apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I was once driving back to NY from Baltimore and stopped off at a gas station. They had these really cute Chesapeake Bay ceramic spoon rests, and having just moved in to a new apartment and needing one, I bought one.

Only after we drove away did I notice on the back:
"Toxic Paint
Not for use with food."

So make sure your kitchen-related souvenier can be used in an actual kitchen!

I have a great mortar and pestle from Singapore that I use fairly regular. My husband has to buy pint glasses wherever we go--there's no more room for them!

Last time I was in London, I brought back a great mixing bowl from Portobello Rd market. It was a bit of a nuisance in hand luggage, but I love it. It's white outside, blue inside, with the classic shell pattern so that it can be stable when tipped.

last time my SO went to france she brought back a beautiful cruet (she's olive oil-obsessed).

My favorite kitchen travel find are two tea towels I bought at some produce market in Florence, Italy. They were affordable (even w/ the strong euro!), uniquely pretty and easy to pack up. Six yrs later they are still in use.

We will hit Morocco this fall. I'm definitely interested in buying a tagine. Any other kitchen souvenir ideas from Morocco?

When I was in London, we went to the Notting Hill Street Market held on Saturdays. I had encountered toast stands at my bed and breakfast which we were staying and I found a silver one for only 15 Pounds. It's one of my best travel memories.

Thanks for posting this.

We have been to Paris so many times, yet to hit the flea markets. There are some treasure shops for buying home/kitchen wares, in and near the Marais as well.

I brought a tiny fold-up barbecue home from turkey. I got it at a welding and everything metal shop.

s in DC,
When I went to Marrakesh, I brought back beautiful woven fruit baskets and square-sided woven market baskets for me and all my friends. At the souk in Marrakesh, I went to a place that would make them to order for the same price as the ones they have on display so you could pick the straps length and colors. And you will find ceramic tableware in every color and pattern if you have room in your carry-on with that tagine in there!

a beautiful clay pot i brought back with me from brazil, egg cups from poland, and a tea pot from germany. i almost never leave a country without some sort of kitchen related souvenir.

I've gotten plates in Italy, France and Spain that I use all the time. I also got beer mugs in England that I use for water glasses (as well as beer mugs). You can see pictures of some of the plates on my Flickr account.

On our honeymoon in Spain we bought an olive boat (similar to the ones in that picture above) and little pit bowls from the B&B that we stayed at. Local custom made ceramic pieces. The B&B was an old working olive orchard - we also brought home 3 bottles of the oil produced from those olives!

From Turkey: unusual ceramic bowls
From New Zealand: handmade wood cheese board with abalone shell inlay
All are so beautiful and special that I'm afraid to use them so they are decorative until I get the nerve.

thanks for the Morocco tips Kristin! I can hardly wait, I plan to pack light :)

From trips to Paris: dishtowels (for self and as gifts) both new and vintage, an individual Staub ramekin-thingie (before Staub was widely available in the US), a small copper pan for melting butter from Dehillerin, spices, olive oils, chocolates. My favorite kitchen souvenir is a large wooden bowl (formerly a bread-proofing bowl, I think) from a stand at Clingancourt, the big flea market.

I also love to buy food-souvenirs more locally: when in Michigan for the weekend from Chicago, I stock up on jam and other goodies at Froelich's in Three Oaks, MI. I also buy Michigan Plum jam at the Blue Plate restaurant in Union Pier, MI.

My Polish Pottery collection from Poland. Chocolate molds from Holland. Market basket from Germany. I am not into T-shirts or typical keepsakes. Give me a great kitchen gadget from a vacation any day!

Some spatulas from Williams-Sonoma, an apron from a programme at the Food-Network studios and a jug from Macys showing US cup sizes.

The best corkscrew, for the equivalent of 50 cents, purchased at a hardware store in Pienza, Italy. We bought 5 of them.