| First, run your fingers over
the interior of the bowl; if there are any rough patches, you might want
to smooth them out with some fine steel wool. Next, decide whether
you plan to use the bowl regularly (say, once a week or so) or only
occasionally (as when company comes to dinner). If the answer is
the former, use pure, odorless olive oil (i.e., not extra virgin) in the
seasoning process that follows; otherwise, use an ingestible mineral oil
(sold in supermarkets as a laxative). Pour a tablespoon of oil
into the bowl and a half teaspoon of coarse salt. Take a paper
towel and gently scour the interior of the bowl with the salt-oil
mixture, using a second paper towel to mop up any remaining oil and wipe
the surface dry. Wait an hour or so and then pour in a teaspoon
more of the oil and rub it around the interior of the bowl with your
(clean) fingers. When the surface is well oiled, leave it for ten
minutes and then wipe it dry once more with a paper towel. The
bowl is now ready for use.
The idea is to protect and nurture the
wood with a coating of oil, so that the interior surface of the
bowl will possess a warm sheen and emit no off-putting odors. If
you want Never wash your bowl--just wipe it out after using, and
re-oil it, if necessary scouring it first with a little salt and oil as
directed above. Otherwise, just hand wash it in hot water with a
gentle detergent, then re-season it with a little oil, waiting a few
minutes before wiping it dry. |
