Kitchen Requirements

9. Anyone who rushes around the kitchen like an elf before Christmas knows half the battle is getting the food on the table--not just off the stove. That’s where my beloved Emile Henry bowls come in. They sit close at hand on the counter, two smaller bowls nesting inside one big. They’re there for me at a moment’s notice. No waiting in line, no sitting on hold.

In slides the pasta. In pours the soup. In goes the lettuce waiting to be tossed. They’re safe for the oven, the microwave, the freezer. Not only do they catch dinners I throw their way, they also collect tomatoes or potatoes, shallots or eggs--whatever needs a resting spot (and a pronounced place before this forgetful cook’s eye.) I’ve lugged them--filled, of course--to parties and picnics, their rich red sheen making them beautiful as is; no Martha-esque decorating required. A good Christmas gift? You bet. Mine came from my parents.