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Each Thanksgiving, I make a kale salad and a spiced orange cake, both big enough for 40 or so family members. This year, I think there's a solid chance that instead of making two pans of sheet cake, I'll be making something a bit smaller…maybe even justa skillet cookiein my smallest cast iron.
But tiny Thanksgivings—or weeknight dinners, even—won't deter me from a lovely serving dish. I've made nightly use of my favorite East Fork serving bowl this summer, which is aptly called the Weeknight Serving Bowl (it's out of stock, but you can await the rereleasehere), and once a week when it's taco night, I line up the finished tacos on a little oval platter, like the ones below, rimmed by lime wedges. My theory is, if you're going to go to the trouble to cook, why not get all the kudos for plating, too? Yes, there are definitely times this fall where ‘dinner’ will be yogurt and granola or leftovers eaten from theglass-lockcontainer. But for the days when you want a little festivity or elegance at the table, there's a serving dish for that.
Bread Vessels
Whether tonight's bread ispita,tortillas, or loaves ofsourdough, you'll appreciate something to keep it warm—and within easy reach. A classic basket lined with a pretty, clean dish towel always works, but I also love these washable paper bags from Uashmama, which, when purchased through Food52, come with a terra cotta plate. Just warm up the terra cotta, pop it in the bottom of the bag, and then fill with bread.
Roomy Wood Salad Bowls
A salad bowl should be huge, lightweight, and hard to break—acacia, cherry, ash, oak—whatever your preference, a roomy wood bowl is the way to go. These do tend to be on the pricey side, but unlike ceramics, I think a wood bowl just gets better and better with age.
Modestly Sized Platters
A serving platter may conjure up images of passed canapés at corporate events: wide lipped, massive, always white. These are not those. These platters are roomy enough for little doughy snacks, a row oftacos,a few cheeses, or cut fruit—but not so big that you'll have nowhere to store them, or will only whip them out for truly large crowds. Oh: and they don't scream 1994, either.
Shallow Serving Dishes
The beauty of a shallow bowl with a wide base is it works for all textures:vegetablescan have a little room, andhalved potatoes, laden with toppings, aren't at risk of smushing. And some of these do double duty by going from oven to table.
