[Sca-cooks] mortar and pestle questions

[Martin G. Diehl]

Kingstaste wrote:
> Speaking as someone that has about half a dozen mortar and pestles, 

[snip]

> I just acquired one that was someone's grandfather's, she says he used it
> for peppercorns mostly.  It looks like it is made from lava/igneous rock,
> and it is very porous.  I tried grinding a few black beans in it (because
> they were there, not because I needed ground raw black bean powder for
> anything) and I am still trying to get stuff out of the pits in the rock
> surface.  

Have you tried blowing it out with "canned air" (the type
usually used for forcibly evicting dust gremlins from a PC)

[snip]

> Christianna 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: sca-cooks-bounces at lists.ansteorra.org
> [mailto:sca-cooks-bounces at lists.ansteorra.org] On Behalf Of rene chaisson
> Sent: Saturday, November 22, 2008 11:54 AM
> To: sca cooks list
> Subject: [Sca-cooks] mortar and pestle questions
> 
> I'm on the hunt for a good mortar and pestle set and need advice. What 
> is better for practical uses? Wood, porcelain, stone? 

I prefer ceramic ... provided the mortar is not glazed on the
inside and the pestle is also not glazed on the working end.

What do you think of this "Full Contact Spice Grinder",
http://www.zestgourmet.com/full-contact-spice-grinder-p-131.html

> What about size? Would a smaller one grind more completely, and would 
> a larger one just stir things around without really grinding them?
> Tia

I have one which is saucer shaped; the pestle is about as wide
as the mortar ... you can see it on amazon: Flying Saucer White
Porcelain Mortar and Pestle,
http://www.amazon.com/Flying-Saucer-Porcelain-Mortar-Pestle/dp/B0000CEWRT

BTW, while using google image search to find that one, I found
the coat of arms of Ths School of Pharmacy, London University,
http://www.pharmacy.ac.uk/882.html

(anyone have comments on how that is blazoned?)

Vincenzo

-- 
Martin G. Diehl

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