I have a crazy,
crazy love of things.
I like pliers,
and scissors.
I love
cups,
rings,
and bowls –
…
“Ode to Common Things”
By Pablo Neruda
If you spend any amount of
time poking around this site, you will come across a handsome, sturdy ceramic
bowl made by the supremely talented Robbie Lobell. After reading Paul
Bertolli’s Cooking by Hand [2003] I
began—and now prefer—mixing pasta dough ingredients in a bowl instead of on a wooden board. I started out using a blue Emile Henry bowl, but
I worried that its rim might break off in my hand while pulling together a hard
dough. This concern put me on the hunt for a suitable mixing bowl. It couldn’t
be too deep and it needed to be really beefy.
Although my recollection
isn’t perfect, I think I first learned about Robbie’s work while going through
some links on the website of another supremely talented potter, Ayumi Horie. I
owned one of Robbie’s lasagna pots, which possess all of the qualities that I
wanted in a mixing bowl: simple, solid and functional.
After a conversation, Robbie created the perfect bowl for my needs. It’s a workhorse that I use each time I make pasta and whenever I bake. If you are looking for beautiful, rugged, reasonably-priced ceramic ware, I recommend looking at Robbie’s work.
