Telly Says Must Have

We all know there are plenty of kitchen gadgets out there, many of which are useful and some of which, well, I wonder why they even exist. But no kitchen is complete without one of the simplest of culinary tools, the mortar and pestle. I am the type of cook that likes to start from scratch with whole foods, nothing wrapped in plastic, nothing pre-sliced, so naturally my cupboards are stocked with as many whole spices as possible: cardamom pods, fennel seeds, peppercorns, cumin seeds, cinnamon sticks, you name it!

I love grinding up my own little spice concoctions! Mostly it's the smell that eminates from my little marble bowl that gets me, but I also love the feeling that I'm actually working in a kitchen. In this fast-paced, convenience-driven, touch-screen-tapping society using a little elbow grease has become something of a novelty, so I have no problem taking some time to do some smashing.

Last weekend was what can only be described as my first catering gig. I made some Asian turkey burgers for a friend's party. Rather than spend $4.50 in a jar of Chinese Five Spice I got a $3.50 jar of star anise (which was the only of the five I didn't already have in my spice drawer) and pounded out my own custom made Five Spice - black peppercorns, star anise, cloves, coriander seeds and cinnamon.


Not only was it cheaper but it was fresher and probably more delicious than the premixed. If you don't have one of these little treasures go out and get one! The one pictured above only set me back $25 at Sur La Table and it's very high quality, high performance and easy to clean. Whether you're making Chinese Five Spice, garlic paste or pesto (a namesake of the device itself) a fine mortar and pestle is a must have for any working kitchen.