Mortar and Pestle

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2 cups loosely packed basil, leaves only
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup pignolia nuts
1/4 cup mixed Parmigiano and Romano cheeses
3/4 to 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil font

Chop the basil leaves. Put into a large mortar with the salt and minced garlic.

Crush the pine nuts - putting them between two sheets of waxed paper and then rolling with a rolling pin makes light of this step. Add to the mortar.

Pound, pound, pound, using a grinding motion and being sure to include anything that sticks to the sides of the mortar.

When a thick paste has formed, add the cheeses and pound again, just to incorporate the cheeses. Add the olive oil, a tablespoon at a time and pound/grind some more until oil is fully incorporated. The amount of oil will vary with other ingredients (see our pesto article).

Put pesto in a jar and let settle. Oil may rise to the top, but if not, add a thin film of oil on top to preserve and keep that lovely basil fresh. Refrigerate.

NOTE: This is the classic Italian Pesto, made with Mortar and Pestle just as they make it in Genoa. This is the authentic way to make pesto when you have the time to pound.

Contributor: Wayne Gregory from InMamasKitchen.com

Rough ceramic mortar and pestle sets can be used to reduce substances to very fine powders, but stain easily and are brittle. Porcelain mortars are sometimes conditioned for use by grinding some sand to give them a rougher surface which helps to reduce the particle size. Glass mortars and pestles are fragile, but stain-resistant and suitable for use with liquids. However, like the porcelain type, they do not grind as finely as the ceramic type.

Other materials used include marble, stone, wood (highly absorbent), bamboo, iron, steel, brass, and basalt. Mortar & Pestle sets made from the wood of old grape vines have proved reliable for grinding salt & pepper at the dinner table.

Uncooked rice is sometimes ground in mortars to clean them. This process must be repeated until the rice comes out completely white. Some stones, such as molcajete, need to be seasoned first before use. Metal mortars are kept lightly oiled.

via wiki

1/2 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1 teaspoon finely chopped Serrano peppers, for mild version
1-1/2 teaspoons finely chopped Serrano peppers, for hot version
1-1/2 tablespoons chopped white onion
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 Mexican Haas avocado
2 tablespoons diced plum tomatoes, seeded
1-1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Using the tejolote (grinding stone), mash the garlic, Serrano pepper, onion, salt and lime to release their juices. Set aside.

Prepare avocado as following: Cut avocado in half around the pit with a knife; twist the halves apart. Tap knife base firmly into the pit, turn knife and remove pit. Hold avocado in hand and cut 1/2-inch pieces. Scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Use the wooden spoon to mash the avocado pieces in your molcajete (bowl).

Add avocado to molcajete and mix to a creamy, but chunky consistency. Add the mashed mix, tomatoes and cilantro to the avocado and mix gently.

Serve with tortilla chips.

Nutrition facts per serving: 80 calories, 7 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 4 g carbohydrates, 1 g protein, 298 mg sodium, 2 g fiber

Chef Freddy Sanchez of Adobo Grill
via Chicago Sun Times Online

Thai Papaya Salad or Som Tam is popular throughout Southeast Asia. It's a refreshing, healthy salad that combines sweet, sour, salty, and spicy into one harmonious dish. Making Papaya Salad is more of an art than a science, and you will quickly settle on your own balance of ingredients to make it to your taste. This recipe is designed to be a good starting point to try out first.

Everyone has their own recipe, and word of street vendors who make good Papaya Salad gets around quickly and they build a loyal following, much like pizza places in the west.

Papaya salad has three basic types:
· Som Tam Thai, which has roasted peanuts mixed in it. (this recipe)
· Som Tam Bu, which has pickled crabs pounded in it.
· Som Tam Lao, which has the juice of pickled mud-fish in it.

My personal favorite Papaya Salad is Som Tam Lao and Som Tam Thai. My mom likes Som Tam Lao and she's from Issan (North East Thailand) and my dad likes Som Tam Thai, he's from from Central Thailand so I got to eat and make both kinds growing up. Pickled mud-fish is definately an acquired taste, so we've decided to present the peanut version instead.

Papaya Salad really needs to be prepared using a mortar and pestle. When I was a little girl, my mom told me if I broke the mortar while making Papaya Salad, I have to dance around the outside of the house as punishment, so be careful because Americans have big houses.

Recipe Info
For: 1-2
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes

Utensils
Mortar
Pestle

Ingredients
1 clove of garlic
2 chilies - or as much as you like.
¼ cup roasted peanuts
½ cup tomatos
½ cup green beans
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons palm sugar
2 tablespoons of fish sauce
2 cups of shredded green papaya

Preparation
Shred green papaya
Slice tomatos
Chop green beans
Slice Lime

Cooking
Put garlic and chili peppers into mortar, smash it into small pieces
Add peanuts, smash it into small pieces
Add palm sugar, pound it until it mixes well together
Add lime, fish sauce, pound it until it mixes well
Add green papaya, tomato and green bean and pound until it mixes well

Serve
Garnish with roasted peanuts

via ThaiFoodCast.com

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