When I recently learned about cast iron cookware manufacturer Lodge Manufacturing, I went home and looked at my collection of pots and pans. Lo and behold, I owned one of the company’s cast iron skillets. It’s a skillet that has been in my family for years.

I was curious to use the cast iron skillet. That weekend, I was going to a tailgate party before a football game and needed to bring a dish. Cornbread was a quick and simple recipe. I was excited to bring it to the tailgate for all my friends to enjoy.

It was a brisk fall day, so my friends decided to warm up with a nice bowl of hot chili and my cornbread. The chili was a hit, but they also raved about the cornbread. I was glad they were enjoying my contribution as much as I enjoyed making it in a cast iron skillet.

I showed off my knowledge of Lodge Manufacturing, telling the crowd that Lodge was based in the small town of South Pittsburg, Tenn., and the only cast iron cookware foundry in the U.S. The company has been around since 1896 making its products. My friends shared stories about their own cast iron skillets and wondered if they were Lodge Manufacturing products too. The cornbread was gobbled up, and the tailgate was an overall success, especially because our team also won.

Knowing what I know now about where my cast iron skillet comes from and the delicious food you can make on it, I feel comforted. My newly acquired knowledge of the metalcasting industry helped me out of a jam, and it also brought cast iron skillet cooking back into my life.