I found this great heavy based cast iron frying pan in my grand ma's attic. But it was very dusty and had a tiny bit of rust on it so I gave it a good scrub and now it looks like brand new - like a stainless steel frying pan. But now I'm worried whether this is what a cast iron pan is supposed to look like!. Shouldnt it have a black coating?. Gosh have I gone and scrubed away all of its great coating?!!.
Anyway I would really really love to use this pan because 1. it has sentimental value 2. I like handling it cos it has a nicer and better feel to it than the non-stick pans I've been using so far.
So any tips on how I should season it before use? or should I just use it as it is and let it season on its own or more importantly is it safe to use this pan now that I've scrubed it so much?.
Thanks

Is there a way to find out whether it's really a cast iron pan or a heavy based alluminium frying pan?. I have scrubed it so much that I have no idea what it originally looked like!!!

Here is a link to another thread about this topic.
http://rouxbe.com/community/forums/6/topics/600

I am not sure how to find out if your pan is indeed cast iron...without seeing it. If it is blackish and quite heavy, then it is likely cast iron...but then again it could be carbon steel.