My quest for the perfect mixing bowl

Plus, Dan Barber's latest venture is snack-approved.

I was blown away by your generosity about last week’s post. Thank you for welcoming my honesty and for being here. Writing Homeward and connecting with you all has been a joy!

First up this week, my journey to finding the Platonic ideal of mixing bowls. Further down, Dan Barber’s vision for a more sustainable food system, including sparkling buckwheat soda and my (future) fave new chip flavor.

If I have a mission in life, it may be to design the perfect mixing bowl. I’ve searched and searched for one that’s just the right diameter and depth (wide and low) and also the proper heft so it doesn’t slide around when I’m mixing. It needs a spout whose lip is thin enough to cleanly stop the pour of liquids as well as of thick batters. I designed a ceramic set back in 2018 for Food52’s house line, Five Two. They sold out and then we had issues with the manufacturer and discontinued the set. Sigh.

For Ojai, I bought Sori Yanagi’s steel bowls, which I’m a longtime fan of for basic prep. They’re sturdy and utilitarian but also a teeny bit design-y. They’re cherubically round, with thinly folded rims and a brushed matte surface. Accompanying strainers fit neatly inside each bowl.

Still, the Yanagi bowls aren’t the ideal shape and they lack pour spouts. I wanted a stoneware set with all the right features.