sf wrote:

>> 1.5 pounds lean boneless pork shoulder..
>> 8 ounces pork fat
>> 12 medium dried ancho chiles...
>> 2 bay leaves
>> 1.5 tsp cinnamon, pref fresh ground Mexican canela
>> 1/8 tsp cloves, pref fresh ground
>> 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
>> Thyme and marjoram (1 T fresh or 1 tsp dried)
>> Salt
>> 1/4 cup cider vinegar
>>
>> I was surprised by there being no garlic though! It seems to need some...
>
> I'm surprised by the amount of chiles.
>
yet it tastes great! I fried up a small test batch and like it very
much. Steve's recipe called for ground ancho, mine the whole (about 6
ounces whole) and it worked very well.
I still think it needs a lil garlic though.

Mike Pearce wrote:

> I'd recommend getting a mortar and pestle over a grinder if you are
> going to get one or the other. For the bay leaves the results probably
> wouldn't be much different with either. I think the mortar and pestle
> is more versatile than those a coffee/spice grinders. It's worth
> getting a mortar and pestle just to make pesto if for no other reason.

shhhhhh... I use my cuisinart for pesto. Don't tell the cabal!
<wink!>

> I'm with you as far as doing things by hand is concerned. We both
> might be stupid for feeling that way, but I enjoy doing things by hand
> anyway.
>
> -Mike

Yes, very satisfying. And I'm usually still functional when the power
goes out.

George Shirley wrote:
> Goomba38 wrote:

>> I remember when pharmacies all had one sitting on the counter for
>> compounding medications. Who does *that* anymore?! It is rare.
>> I think one of those would be kinda cool though.

> We have two compounding pharmacies in the area and they make a great
> many of the drugs they sell with the mortar and pestle. My doc sends me
> over there every once in awhile.

Yes, but compounding pharmacies are becoming the exception rather than
the rule, anymore.
I just found a 6.5 inch pharmaceutical mortar/pestle for aprox $8. The
shipping was $9.50, LOL.

On Sun, 11 May 2008 13:09:54 -0700, Mark Thorson >
wrote:

>sf wrote:
>>
>> I'm surprised by the amount of chiles.
>
>Ancho chiles aren't very hot. They mostly have
>chile flavor.

I wasn't talking about heat, just the pure *amount* for only 1.5
pounds of meat.

--
See return address to reply by email
remove the smile first

On Sun 11 May 2008 11:08:50a, Goomba38 told us...

> James Silverton wrote:
>
>> As a chemist, I learned how to use a mortar and pestle and I still know
>> how but you can keep the things! Practically everything that involves
>> incorporating damp things like garlic can be done with the jar-blender
>> attachment of my Braun immersion blender. I used to have a mortar and
>> pestle but I was eternally losing one or the other. To tell the truth I
>> can't remember which is which but I suspect the pestle is the thing you
>> grind with:-)
>
> I remember when pharmacies all had one sitting on the counter for
> compounding medications. Who does *that* anymore?! It is rare.
> I think one of those would be kinda cool though.
>
> I'm leaning towards the mortar and pestle over power just because I'm a
> great believer in using elbow grease. I get a certain satisfaction out
> of doing things by hand slowly and as my ancestors might have done.
>

LOL! I don't. :-) I believe in doing things as simply and quickly as
possible, without sacrificing quality of course. The only elbow grease I
use is when I polish the silver or scour and polish the SS sink.

--
Wayne Boatwright
-------------------------------------------
Sunday, 05(V)/11(XI)/08(MMVIII)
-------------------------------------------
Today is: Mother's Day, Pentecost
Countdown till Memorial Day
2wks 10hrs 30mins
-------------------------------------------
Oh, my God! ARTHUR, I HAVE POCKETS!
-------------------------------------------

Mark Thorson wrote:

> That seems like an even better suggestion. She could
> do a cold infusion overnight into the cider vinegar
> without upsetting the basic proportions of the recipe.
> I've never done a cold extraction on bay leaves,
> so I don't know how easily they give up their flavor.

I wonder.... fresh leaves over dried would seem preferable in an
infusion, right?

On Sun 11 May 2008 01:29:26p, Goomba38 told us...

> Mike Pearce wrote:
>
>> I'd recommend getting a mortar and pestle over a grinder if you are
>> going to get one or the other. For the bay leaves the results probably
>> wouldn't be much different with either. I think the mortar and pestle
>> is more versatile than those a coffee/spice grinders. It's worth
>> getting a mortar and pestle just to make pesto if for no other reason.
>
> shhhhhh... I use my cuisinart for pesto. Don't tell the cabal!
> <wink!>
>
>> I'm with you as far as doing things by hand is concerned. We both
>> might be stupid for feeling that way, but I enjoy doing things by hand
>> anyway.
>>
>> -Mike
>
> Yes, very satisfying. And I'm usually still functional when the power
> goes out.

hehehe... When the power goes off, we go out to eat! In an all electric
home, there aren't that many options.

--
Wayne Boatwright
-------------------------------------------
Sunday, 05(V)/11(XI)/08(MMVIII)
-------------------------------------------
Today is: Mother's Day, Pentecost
Countdown till Memorial Day
2wks 10hrs 30mins
-------------------------------------------
Oh, my God! ARTHUR, I HAVE POCKETS!
-------------------------------------------

Goomba38 wrote:
> George Shirley wrote:
>> Goomba38 wrote:
>
>>> I remember when pharmacies all had one sitting on the counter for
>>> compounding medications. Who does *that* anymore?! It is rare.
>>> I think one of those would be kinda cool though.
>
>> We have two compounding pharmacies in the area and they make a great
>> many of the drugs they sell with the mortar and pestle. My doc sends
>> me over there every once in awhile.
>
> Yes, but compounding pharmacies are becoming the exception rather than
> the rule, anymore.
> I just found a 6.5 inch pharmaceutical mortar/pestle for aprox $8. The
> shipping was $9.50, LOL.
I have an unglazed porcelain mortar and pestle that I believe came from
Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Don't know price, it was a gift from one of my kids.

sf wrote:
> On Sun, 11 May 2008 13:09:54 -0700, Mark Thorson >
> wrote:
>
>> sf wrote:
>>> I'm surprised by the amount of chiles.
>> Ancho chiles aren't very hot. They mostly have
>> chile flavor.
>
> I wasn't talking about heat, just the pure *amount* for only 1.5
> pounds of meat.
>
well, add the other half pound of fat too.
It works. What can I say?
(and unlike many commercial chorizo...it doesn't contain salivary and
lymph glands. Ugh.)

Mark Thorson > wrote:
> Sheldon wrote:
>
> > A stick blender won't work any better than a regular blender or her
> > food processor.
>
> I'd agree that a stick blender is no better than
> a regular blender, but I disagree with regard to
> a food processor. �With a blender, there's at least
> a chance it would achieve a fine grind. �I'm pretty
> sure a normal food processor would produce a coarse
> grind, at best.
>
> > All else fails I'd try crumbling a few bay leaves and running them
> > through a pepper mill set on the finest grind... I've never done this
> > so I've no idea of the results, and I'm not intimately familiar with
> > Goomba's grinder but I've heard only good things.
>
> That's a good suggestion. �I think it might work.
> Of course, that assumes she has a pepper mill.

I think Goomba has all the best grinding equipment, she'd probably
grind my chorizo to death but what a way to go... ay, carumba! hehe

> > Maybe brewing a strong bay leaf infusion will suffice.
>
> That seems like an even better suggestion. �She could
> do a cold infusion overnight into the cider vinegar
> without upsetting the basic proportions of the recipe.
> I've never done a cold extraction on bay leaves,
> so I don't know how easily they give up their flavor.
>
> Boosting the number of bay leaves would help ensure
> the infusion had sufficient flavoring punch. �On the
> plus side, it would remove the bay leaf solids from
> the final product, which could only be beneficial.

Worth a try, I doubt it would hurt, and those bay leaves may still
have some oomph left to use them in a black bean soup. Bay leaf
infused vinegar should keep like forever (well, at least two years) so
it may pay to make up a good strong pint... I wonder how Bay Crystal
Palace would go down, bet it'd be fine for a bloody mary.

Goomba38 wrote:
>
> Mark Thorson wrote:
>
> > That seems like an even better suggestion. She could
> > do a cold infusion overnight into the cider vinegar
> > without upsetting the basic proportions of the recipe.
> > I've never done a cold extraction on bay leaves,
> > so I don't know how easily they give up their flavor.
>
> I wonder.... fresh leaves over dried would seem preferable
> in an infusion, right?

Yes, more likely to surrender their flavors.
Of course, bruising them up a little would
be even more likely to produce a successful
result.

On Sun 11 May 2008 01:33:40p, Goomba38 told us...

> Mark Thorson wrote:
>
>> That seems like an even better suggestion. She could
>> do a cold infusion overnight into the cider vinegar
>> without upsetting the basic proportions of the recipe.
>> I've never done a cold extraction on bay leaves, so I don't know how
>> easily they give up their flavor.
>
> I wonder.... fresh leaves over dried would seem preferable in an
> infusion, right?
>

Yes, and I would coarsely chop the leaves to expose maximum open edge area.


--
Wayne Boatwright
-------------------------------------------
Sunday, 05(V)/11(XI)/08(MMVIII)
-------------------------------------------
Today is: Mother's Day, Pentecost
Countdown till Memorial Day
2wks 9hrs 55mins
-------------------------------------------
Lottery: A tax on people who are bad
at math.
-------------------------------------------

sf > wrote:

>On Sun, 11 May 2008 13:09:54 -0700, Mark Thorson >
>wrote:

>>sf wrote:

>>> I'm surprised by the amount of chiles.

>>Ancho chiles aren't very hot. They mostly have
>>chile flavor.

>I wasn't talking about heat, just the pure *amount* for only 1.5
>pounds of meat.

In my experience sausage in general can take a huge ratio of
ground spices. I put handfuls of cayenne and fennel into Italian
sausage for example. 8 or 12 anchos for a pound of pork does
not seem too excessive to me.

Steve

On May 11, 5:07�pm, Wayne Boatwright >
wrote:
> On Sun 11 May 2008 01:33:40p, Goomba38 told us...
>
> > Mark Thorson wrote:
>
> >> That seems like an even better suggestion. �She could
> >> do a cold infusion overnight into the cider vinegar
> >> without upsetting the basic proportions of the recipe.
> >> I've never done a cold extraction on bay leaves, so I don't know how
> >> easily they give up their flavor.
>
> > I wonder.... fresh leaves over dried would seem preferable in an
> > infusion, right?
>
> Yes, and I would coarsely chop the leaves to expose maximum open edge area..

Why don't you STFU, you *disingenuous* faggoty *******
... you look exacly like someone who enjoys swallowing penis.

"Christine Dabney" > wrote in message
...
> On Sun, 11 May 2008 11:49:16 -0400, Goomba38 >
> wrote:
>
>>Last night I made chorizo per the recipe in Rick Bayless' "Mexico, One
>>Plate at a Time" cookbook. It calls for you to grind the bay leaves with
>> mortar and pestle, which I don't own. I tried to do it in the food
>>processor, even adding the salt from the recipe to act as an abrasive
>>but it barely worked.
>>Any other suggestions to get the job done?
>
> Use a coffee grinder, like a Braun, or Krups. I use one for spices
> all the time.
>
> Christine

I have an electric coffee grinder for spice grinding.

Earlier this evening I even ground up some dried mushrooms in it, a
sprinkled topping on a rice dish.

"Goomba38" > wrote in message
. ..
> Bobo Bonobo® wrote:
>
>> Any international food marget should have ground (molido) bay leaves
>> in the Mexican section. I use them for pasta sauce. I was upset when
>> Penzey's quit carrying the ground bay leaves.
>>
>> --Bryan
>
> I've always used whole in my tomato sauces, soups and the like, and pick
> out the leaves before serving. I like to be able to choose the size of the
> leaf to the use. How much ground do you reckon equals a good sized leaf?

I would start with 1/8 teaspoon.

"Goomba38" > wrote in message
...
> Steve Pope wrote:
>
>> The Rick Bayless recipe for chorizo seasoning I have does
>> not include ground bay leaves. Steve
>
> From "Mexico-One Plate at a Time" page 26
> Chorizo Mexicano
>
> 1.5 pounds lean boneless pork shoulder..
> 8 ounces pork fat
> 12 medium dried ancho chiles...
> 2 bay leaves
> 1.5 tsp cinnamon, pref fresh ground Mexican canela
> 1/8 tsp cloves, pref fresh ground
> 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
> Thyme and marjoram (1 T fresh or 1 tsp dried)
> Salt
> 1/4 cup cider vinegar
>
> I was surprised by there being no garlic though! It seems to need some...

Go with your instinct.

"Goomba38" > wrote in message
. ..
> sf wrote:
>> On Sun, 11 May 2008 13:09:54 -0700, Mark Thorson >
>> wrote:
>>
>>> sf wrote:
>>>> I'm surprised by the amount of chiles.
>>> Ancho chiles aren't very hot. They mostly have
>>> chile flavor.
>>
>> I wasn't talking about heat, just the pure *amount* for only 1.5
>> pounds of meat.
>>
> well, add the other half pound of fat too.
> It works. What can I say?
> (and unlike many commercial chorizo...it doesn't contain salivary and
> lymph glands. Ugh.)

That's what gives it the good flavor.

"Goomba38" > wrote in message
. ..
> ChattyCathy wrote:
>> On Sun, 11 May 2008 11:49:16 -0400, Goomba38 wrote:
>>
>>> Last night I made chorizo per the recipe in Rick Bayless' "Mexico, One
>>> Plate at a Time" cookbook. It calls for you to grind the bay leaves with
>>> mortar and pestle, which I don't own.
>>
>> You don't own a mortar and pestle? Good grief. We have two.
>>
>> Call yourself a foodie? For shame!
>>
> <standing up> Hi... I'm Goomba... I used to be a foodie until my dirty
> little secret came out-I don't have a mortar and pestle! I have an
> adorable and very user friendly little nutmeg grinder though.. does that
> count? LOL
>
> I never had a recipe that called for ground bay leaves before! Honest!
> I always use them whole. I guess I should look into either the spice
> grinder or a mortar/pestle. I can see other uses for one (I like those
> bigazz Mexican ones) Since you own one, do you ever feel you needed a
> powered spice grinder instead or was the ancient method totally adequate?

I've always had a mortar/pestle. Totally useless. A mini food processor is
the modern way to fly.

weedhopper wrote:

>> well, add the other half pound of fat too.
>> It works. What can I say?
>> (and unlike many commercial chorizo...it doesn't contain salivary and
>> lymph glands. Ugh.)
>
> That's what gives it the good flavor.
>
>
I can't imagine wanting to eat it to find out if it has good flavor!?
Salivary and lymph glands are just garbage to me. Ugh.
They aren't universal or a "given" in chorizo.

weedhopper > wrote:

>"Goomba38" > wrote in message

>> sf wrote:

>>> I wasn't talking about heat, just the pure *amount* for only 1.5
>>> pounds of meat.

>> well, add the other half pound of fat too.
>> It works. What can I say?
>> (and unlike many commercial chorizo...it doesn't contain salivary and
>> lymph glands. Ugh.)

>That's what gives it the good flavor.

Yeah! Well, partly. The S-glands and L-nodes give it a low
melting point, so you get chorizo fluid that can innundate
ground pork or beef muscle meat in a particularly fine way ...
but what it's really doing is it's a vehicle for carrying
that ground spice mix all through the sausage. On top of
any glandular flavor. The total effect is what's wonderful.

But just using ground muscle meat, and no organs, and some
olive oil to transport flavor from the ground spices can work
fantastically well too.

Steve

"Goomba38" > wrote in message

> I never had a recipe that called for ground bay leaves before! Honest!
> I always use them whole.

Neither have I had such a recipe, but I'm a Italian son, we don't grind
up bay leaves. Not in my family.

Steve

On Sun 11 May 2008 11:02:04p, Steve Pope told us...

> "Goomba38" > wrote in message
>
>> I never had a recipe that called for ground bay leaves before! Honest!
>> I always use them whole.
>
> Neither have I had such a recipe, but I'm a Italian son, we don't grind
> up bay leaves. Not in my family.
>
> Steve
>

Most of the time I use them whole, as with roasts, long-simmering sauces,
etc., but I find it convenient to grind them to a powder to use in rubs and
dishes that are either not cooked at all or only for a short time.

--
Wayne Boatwright
-------------------------------------------
Monday, 05(V)/12(XII)/08(MMVIII)
-------------------------------------------
Countdown till Memorial Day
1wks 6dys 23hrs 45mins
-------------------------------------------
Adding manpower to a late software
project only makes it later.
-------------------------------------------

On Sun, 11 May 2008 13:40:11 -0400, Goomba38 wrote:


> <standing up> Hi... I'm Goomba... I used to be a foodie until my dirty
> little secret came out-I don't have a mortar and pestle! I have an
> adorable and very user friendly little nutmeg grinder though.. does that
> count? LOL

<Cathy grins at Goomba>

I was just surprised that you didn't own a mortar and pestle, I thought
everybody had one...

FWIW, I don't recall ever having seen a recipe that calls for grinding bay
leaves either - we usually use them whole and then fish them out before
serving so they don't choke anyone.


> I never had a recipe that called for ground bay leaves before! Honest! I
> always use them whole. I guess I should look into either the spice
> grinder or a mortar/pestle. I can see other uses for one (I like those
> bigazz Mexican ones) Since you own one, do you ever feel you needed a
> powered spice grinder instead or was the ancient method totally
> adequate?

To answer your question - I must admit we still use the 'ancient method'
quite often for making rubs and grinding spices that go into marinades;
DH often uses it to grind spices for his 'secret' salad dressings. So no,
I've never felt the need to rush out and buy an electric spice
grinder...I've never even bought an electric food processor (I have a
manual one - a "Twista manual FP" to be exact) - but I do like my electric
blender for quite a few things.

BTW, Jamie Oliver uses a pestle and mortar quite often in his cooking
shows - and <big surprise> they sell the "Jamie Oliver brand" pestle and
mortar in some of the kitchen stores here (at a shockingly expensive
price, I might add).

--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

Egg tastes better when it's not on your face...

Wayne Boatwright > wrote in
.184:

> On Sun 11 May 2008 11:02:04p, Steve Pope told us...
>
>> "Goomba38" > wrote in message
>>
>>> I never had a recipe that called for ground bay leaves before!
>>> Honest! I always use them whole.
>>
>> Neither have I had such a recipe, but I'm a Italian son, we don't
>> grind up bay leaves. Not in my family.
>>
>> Steve
>>
>
> Most of the time I use them whole, as with roasts, long-simmering
> sauces, etc., but I find it convenient to grind them to a powder to
> use in rubs and dishes that are either not cooked at all or only for a
> short time.
>

With ground up bay leaves there's no fishing around to get the leaves out
and no missing one or forgetting to remove them. And unless you've tied
them to a thread; finding and removing whole leaves is a pain in my book.

--

The house of the burning beet-Alan

A man in line at the bank kept falling over...when he got to a teller he
asked for his balance.

On Mon, 12 May 2008 15:19:12 +0000, hahabogus wrote:


>
> With ground up bay leaves there's no fishing around to get the leaves out
> and no missing one or forgetting to remove them. And unless you've tied
> them to a thread; finding and removing whole leaves is a pain in my book.

Heh. That's why you count them. If I put in 6, I make sure I pull out six
before serving. Besides, they're not *that* difficult to find, IMHO.

--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

Egg tastes better when it's not on your face...

ChattyCathy > wrote in
:

> On Mon, 12 May 2008 15:19:12 +0000, hahabogus wrote:
>
>
>>
>> With ground up bay leaves there's no fishing around to get the leaves
>> out and no missing one or forgetting to remove them. And unless
>> you've tied them to a thread; finding and removing whole leaves is a
>> pain in my book.
>
> Heh. That's why you count them. If I put in 6, I make sure I pull out
> six before serving. Besides, they're not *that* difficult to find,
> IMHO.
>

If you remember the number in, sure.
I usually remember but the last one or the smaller ones always seem to
hide in non-clear liquides. And after I take 5 out and can't seem to find
number 6 I question number I think I put in. Plus I'm lazy if I use
ground I don't have to find or fish for anything.

--

The house of the burning beet-Alan

A man in line at the bank kept falling over...when he got to a teller he
asked for his balance.

On 2008-05-12, ChattyCathy > wrote:
>
> FWIW, I don't recall ever having seen a recipe that calls for grinding bay
> leaves either........

It's common in Indian cooking. I recently talked to my daughter and she
finally was able to pick me up a bag of whole spice garam masala. It has
all the whole spice seeds like fennel, coriander, etc, and whole bay leaves.
The idea is, you grab a handful and toss it in the grinder or mortar. Very
fresh and you can always pick out whichever single seeds/leaves you may need
for other recipes. A one 1 lb bag costs about $4 and provides about 6=10
spices in a single mix. Very handy.

nb

On Sun, 11 May 2008 18:16:41 +0200, ChattyCathy
> wrote:

>On Sun, 11 May 2008 11:49:16 -0400, Goomba38 wrote:
>
>> Last night I made chorizo per the recipe in Rick Bayless' "Mexico, One
>> Plate at a Time" cookbook. It calls for you to grind the bay leaves with
>> mortar and pestle, which I don't own.
>
>You don't own a mortar and pestle? Good grief. We have two.
>
>Call yourself a foodie? For shame!

they are nice to have, and need not be expensive.

your pal,
blake

On Sun, 11 May 2008 15:11:27 -0400, Goomba38 >
wrote:

>Mark Thorson wrote:
>
>> No M&P, no coffee grinder. I'm revoking your membership
>> in RFC.
>
><pout>
>>
>> You do have a stick blender, right? You might be
>> able to grind the leaves by crumbling them into
>> one of the other ingredients, such as the cider
>> vinegar, then using the blender to pulverize the
>> bay leaf bits while they're suspended in the liquid.
>
>I tried it using kosher salt but it wasn't too successful. Something
>wicked odd about those thin, dry leaves I tell ya!
>I've often used coarse salt to help grind and smash garlic directly on
>the cutting board or in the food processor. It works well there.

the mortar and pestle is ideal for this, and the clean-up is easier.

your pal,
blake

On Sun, 11 May 2008 13:40:11 -0400, Goomba38 >
wrote:

>ChattyCathy wrote:
>> On Sun, 11 May 2008 11:49:16 -0400, Goomba38 wrote:
>>
>>> Last night I made chorizo per the recipe in Rick Bayless' "Mexico, One
>>> Plate at a Time" cookbook. It calls for you to grind the bay leaves with
>>> mortar and pestle, which I don't own.
>>
>> You don't own a mortar and pestle? Good grief. We have two.
>>
>> Call yourself a foodie? For shame!
>>
><standing up> Hi... I'm Goomba... I used to be a foodie until my dirty
>little secret came out-I don't have a mortar and pestle! I have an
>adorable and very user friendly little nutmeg grinder though.. does that
>count? LOL
>
>I never had a recipe that called for ground bay leaves before! Honest!
>I always use them whole. I guess I should look into either the spice
>grinder or a mortar/pestle. I can see other uses for one (I like those
>bigazz Mexican ones) Since you own one, do you ever feel you needed a
>powered spice grinder instead or was the ancient method totally adequate?

go nuts and get both. not big-ticket items. (as others have noted,
the m & p is better for grinding with moist ingredients to make a
paste.)

your pal,
blake

On Sun, 11 May 2008 14:48:59 -0500, George Shirley
> wrote:

>Goomba38 wrote:
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Do you have a whirly blade coffee grinder? that would probably be
>>> best. Did the recipe specify fresh or dried? I think that might make a
>>> difference also.
>> No, I don't have a whirly blade coffee grinder! I don't drink coffee,
>> lol. I'm a tea drinker.
>> I will be in the market for either a whirly diddy or the mortar/pestle
>> though. Which one would you suggest being most valuable if I only wanted
>> one or the other?
>I've got both and I use the small electric coffee grinder the most.
>That's what I bought it for, never grind my own coffee anyway.

even if you only use it to grind black peppercorns for use in recipes,
it's worth the money.

your pal,
blake

blake murphy wrote:

>> Call yourself a foodie? For shame!
>
> they are nice to have, and need not be expensive.
>
> your pal,
> blake

I googled up the prices at Surly Table, Cooking.com, W&S, Chez Target,
etc. I think I prefer the ones with large squat pestles rather than
longer thin ones. They seem more intuitively ergodynamic to the task,
y'know?
I'm going to order one today.

On 2008-05-12, Goomba38 > wrote:


> I'm going to order one today.

NO! .WAIT!!.......

Get one of these:

http://www.importfood.com/mortarpestle.html

Thai granite M&P's rock!.... literally. None better. Less pounding, better
crushing, etc. I tossed my other M&Ps. No comparison.

nb

notbob wrote:
> On 2008-05-12, Goomba38 > wrote:
>
>
>> I'm going to order one today.
>
> NO! .WAIT!!.......
>
> Get one of these:
>
> http://www.importfood.com/mortarpestle.html
>
> Thai granite M&P's rock!.... literally. None better. Less pounding, better
> crushing, etc. I tossed my other M&Ps. No comparison.
>
> nb

LOL, Okay, you caught me before I hit the "order" button!
Which size do you prefer?

On May 12, 3:21�pm, Goomba38 > wrote:
> notbob wrote:
> > On 2008-05-12, Goomba38 > wrote:
>
> >> I'm going to order one today.
>
> > NO! .WAIT!!.......
>
> > Get one of these:
>
> >http://www.importfood.com/mortarpestle.html
>
> > Thai granite M&P's rock!.... literally. �None better. �Less pounding, better
> > crushing, etc. �I tossed my other M&Ps. �No comparison.
>
> > nb
>
> LOL, Okay, you caught me before I hit the "order" button!
> Which size do you prefer?

I think the mortar comes in cup sizes...D... well, you asked.
Um, you'll have tell us which pestle size you prefer... just wrap your
hand around a few with your eyes closed, you'll know. hehe

You do realize that you need to properly season and care for a stone
mortar and pestle. I much prefer the Mexican style ones carved of
lava rock, I like that they have legs that raise them up off the table
so you can slip your fingers all the way underneath, makes it much
less fatiguing to hold for steadying as you pound.

http://www.tortillacocina.com/molcajetes.htm

You'll use it maybe three times and then like most everyone else
you'll retire it to be used as a decoration.

---

On 2008-05-12, Goomba38 > wrote:

> LOL, Okay, you caught me before I hit the "order" button!
> Which size do you prefer?

Mine is not from this particular company, mine being green granite and about
6-1/2" ID. But, I wish now I'd gone bigger. I'd go with the 8" unless you
might have trouble lifing it. Then get the 7". These babies are not for
lightweights, as the pestle alone weighs at least a couple lbs. But, that's
the beauty of them. Once you get that pestle moving downwards, ain't no seed
nor nut nor anything gonna resist. Were talking serious pulverization,
here. We're talking the hardest seed to DUST!! in just a few blows. Those
other mealy-mouthed pussy French and faux marble M&Ps make you do all the
work. Not Thai granite. We're talking a rock and a hard place!

I'm tellin' ya', these things are a hoot. Great way to work out your
frustrations. Die! fennel seed, die! They're the superhero of spice
grinders. The Incredible Hulk of M&Ps! I don't even mess with table or
kosher salt anymore. I just crush rock salt to the desired grade. Same
with whole pepper. Big fun!

nb

In article >,
notbob > wrote:
hard place!
>
> I'm tellin' ya', these things are a hoot. Great way to work out your
> frustrations. Die! fennel seed, die! They're the superhero of spice
> grinders. The Incredible Hulk of M&Ps! I don't even mess with table or
> kosher salt anymore. I just crush rock salt to the desired grade. Same
> with whole pepper. Big fun!
>
> nb


You are easily amused, nb.
"-)
-B

On May 11, 3:08*pm, Goomba38 > wrote:
> Sheldon wrote:
>
> * One of those little coffee bean whizzers will handle a few
>
> > bay leaves easily, crumble them first... be sure they're whizzed to a
> > fine powder, you don't want anyone choking on any sharp bits. *I
> > seriously doubt dried bay leaves can be ground with a mortar and
> > pestal, you'll grind the pestle to a nub first...
>
> I'd rather not buy ground if I already have whole and can grind them
> (somehow!) myself. I just dislike the redundancy of owning both, y'know?

But you've already admitted you don't have the equipment to grind them
yourself.
Yes it's redundant but you're better off being redundant than having
the wrong thing in your sausage. Bay leaf is one of those things that
can be dangerous if it's not ground fine enough.
Someone's suggestion of buying the ground bay leaf from Badia was a
good one. You can most likely pick up a little pouch of it, for under
$1. Even if you're stuck buying a small jar....$2. Not a huge
investment and you will find uses for it.

Why waste your time with a recipe if you're not going to make it the
way you should? When the right ingredient costs so little, it doesn't
make sense to skimp. It's not like you have to go far to find it or go
to any great lengths. Badia brand spices are available wherever Latino
or Mexican groceries are sold. It's so simple. Just buy it pre ground.
It will take much less effort than the great debate between "mortar/
pestle or coffee grinder?", and certainly much less effort than
grinding it yourself once you settle the debate.

On May 11, 1:59*pm, Goomba38 > wrote:
> Bobo Bonobo® wrote:
> > Any international food marget should have ground (molido) bay leaves
> > in the Mexican section. *I use them for pasta sauce. *I was upset when
> > Penzey's quit carrying the ground bay leaves.
>
> > --Bryan
>
> I've always used whole in my tomato sauces, soups and the like, and pick
> out the leaves before serving. I like to be able to choose the size of
> the leaf to the use. How much ground do you reckon equals a good sized leaf?

I don't know, but what I do know is that it takes hours to get a
reasonable amount of flavor out of the whole leaves. I just started
using the powdered a few years ago. So much easier. Often, I make a
sauce with only tomato paste, water and bay leaf. Then I simmer well-
browned meatballs in it.

--Bryan