Dish Fetish

At this point I think there is no use denying that I am absolutely and completely obsessed with dishes. But it's not just me, guys. Oh no. I think a majority of humans have a special place in their heart and house for their dishes of choice. I mean. Why else would there be so many different dishes in existence, far more than we could ever use, ranging from bizarre to exquisite.

In the houses where I grew up, we used the same dishes for as long as I could remember until my brother purchased some more modern ones for the parents this last year. They had gone out in style and now they are somewhat back in style, though they were never my favorites. I guess they were fun and sturdy.

But even there, and all over, we have soup bowls and cereal bowls and nice china and casserole dishes and plates and salad plates and glasses and mugs and cups and ice cream bowls. You get the picture. Very easily one bowl could cut it for soup, salad, cereal, entrees, and dessert alike. One mug could serve as a cup a margarita glass a glass for wine etc.

Part of the obsession is from a culinary view certain foods and beverages are ideal in certain environments and not any one dish can provide all of those environments efficiently. Part of the obsession is tradition. And part of the obsession is that a dish is in fact a part of the culinary experience.

And about that. Further proof that we are obsessed with dishes. Dishes have seasons and fashions just as often as clothing. Go over to a store and there will be lots of standards that span over years and years, but there will also be seasonal fare.

Target gets me every time. Especially when they had the Orla Kiely collection, and now with their Liberty collection. But my favorite dishes of all are vintage. Vintage is a very wide range, granted, and I love almost every movement in that range. What I like the most is that these dishes are often rather on the cheap side. My poor little cupboards are stuffed, and yet I want more dishes.

It seems to me that each day, and especially each occasion, dictates a different set. Not to mention my idea of winter dishes is extremely different than my idea of summer dishes. I mean, I also eat very different foods from day to day, and from season to season. Also, dishes set the mood.

I know many people overlook dishes. The food really is very important too, and I love cooking. But a fine meal served on bland dishes just doesn't cut it for me.

So when I was at the Antique Store today, I had every intention of looking only for a footstool or something that could function as one. But instead, I found these darling custard dishes. I intend to learn how to create custard, just because of them.

I thought the beautiful red of the grapefruit would look nice in them, and I thought they matched up well with our Target Liberty set. This is the last in our most recently acquired batch of grapefruits, and they have been rather on the juicy side. So after these photos, I juiced this grapefruit into an ice tray. The juice pretty much filled the tray, so I added just a pinch of sugar and a trickle of water and put it in the freezer. I hope that they will be quite delicious in our cups of water this dinner.

What a grand day for me and my dish collection.