How to clean silver plated serving dishes?

Wash them in warm soapy water using a soft sponge. Dry the metal immediately with a cotton cloth to prevent water spots. If the piece is tarnished, apply a mild silver polish sparingly. Rub gently. Aggressive polishing will eventually strip the silver layer and expose the copper base. Avoid abrasive scouring pads.

Can antique ceramic platters hold hot food?

Yes, most antique serving dishes handle hot food well. They were fired at high temperatures and designed for this exact purpose. Warm the dish gradually before placing hot meat on it. A sudden temperature shock might crack cold earthenware or porcelain.

I inherited a massive oval ceramic platter with a blue landscape pattern on it, but the surface is covered in tiny brown cracks all over. Is it safe to use for a family dinner?

Those tiny lines are called crazing. The glaze shrinks at a different rate to the clay body during firing or over time, creating a network of fine cracks. Moisture and grease can seep into these fissures and cause the brown staining. While many people still use crazed serving dishes for dry foods, they are hard to sanitise properly. Serving wet or greasy food on a heavily crazed platter is risky. Bacteria can hide in the porous clay beneath the glaze.

There is a large metal serving dish with a lid at a local market, and the seller says the handle on top turns it into two dishes, but I do not understand how that works.

Many antique serving dishes have a clever locking mechanism on the cover. The top handle, or finial, attaches with a bayonet fitting or a simple screw thread. Turn the handle to release it, then flip the domed cover upside down. It sits flat on the table and becomes an open serving bowl for vegetables or side dishes.