THE WAY OF TEA A couple years ago I went to a tea ritual down at the Japanese Garden in the Arboretum. The purpose of a tea ceremony is to teach you how to appreciate tea and how it is made, and how to look at a tea cup and the other utensils and admire them. It's just a very tranquil experience that is an offshoot of Buddhism.
It got me interested in Japanese and Chinese bowls, dishes and pots.
After that I got rid of all my Salvation Army and Goodwill pots and pans and dishes and started buying all kinds of Japanese, Chinese and Korean dishes, bowls, pots etc. They are pretty expensive so I'd buy them little by little as I could afford them. It makes it a little more interesting cooking and eating off of unique pieces of art.