April 10, 2006
how objects become treasures
This is my new skillet. I love my new skillet. My parents dragged it in their luggage (and i do mean DRAG, sorry mom & dad!) all the way from Massachusetts to surprise me with it, for no occasion at all. I am tearing up just writing about it, because there's a lot of meaning tied up in this particular object.
I have wanted -- well, really, lusted in my heart for -- a 12" All-Clad stainless steel skillet for years now, but they're expensive and I've simply done without. It's on my list of "gifts I want someone to give me" and when my parents asked me what I wanted for Christmas this year, I sent them my list -- but I annotated the skillet with the note that they were not supposed to get it for me because it's expensive, and I mostly left it on the list as a funny ha-ha.
No skillet arrived from Santa, and I thought nothing of it until I opened the box my parents brought to Chicago and completely freaked out. I was thrilled, obviously, because now i have the BEST SKILLET IN THE WORLD, but there's more to it than that. I know my parents want to give me things and help me do the things I want to do, but there's not enough money for them to do that the way they would like to -- but by god they could get me a skillet I wouldn't buy for myself. And so I know that this skillet means as much to my parents to give as it does to me to receive, and that makes me so happy I'm about to cry. I will think of them with love whenever I cook in it.
Which is going to be all the damn time, woo hoo!! :-)
Here is a photo of its maiden voyage last night, in which I made a spanish tortilla out of leftover french fries from Al's and some spicy jarred peppers:
hey, this is one of my favorite skillets too!
Posted by: stef at April 12, 2006 09:31 PMGreat story. I feel similarly about a 12" Le Creuset.
Posted by: nick at April 13, 2006 06:59 PMI LOVE all-clad products...my mom turned me on to them. The essentials of a kitchen: sharp and excellent knives and good cookware.
Posted by: Natasha at April 14, 2006 11:17 AMI LOVE all-clad products...my mom turned me on to them. My highly held belief is that the essentials of a kitchen are sharp and excellent knives and good cookware.
Posted by: Natasha at April 14, 2006 11:19 AMHey, I thought my 12" stainless all-clad was the best pan in the world! Oh wait, but then what about my cast iron dutch ovens? Or the solid copper tin lined fry pans, those are darned nice too.
Hangem' up high and watch them dance.