I'll admit it — I fall for a new label every single time. A soft sans-serif tub promising effortless everything, a bottle with a tagline that swears it's the last one I'll ever need to buy — I bring these things home with real hope every time.

I had friends over for dinner not long ago, and one of them picked up my new chopping board mid-conversation, ran a hand over the grain, and asked where I'd found it.