Secrets of the Best Chefs

DON’T WASH your cast-iron pans (and especially not with
soap!). Instead, wipe out the contents with paper towels and
leave them greasy. If there’s food stuck to one, you can scrub it
with a wet sponge, but the point is that the more grease that’s
left on the surface, the more naturally nonstick the pan will
become.
USE EBAY to find interesting serving vessels. For example, at
M. Wells they serve Caesar salad (see recipe) in a vintage soup
tureen that Dufour and his wife, Sarah, found online.
THERE’S NOTHING WRONG with drinking a glass of wine
while you cook. “It helps your focus,” argues Dufour.