Buying a Mortar and Pestal

What do you think of when you think of a mortar and pestle?

I think about ancient medicine men and Renaissance painters making their own paints out of who knows what. Funny, because I am looking at mine now. Sitting happily in my Tuscan wanna-be kitchen, next to a few ornate bottles of olive oil and never used spice infused vinegars.

Decorative

Mine was an impulse buy, certainly. I convinced myself that my kitchen would look more worldly with this addition. So he sat, his interior turned a nice gray, not form use, but from dust.

Then the fateful day came that I found a recipe that recommended the smashing of some spices together. Instantly thinking that I would just skip that step- I thought of my lonely friend, the mortar and pestle.

I was shocked at how much fun it was to smush the spices together. I created a lovely fragrance that infused into the mixture of my recipe. The meal turned out delicious.

Uses
Now I use him frequently for rubs, pastes, crushing nuts and any other service I can think of.

Buying
The best materials are granite,marble and stainless teel. Cooking.com offers a great variety of mortar and pestles in these materials (4-in. Marble Mortar and Pestle and 6 Oz. Mortar and Pestle, Stainless Steel)

With these choices you get sanitary options, and they often just wipe clean or wash clean. The only mandatory rule for purchasing a mortar and pestle are that they are both made of the same materials. If not, the inconsistencies will cause the denser one to break pieces of the lighter into your food. Yum. Back to Pie Supplies