think how much thought is involved in simply cooking a dam*ed egg.  : )

I think I would like the enameled coated cast iron.  I still don't approve of letting the kids use anything good.  They'll mess it up for sure!!!!!
(I once "polished" my mothers silverware with mercury)  : )  
Sure looked nice.

I used the non-stick cookware years ago but gave it up for a few reasons.  I was told that teflon when it smolders or smokes is toxic.  That also made me wonder how good it was for one at sub-smoking levels.  When I would see pieces of the pan coming off (possibly into food) I just was not that thrilled with cooking with it.

I had to learn to cook all over again with cast iron but for eggs got pretty smooth at it.  The reason that teflon works is that it creates a smooth surface that food cannot bind to.  Olive oil will do a similar thing but it needs to be heated to sub smoking temps and it forms its own little teflon like surface.  Pouring an egg onto a cold pan with cold olive oil will make ya a lousy scrambled egg..... but..... if the temp and oil is *just right* you get a perfect egg every time.  I used to have my daughter (maybe 5 years old) count with me how many seconds it would take.  Our little game was to cook a 20 second egg. (1 egg scrambled)  I'd get it "just right" and she would fork it around while I'd tilt that pan back and forth to let the eggs run.  
We had a great time cooking .......but this story had a sad ending.  Hannah had a falling out with her day care provider whom she decided was "stupid".  I asked why that was and she told me that "Karen", her 40 year old provider had told her that one could not cook an egg in 20 seconds (OK; sometimes it took 25 seconds).  That was the beginning of the end.  
Trust is such a delicate thing.

What were we talking about?  ; )

Willy

[Marcia2202]

LOL... yeah, what are we talking about??? I don't even eat eggs... vegetarian, yanno.  ROFL

But if you season your cast iron pans properly before using them, they will not be sticky, so I guess even scrambled eggs would be fine.

No teflon here either, same reason as you.

[Marcia2202]

The story about your daughter is so sweet. What happened, did she not want to go back to the daycare or did she not want to cook more eggs with you?

[Rockerforlife]

Jim...you threw out your pan...anything else ya dont want   mail it this way...at least ya didnt throw out the baby with the bath water...LOL

[Willy50]

That was one of my fond memories.....

At a certain age kids take what adults say to them at face value.  They figure; this person is an adult, I'm *only* a kid, they know and I don't.

Hannah I cooked eggs enough times (you know, counting "one thousand one"etc; not with a stop watch, but often watching a second hand of a clock I would prop on the stove) that she basically knew that the authoritarian Karen was more full of sh*t than a Christmas goose.  ; )

Karen basically was hoisted by her own petard.  She simply stated that it couldn't be done and that Hannah was mistaken.  A different tac might have been to ask how it could be done so fast etc, but instead..... she simply dismissed it.  At that point my five year old basically decided that the woman probably didn't know anything and had probably been filling her young head with rubbish for months.  ; )

I'll have to ask her about that one.....  I don't know what she'll remember; she was pretty young, but maybe 6 at that point.  

Hannah and I still get along brilliantly and just cooked enough food at thanksgiving to choke a pig.  : )

Hannah made the creme brolee and most everything else.  I just try to keep up with the dishes and stay out of the way.  ; )

Hannah is a very capable cook and a great young lady.  She's 21 and may try to buy a house this year.  She's off the charts.  ; )

Willy

[sunshine585]

What a sweet story! You sound like a great dad.

[Marcia2202]

Wow, what an amazing young lady! You must be terribly proud!!! And it's great that you two have such good and precious times together.

Thanks for sharing in detail...

[R Glass]

Here in South Louisiana, it is considered Blasphemy to cook with anything other than Cast Iron. We are mostly Catholic so, aluminum is allowed provided you make to confession before you die. Since Catholicism has done away with Purgatory, why chance it?
HCV is not an acceptation.

[Marcia2202]

LOL

[Trinity4]

We Southerners do love our cast iron pans.  If I fried my chicken in anything but cast iron it would jump out of the pan in horror and run next door to neighbors house.  Now that woman can fry some chicken but I think she's Baptist.  

[R Glass]

Southern Baptist do cook the best fried chicken.
One of the benefits of being a “Nomad” is, I can use any religion to suit my needs. Examples, I never feel conviction for not going to church. On Sundays I can be 7th Day Adventist they go to Church on Saturday. On Saturday I will be Catholic. Since Catholics do not believe in Birth Control, I become Muslim, when I want Bacon I become Baptist. You gotta love Religion.

[sunqueen]

We keep a couple of cast iron pans around for blackening foods (on the outside stove) and for making cornbread.

mmmmm blackened redfish.  Can't wait to eat spices again!

[Trinity4]

I don't think I've washed my chicken pan in the dishwasher.  Mild soap and water and then I lightly grease it down with some Crisco and put in the oven for about 5 minutes on low.  It's never once rusted and you're exactly right, the cornbread is awesome.  I have another one I fry fish outside in so I reserve it for frying fish only.  We really don't fry much but when we do man is it good.  I inherited my fish frying pan from my mother so it has a long history of good food -  good times.
Trin

[Jacob43]

LOL!  Yep, I think I'm joining your ranks in "Nomad"... You've got something there!

[Marcia2202]

That's all nice and good... as long as you keep it away from my frying pan. LOL

[Mary4now]

My 2 cents.  Stainless steel or, creuset (?) would be my choice.  The crueset (?) last forever,, but I think I'm gonna stay away from the iron pans for the most part.  post menopausal, dont need the iron..  is my spelling atrocious tonite?  
I wish everyone well, oh I just got a new dog, shes a short legged long black pug, shes 3 years old and is kind of cuddly, but she needs some training, all of it... Her last owner now has dementia, so she had to find a new home.   I hope I find a new home before dementia hits.  Oh well, cant worry about everything, I could but I better not.
Happy Holidays, I think I'll be internet shopping due to the hazards to your health from shopping in the big box stores.  What a disaster.  Oh oh, better not start with thinking about the disasters., better go I'm ranting again.

[sunqueen]

My mother used to have a fit if we tried to wash her cast iron!  She would rinse it in warm water, then manically rubbed it with oil and salt before it got baked again. After it was cool, she would wipe out any remaining salt and put it away. I always hand wash mine with a teeny bit of detergent, grease and bake it. No rust.

[Deb_c430]

No YOU can NOT wash cast iron! they take forever to season!  Blasphemy lol!   Food cooked on cast iron is awesome!

[Willy50]

I'm not down on cast iron at all; some of my best friends own cast iron.  ; )

The point that Rocker was asking about was iron pickup/ iron overload associated with cooking on cast iron.  If one's iron is too high they should probably think about ways to reduce their intake.  Switching skillets and or other lifestyle changes could reduce ones liver damage.  Hate to bring it up in this thread too but there is a liver condition called "fatty liver" and so I'd also point out that reducing ones fats might also be worth considering.

While we are on the topic of eggs....and cooking.......

Here is yet another way.  It's fast, nearly foolproof and easy cleanup.

Scrambed egg.
Oil one small microwave safe bowl with olive oil or spray type oil.
In a different bowl scramble one egg and add a pinch of water or milk; maybe a teaspoon.  
Pour the scrambled egg into the oiled bowl.
Place the bowl and egg into a microwave and "nuke" it for 60 seconds.
While it's cooking wash the dirty bowl you scambled the egg in. (easy now; hard later)
Find some cheese to grate onto the egg when it comes out of the microwave.
DING; it's done. Eat it in the same bowl.

You have made a one egg breakfast with cheese melting on it in about 3 minutes.
IF one had also put an english muffin in before starting this whole process you'd have a half well rounded meal in 4-5 minutes with virtually no clean up.
Serve with ribaviren and melted butter......
mmmmmmmmm.
Now go back to bed.
(or teach it to your kids so that they'll feed themselve OR you.  : ) )

Willy

[Deb_c430]

Recipes are great, but no bad mouthing cast iron!  My Mama would knock you over the head with it! :>>))

Cast iron is a good source of Iron,  but doubt unless you fry everyday doubt it has much effect.  Nor is good to use for everything, I wouldn't saute mushrooms in it!  

Another good way to make omlets,     you can whip egg,   add what you like. In a zip lock baggy,   boil for a few mintues, turns out great,  

My Brother in law made that for us this weekend,    they were good! I was like oh, ok, bit they were good. He is a diabetic so gets   some very creative ideas for cooking!

[jdwithhcv]

Eggs in the microwave?  Say it isn't true!!!

[Willy50]

As lousy as some people are at cooking eggs they actually turn out pretty well.  

Put it to the test and see what you think.  It will take you 3 minutes.

Who knows?  Different microwaves= different results but mine works great at exactly 60 seconds.  I just thought that the idea fit in with low iron cooking and eggs.  I can't think what else I use mine for.  I don't eat popcorn.  ; )

And its sooooo fast......

Willy

[Marcia2202]

You should go and read about microwaves. I think you will throw it out immediately.

I personally never had one and never will. Microwaved food is my greatest dilemma on those long haul flights... I can't bring enough food for the whole flight and have to end up eating that.... I cringe every time....

LOL....

[Deb_c430]

Sure!   how about warming up left over pizza  willy?      then there is warming up cold coffee!      

My hubby always says i need to nuke this!  Always gives me the willies, no pun intended!  

try the boiling it, They were good!

[Willy50]

I have to get back to work but......

I'm not trying to promote the use of microwaves but I can cook a decent egg either way.  The microwave seems to taste the same, has less iron uptake, lower fat used in cooking way faster start to finish and infinately easier clean up.  It *seemed* like an innoculous thing to add to this thread.  : )

An egg and muffin w/ cheese would be carbohydrate, dairy product, protein, fat (omega 3 no less) would be relatively balanced, cheap and would have fewer iron issues (a bit of iron in the muffin tho I'd bet).  I suppose one *could* just have another bowl of ice cream.  : )
hahahahah  (and I thought I was going to get a pat on the back for making people on TX lives easier..... )  ; )

Marcia, I've read it both ways about microwaves.  In deference to this thread though..... I won't post anymore about microwaves unless in a microwave thread.  I don't know the answer about them.  I do know that a few people on the forum have had high ferritin due to HCV or due to transfusions.  For those folks continuing to cook with cast iron could be a health issue.  Of course, it way bigger than just cast iron but hey, that's what this thread is about.

Off to work.  

[Marcia2202]

Defo... I should also stick to the cast iron... no more mention of microwaves.

I am personally having all my iron levels checked regularly. If they start going whack, one should go back using stainless steel pots, is that right?

The cast iron pots I'm using actually don't leak iron, as they are enameled. That's why I'm not worried. I'm not sure about my wok though, as it had to be seasoned. So that one might leak iron. I don't use it that often though. It's good to know about all these things.

[Rockerforlife]

Recipe for egg

CRACK AND SWALLOW

[Marcia2202]

LOL.... I used to do that back in the day just before my karate class. It is quite amazing how much energy it gives you. Three egg yolks, you can easily do 2 hours of training without any problem..... but don't make me eat eggs now....

[Rockerforlife]

If you water a plant with microwaved water....it will die.

[Rockerforlife]

i eat 2 eggs everyday..one in.morning and one at evening...RAW

[Willy50]

"If you water a plant with microwaved water....it will die. "

________________________________________________________________________

LOL; if you water any plant with boiling water it will die.  : )

hahahahh.  Sorry, that was one of the jocular responses I read when I googled the subject.

here's what Snopes says about that premise;

http://www.snopes.com/science/microwave/plants.asp

By the way..... I don't really like Snopes too much but do like to read "the other side" of an argument.  I also seem to get pop-ups from their site and so I may just let them go in the future.

Willy

[Rockerforlife]

How do we know which story is really true then...we dont,,,,any way you slice it tho....micro waved food is not heathy...this is the main point...maybe you will show us studies from snope that prove micowaved food is the best...ill stick with my raw food

[Willy50]

We need a thread on microwaved food!!!!!!!  

If it is to be discussed then one topic one thread is a good way otherwise it is hard for people to find info.  Who is going to find microwave info in a thread entitled Fry Pan?  : )

I don't much care for Snopes but I still like inquiry into both sides of an argument.

I'm with you on raw food..... but no raw meat or raw eggs.  That can get dangerous.

You ever read Fast Food Nation?

Willy

[Rockerforlife]

Getting outta bed is dangerous....hardwood flloors,bare feet and coffee table corners dont mix.

[GoofyDad]

I did throw mine out. Not the eggs, the cast iron pan.

Hoping you live on the ground floor.....

[Rockerforlife]

You guys are wasteful,,,,what about using it later when you are SVR?

[GoofyDad]

I dunno - what's wasteful? A good lob out the third floor window should inflict just about as much havoc now as it will months down the road. Why wait? These folks need cheering up now.....

[Marcia2202]

Have we been missing you!!

[nygirl7]

"If you would just go to McDonalds, burger kings, you know great places like that you wouldn't have no need for cookware..... Works for me. :-) "

Also brick oven pizza.........I'm on board with you CanCan!

On a serious side note Rocker I don't think cooking an egg in a cast iron pan once a week will make a difference however I didn't use mine when I was on treatment at all - mostly because I put them way in the back where I couldn't be tempted.

Probably we get more iron from the water that we use to cook with every day.  I can't imagine what is down there in the water table but I think about it often.

[can-do-man]

I dunno about that goof, while i frying pan out a third floor window would be good for 1 laugh, a dozen eggs one at a time could be entertainment for hours.

[jdwithhcv]

I would have used cast iron during tx but it was just too heavy to lift!

[Deb_c430]

jd thats the draw back also for me,  who can lift?

[lapis]

You have made a one egg breakfast with cheese melting on it in about 3 minutes.
IF one had also put an english muffin in before starting this whole process you'd have a half well rounded meal in 4-5 minutes with virtually no clean up.
Serve with ribaviren and melted butter......
mmmmmmmmm.

Yeah, I'm slow, I read the whole darned thread, loved the whole cookware debate, but this really tickles me!  Most of my meals are taken with drugs these days, so why not include the drug in the recipe itself?  I'm still smiling...

Thanks for the giggles, y'all.

[Deb_c430]

frying pans are good for husband over the heads to when they are naughty !   LOL

[GoofyDad]

Try this at your next family picnic: Egg Panball

1) Pitcher pitches the egg (ideally the pitcher would be a plentiful gal in a bikini - but do what you can)
2) Batters (that's egg batter, yuck-yuck) swings with the skillet
3) The batter who propells egg bits the farthest wins.
4) Egging the pitcher is either an automatic win or disqualification.    

[merryBe]

wow you got every cook in the world to answer you....dude....way to pick up chicks!!

you go guy..

but seriously, cast iron gets a seasoned layer of carbonised food if you treat it correctly so after a while no iron would leach from a well seasoned pan. I wouldn't leave acidic dishes in iron, like tomatoe stuff, or that can leach and break down your seasoned coating...but otherwise, enjoy your pan.

If you are veggie man, you probably aren't going to OD on iron anyway...but I'd still have an iron panel done to be sure. If you aren't a vegan, still eat cheese/dairy/eggs, then these act as heme and will help you absorb more iron from your veggies.
You don't want to go too high, the greatest danger for we meat eaters, but too low is no good either so get an iron panel done and let me know the results....kay??

[l-horn]

I'm completely at the mercy of strangers.

[comeagain]

I´m very conservativ never have had any micro owen neither any coffeemaskin just the old fashion way of making coffe boil water and filtrate it by hand.

I do have iron pans but almost never use them nowadays ,its the modern teflon pan, only had it for a couple of years though.

And Willy I also have a daughter named Hanna she very good on making salads and also in garnishing the plates and cook.
But I my self is the best cook so its mostly I how have and still is doing the cooking ,when we get together we help each other and thats awesome.
My speciality is making sauce not to brag or maybe it is to brag, if you taste one of my sauces you think you are in heaven.
ca

PS i also bake bread and chocolate bar, in periods that is.

[portann]

So now will you please share one of your sauce recipes right here online, so we can make it and think of you, even if we can't pick you up. Any saucepan will be fine for me.

The other day I bought a small jar of Swedish pickled herring at IKEA because I thought of you when I saw it. It was amazingly good.

Am eager to try one of your recipes tonight, if you're willing to share it.

And congrats again on having taken your last shot.

[Willy50]

I don't want to seem to be alarmist about cast iron.  The thread was about cast iron so I was just sharing what I thought I'd read about it.  Many of us may have no iron issues (my iron is a little high) and if so.... the information my not apply.  If you do some reading though you'll see that many of us are at risk for having elevated iron, particularly any of us who have had transfusions.  If so.....there are measures that one can take.

It's interesting to me that that excessive iron uptake can lead to many things that heppers often are plagued with.  Excess iron can lead to insulin resistance, diabetes, enlarged liver, cirrhosis and liver cancer.  That doesn't mean that we should be iron phobic.  It just means we should have our iron levels checked and act accordingly.
-------------------------------------------------
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/MEDLINEPLUS/ency/article/000327.htm
If you are diagnosed with hemochromatosis you must follow a special diet so your iron levels do not increase. The diet prohibits alcohol, especially for patients who have suffered liver damage. You will also be told to avoid iron pills or vitamins containing iron, vitamin supplements, iron cookware, raw seafood (cooked is fine), or fortified processed foods such as 100% iron breakfast cereals.
(I mentioned earlier that our version of iron overload is not the same as hemochromatosis but the preventions and treatment is the same)
------------------------------------------
also I love wikipedia;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemochromatosis

Thanks for the thread.  I always learn something.  Did you know that smoking increases iron stores?  : o

I also make my coffee like you comeagain.  Aren't we fortunate that we have wonderful daughters?  : )

And yes...... I have pickled fish on a nearly weekly basis.  Fast, small amounts or protein, omega 3 fats, easy and no cooking.  ; )

On the go.....

Willy