Jack,
A lot just depends. I do make salad bowls and treat those with a wax/mineral oil finish so you can use those for salad serving bowls, but I try to be picky on salad bowls as I want a solid, flawless piece of wood for those so they hold up well to the constant use/moisture exposure. Most of them are just decorative/dry food/fruit/keys/wallet/coin. My wife likes to cut trimmings from our lavender/rosemary plants and stick them in the bowls. Table centerpieces are common. Actually the most rewarding projects are the ones that have a sentimental value. When someone has a tree from their childhood home they have some wood from and I can make something from it for them, that is the most enjoyable. It may not be any more functional than any other bowl, but it carries a sentimental value which is nice.
I am wanting to get more in to hollow forms/vases after the
Cigar trays seem increasingly popular, but they are also purpose built.