Size does matter

Spent a lovely bit of time today in my local Linens-N-Things, a place I’ve not been to in awhile. Lots of stuff to want for someone learning to do “real” cooking (I’ll take the lovely $300 set of knives, thank you). I happily lingered up and down each isle…until I got to the dishes section. Then I stood there, mouth agape, at the gi-normous bowls and mugs that are now apparently the “standard” pieces in casual place settings. Holy earthenware troughs, Batman! I’d recently been to Goodwill and the Salvation Army thrift stores, looking over dishes, so perhaps that’s why these struck me as way too big (martini glasses too are at least twice the size they were years ago). It’s really sad, overall. No wonder Americans have no clue about portion control when they’re thinking, “I only had one bowl!” But that bowl is the size of Rhode Island.

And speaking of sizes, I finally found a small, stainless steel colander today, $5 at Ross, the perfect size for when I cook pasta for myself. Got a set of tongs, too; they were $12 for three, and the smaller two seem the most useful. The largest is inexplicably long (2 ft or so)—what the heck do they need to be so big for? Wrangling a side of beef that’s over a open fire? Ah well, I suppose I’ll find a use for them eventually.