A month ago I bought myself a stainless-steel oven tray. Not only was it the last one in the shop, but it was also the last of a size that was soon to be discontinued. Not that I needed further convincing of my need for this splendid, functional tray. It was only as I carried it home, with the bottom of the carrier bag bumping against my ankles, that it crossed my mind it might not fit in our oven.
It didn’t. And not by a fraction, either: it was as much as 30cm too long and deep enough for 10 layers of pasta. Even so, it was splendid – and I am dysmetric. I went straight back and swapped it for what I actually needed: a new but familiar 32cm x 22cm x 6cm rectangular porcelain dish for lasagne (I cracked the last one).
