Bowl possibilities Offer plenty of depth By Nancy Ross Ryan SPECIAL TO THE TRIBUNE June 26, 1997

Large flat-rimmed soup bowls and deep cereal bowls are pretty and practical for individual servings of one-dish meals. Every household needs a big shallow pasta bowl (at least 2-quart capacity) for saucing and serving main-dish pasta. Bowls come in every color of the rainbow and every material, from glass to china to enameled tin, and earthen and stoneware. They can be mass-produced or painstakingly hand-thrown and glazed by artisans. The possibilities for perking up the presentation of one-dish meals are endless. Just make sure the bowl you choose has a liquid capacity of at least 8 ounces, preferably 12 ounces. Clearly wonderful: Clear glass bowls, plain or tinted, are wonderful for soups with a clear broth base swimming with noodles, vegetables and other bright ingredients. Shift shapes: Round is not the only shape for a bowl. Ladle one-dish meals into matched oval vegetable serving dishes or gratins, contemporary square china bowls, or rectangular china dishes often found at Japanese markets. World bowls: Scout Asian and other ethnic specialty markets for tableware of glazed stoneware and clay, china and glass to bring a new dimension to dinner. Old bowls: Scour antique shops and yard sales for appealing one-of-a-kind oldies. Who says bowls must match?

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