One of the best vacations I've ever taken was a two-week trip to Europe with my best friend, Louisa. We visited Prague, Strasbourg, Champagne and Paris, and had a marvelous (and marvelously distinct) time at each stop along the way. By the time we arrived in Paris, I was ready and eager to fill my bags with loads and loads of French cookware. It was my first trip to Paris since I'd fallen in love with cooking, and it was time to stock up. We visited E. Dehillerin, a legendary cook's paradise just steps from the old Les Halles market (Les Halles is now, sadly, paved over and has been replaced with a hideous underground shopping mall), where we encountered delightfully quirky service and shelves of copper pans, whisks and rolling pins that reached to the ceilings. Downstairs, I discovered a small Mauviel gratin pan emblazoned with the Dehillerin name. The hammered copper shell shone like the setting sun, set off by the yellow brass handles. The graceful oval shape felt oh-so-right in my hands. It glinted; it gleamed - and I was in love. I lugged it home wrapped in brown butcher paper - extra luggage fee be damned - and put it to immediate use. It's just the right size to hold a chicken for roasting, and it makes a gratin just big enough for three or four. Every few months I polish up the copper and bronze and remember just how fresh and clean it looked on the day I bought it. But, for all its bruises and markings, I think I love it even better now. Its elegant lines are still there, but it's an old friend as opposed to a new toy.
Meg www.queenietakesmanhattan.blogspot.com
Meg is a good friend of the blog. She'll be an upcoming guest blogger and her gem of a home was features on a House Tour.