Here's a bowl by Jennifer Shelley-Keturakis that's currently high in my rotation of dishes. It's funny how things go - last spring/summer I was using this piece almost every day. It was still fairly new to me then, and it was often the first thing I reached for when I went to the cupboard. Then it made it's way to the back of the line and didn't come out for a while. Now it's enjoying a bit of a renaissance as winter meals call for large portions and hot temperatures.
To truly appreciate a craft object you have to live with it every day, using it over and over again. Every utilitarian pot is full of nuance - both flaw and virtue - that is only revealed through the familiarity that comes with continual and varied use. Jen's bowl first appealed to me because of the visual depth of the glaze on the interior and the novelty of the knitted texture on the exterior. Now, though, I am enjoying it for another reason. The deep texture on the surface means that less of my hand comes into direct contact with the surface, so that I can hold this bowl quite comfortably even when it is full of boiling liquid. While my my winter soups and stews are keeping my insides warm, this bowl helps keep my hands from getting uncomfortably hot.
The meal here, which is not much to look at compared to the bowl, is moose, mushroom, and vegetable stew. The moose comes from John and Alexis Templeton, and the mushrooms are some chantrelles I picked myself in Kitchusis. The perfect meal to keep the chills away.
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