The Potential of Tableware.

Good evening, everyone.
Thank you for all your hard work today!

This is a bit sudden, but...

Do you like tableware?

I, Itsuki, absolutely love tableware.

While lightweight and easy-to-handle plastic tableware is hard to give up,
when I plate food on ceramic or glass tableware,
I can enjoy a meal with a slightly luxurious feeling while staying at home,
so I especially love ceramic and glass items.

I also just purely love looking at and touching the designs and textures of plates; it makes my heart flutter.

Visuals, tactile sensations, and sound.
And, I think enjoying a meal while feeling a pleasant weight in your hands
is a very luxurious time.

Plating food properly like in a restaurant
does mean you have to be careful with handling, and it increases the amount of dishes to wash, which can be a hassle.

When I have time and mental space,
to enjoy my favorite mealtime even more,
I try to actively use my favorite tableware.

If you plate food on lovely tableware,
don't you feel like it makes even amateur home cooking or store-bought deli food taste even better?

First, I reward my husband and myself for working hard all day with a meal that is also a feast for the eyes.

As for the difficult dishwashing, I'm sorry, but I'll leave that for my future self to handle.

I, Itsuki, am the type who likes to start with the right gear, so

Curry goes in a curry plate

Gratin goes in a gratin dish

Ramen goes in a ramen bowl

And for rice bowls, something like a Tendonman bowl

is how I do it.

I'm the type whose excitement levels rise when I eat from the 'proper' dish.

So, I tend to end up with more and more tableware.

Previously, I had trouble because I couldn't throw away items I was attached to or my favorites,
even if they were chipped, so they just kept piling up.

Between gifts and items inherited from my mother, who also loves tableware,
there was a time when I had two cardboard boxes full of dishes tucked away in the closet...

Even I, who was like that,

was forced to declutter through three moves,

and in recent years,

"Things only have meaning when they are actually used"

based on this mentalism,

I happily let go of things that have someone else to take them.

I consider damaged or chipped tableware to have reached the end of its life, so I thank it and dispose of it gracefully.

For tableware that I received as gifts or have used since childhood that no longer fits my current lifestyle or tastes,
I don't tuck them away; I thank them and let them go as well.

By being thorough about these things,
it seems I have become able to maintain an appropriate amount for myself.

After all,
the act of letting go of things that can still be used brings a sense of guilt and requires quite a bit of courage.

Therefore, I have started to think carefully before purchasing new tableware.

Thanks to that,
most of the tableware I own now is something that sparks joy for me,
so the time I spend in the kitchen has become enjoyable.

I try to store tableware so that it is as easy to take out as possible, keeping in mind that I should be able to use what I want, when I want.

I especially keep frequently used tableware at eye level in
display storageso I find myself grinning whenever I see them.

Even so, as someone like me,
there are still some dishes I don't use but can't let go of because they hold sentimental value.

Things whose design I love,

a birthday present I received from a childhood friend,

or the incredibly heavy glass cup I made with my husband at a glass workshop while traveling before we were married...

But, I've accepted that since those things are precious, it can't be helped.

However, there is no point in keeping them if they are just tucked away.

Tableware = dining—I have discarded that concept and am putting them to good use.

Some items that aren't tableware are mixed in, though.

Let me introduce my home's former tableware that have changed jobs and are working hard now ⇩

⇧ Re-employed as an oil pot to hold oil after deep-frying

It's easy to pour in small amounts, so I like that it makes it easy to reuse for stir-fries too ♪

⇧ Re-employed as potted plant #1

⇧ Re-employed as potted plant #2 & chopstick holder

⇧ Re-employed as a saucer for a potted plant & candy dish

The mug in the very back has been re-employed as a dish for tasting miso soup and the like.

Tasting soup with a mug—I saw my husband's mother tasting things with a small mug, and it was so cute that I immediately copied her (lol).

From here on, it's a spin-off ⇩

⇧ Re-employed as a food container (formerly the dome part of a child's dome-shaped toy)

⇧ Re-employed as a makeup tool holder (formerly a flower pot)

Like this, former tableware is lurking all over the house.

Thinking of ways to reuse things without being bound by their intended purpose is actually quite fun.
And when you can make good use of them, there's a sense of accomplishment.

If you have any tableware that you can't let go of but are leaving dormant, I recommend this.

Itsuki will continue to,
if I encounter lovely tableware, I will surely bring it home without learning my lesson.

After all, I love tableware, so it can't be helped.

Encounters with tableware are also once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

You only live once.

Cherish the sensibilities you have at each moment as they change with age,

and add color to your daily life with lovely tableware.

I would be happy to continue encountering many wonderful pieces of tableware.

This is a story about Itsuki's love for tableware and its reuse.

Thank you for staying with me until the end!

#Tableware
#I like this part of myself
#Essay
#Itsuki