some things are just important. like linen.

(mmm...carbs, how i adore thee. and jadite too! you can find the jadite polka dot towel here.)

if i ever start using this blog as staging grounds for an attempted grab at political power or as a soapbox for maniacal religious rants, i trust you'll tell me to put a sock in it and to just knock it off right? but you'll humor me just a bit if i do go off on important things from time to time like the best cooking implements or the proper way to slip-stitch something into place, eh? because i'm kind of feeling a tirade on linen dishtowels coming on right about now...you know, the kind of subject one can really get passionate about and just sink your teeth into (yes i am being as cheeky as i can possibly manage).

so yeah, linen. you're excited right? a lot of people...ah, ok maybe just a smattering of concerned citizens...often ask why i use linen to make the dishtowels in my shop. if you're into cooking, you most likely already know the reasons, as there are many. the simple answer is that they're just better and no i'm not just being a little snot, although i am certainly capable of that! i'm sure you haven't noticed though.

first off, linen becomes more absorbant after every washing and it doesn't have all those fluffy particles that cling to all sorts of surfaces. for instance, if you're baking bread, you'll need a damp towel to place over the bowl as it rises and you don't want fluff sinking into that sticky dough. and whether you're just washing dishes or herbs and vegetables from the garden, you can avoid a lot of fluff and bacteria on your food by laying them on a clean linen towel to dry. there's a bit less bacteria because the larger weave of linen allows it to dry faster so that they don't get the gross smell other towels do so quickly (and the quicker bacteria build-up that goes along with it). This means less laundry, which means less work for you and an eco-friendly choice for the well-appointed kitchen!

(my attempt at homemade pita bread, a recipe from the all powerful madhur jaffrey)

they can also be especially useful for making flatbread like pita because when you take these out of the oven you immediately wrap them in a towel which creates the steam that gives them their leathery look and feel. i made some pita bread recently which was surprisingly easy and would have been in a tight spot without the linen towels.

(by the by, i do not suggest making falafel or tahini sauce from scratch if you do not own a food processor
...very tasty but it definitely took some serious elbow grease!)

so have i converted you? or maybe just annoyed the h.e.double hockey sticks out of you?! i aim to please you know ;) if you have read this far, you should enter the giveaway i'm hosting this week...go on, you deserve it after that!