Tiffins

In 1966, shortly after my husband and I were married, the U.S. Army stationed us in Bangkok, Thailand, and I quickly learned to love ginger, lemongrass, chiles, lime leaves, and the other signature flavors of Thai cooking. My favorite find, though, was an ingenious vessel—common in many parts of Asia—called a tiffin, a set of metal containers that stack neatly and clamp together with a handle on top. More than 40 years later, we still use our tiffin tins for heating foods, storing leftovers, and, when they're stacked and clamped together, as a lunch box capable of transporting multiple dishes at once. —Kathi Byam, Springfield, Vermont