In My Kitchen: Platters

A fish-shaped platter which I used for a salad of smoked trout with fresh vegetables.

In my kitchen I have many platters and serving pieces, which I try to use in making food look beautiful without overdoing the "plating" as seen on TV. No tweezers for me! During the month of May, I cooked all the food depicted on the platters here -- either in my own kitchen or (as noted) at my daughter Evelyn's house in Fairfax, VA. It's been a busy cooking month in my kitchen and those I visited.

Roasted salmon on another fish-themed platter (the fish pictures are hidden by the salmon in this picture).

Filled buckwheat pancakes on a black and white platter next to my griddle.

Fried dumplings on a very plain white platter.

Grilled lamb chops and edible pea-pods on a white ironware platter that I
long-ago bought at an antique market for a few dollars.

The same ironware platter with turkey patties and rice, along with some condiment dishes with apple & chutney.

Detail of the ironware platter: the china pattern is "wheat."

Cucumber salad in a plain glass bowl.

Tuna salad in a larger version of the glass bowl. Bowls are from Ace Hardware.
I have the same bowl in larger and smaller sizes as well.

Cherries in a bowl made by Ann Arbor potter I.B.Remsen.
I've had this for quite a long time. He's still making ceramics, but has
moved on with new glazes and new styles.

Three slab-built platters -- the work of two members of the Ann Arbor Potters' Guild.

Quesadillas on the square slab-built platter shown above.

I wouldn't exactly call my platters a "collection," but I am really tempted to add to my crowded shelves whenever I go to the Ann Arbor Art Fair, the Ann Arbor Potters' Guild sale, or a well-stocked shop specializing in craftwork. Many mass-produced serving dishes and platters at Ace Hardware, at a local store called Downtown Home and Garden, and at a few other stores can also be very appealing.

Broiled steak and vegetables on a black hand-made platter. I bought it at the Ann Arbor Art Fair many years ago.

In our family we're all admirers of well-made pottery. We especially admire the work of the potter Scott Frankenberger, whose studio is in West Lafayette, IN where my sister lives. Here are a few examples from my kitchen and Evelyn's kitchen, which we've been acquiring from time to time.

Two small platters, one 8-sided and one 5-sided, which belong to Evelyn.
The vegetables and garlic toast were accompaniments to a Beef Bourguignon.
You can see in the corner that she has a set of his dinner plates as well.

A deep and rather large platter, used here for Monte Cristo sandwiches.
This platter also belongs to Evelyn, who has many of Frankenberger's works.

This is my very large Frankenberger platter. Since I rarely use it any more,
I should give it to Evelyn! I put a full-size tomato on it to show how big it is.

A deep platter of Evelyn's, in plain white, used for meatballs with
mushroom gravy. I think it came from Bed Bath & Beyond.

In My Kitchen is a once-per-month blog event currently hosted by Sherry from Brisbane, Australia, at the blog Sherry's Pickings. I enjoy seeing the kitchen posts of participants in this event at blogs from quite a few countries.

My great-grandmother's turkey platter, the oldest one I own.

Many of the In My Kitchen bloggers have new things to share each month, but I have so much in my kitchen that I can't fit in very many new ones. So I usually choose to write my post about a theme, such as these platters and serving pieces, which I've been acquiring for years and years. Until I started taking photos, I had no idea what a large number of them I own. I only included the ones that are in my kitchen -- I didn't even get to the dining room!