Sounds of Childhood

When we were growing up, it seemed my mom prepared the base for all of her Thai food using a big, brown mortar and pestle. As the years passed, the pounding sound of food preparation was replaced by the grinding of a Cuisart or the whirring motor of the KitchenAid. So we were all quite surprised this weekend when we saw that mom has gone old school...by purchasing a new clay mortar and pestle. It was definitely a trip down memory lane to hear the pounding sound of food preparation. And smashing the spices and preparing the green papaya salad in the same way it's been prepared for hundreds of years in Thailand felt satisfying. If I had any room in my kitchen, I'd probably purchase one and figure out how to pound every type of food imaginable. Satisfying AND tension relieving. You can't beat a two--for-one deal like that.