Pottery Barn Lark Handmade Porcelain State PlatterI've gotten one of these for three stupidly-difficult-to-shop-for friends whose only common threads are loving food and thinking merely being from their respective states is a personality trait and...it's been a gigantic and super fun hit each time. No matter the state, the platter is easy to grip and provides much more surface area for food than you'd think.
I prepare two kinds of dinners in my home: single bowl meals suitable for eating on the couch, or elaborate, multi-course affairs which take all day to cook and mercilessly crush guests with an avalanche of food. It's that second category, which I've titled "Shock and Awe Meals," which made me turn to Hedley & Bennett's crossback-style apron.