Waaaaaaay OT: Mortar & Pestle?

[kfcboston]

I just received a new porcelian mortar & pestle from Williams Sonoma as a gift. Anyone have advice on whether/how to season it, and suggestions on what to use it for?

TIA!

[August Mom]

I'm not sure about seasoning it, but as for use, generally you use a mortar and pestle when you want to crush/grind something, typically spices. For instance, you may have cumin seeds but want ground cumin so you can grind the seeds with the mortar and pestle.

Here are some recipes that involve the use of a mortar and pestle.

http://tinyurl.com/2l3ea

HTH

[papal]

I am pretty sure you do not have to season it if it is made out of porcelain.
You can use it to crush ginger, garlic, chillies, lemon grass.. stuff like that. You could use it to do spices as well, but unless it is fairly deep you would just have them flying everywhere... i just use a coffee grinder to grind spices.

[new_mommy25]

I use my mortar and pestle to make pesto. Lots of basil, little olive oil, parm cheese, pine nuts, tiny bit of salt. Yum, yum. Sometimes I will dice tomatoes and throw them in the bowl after. Oh, and the pine nuts are totally optional. Half the time I don't have them lying around anyway.

We actually have a spice grinder for spice. Its a flat wooden block with a slight dip in the center. There is a drawer underneath that has a little see-saw thingie that you use to crush the spices with.

[houseof3boys]

I love Jamie Oliver on Food TV and he says (and if he says it....:)) that a M/P is his favorite-can't-live-without-it accessory!

Have fun with it.