Mortar And Pestle

A mortar and pestle is a tool used to crush, grind, and mix solid substances (trituration). The pestle is a heavy bat-shaped object, the end of which is used for crushing and grinding. The mortar is a bowl, typically made of hard wood, ceramic or stone. The substance to be ground is placed in the mortar and ground, crushed or mixed with the pestle.

How to use a mortar and pestle
· Place the food in the mortar (bowl) in small quantities;
· Use some downward pressure over the food with the pestle (pounder);
· With hard foodstuffs, like peppercorns and even pills, move the pestle back and forth over it with some pressure until it breaks up;
· Turn the pestle in a circular motion around the mortar, maneuvering it back and forth with a bit of pressure over still unbroken pieces.
It doesn't take long to get used to using a mortar and pestle.

 

Other Creative Uses of Mortar and Pestle

The Stereotype 

 

Stereotype: A fixed, commonly held notion or image of a person or group, based on an oversimplification of some observed or imagined trait of behaviour or appearance.   

Stereotypes are as old as human culture itself. They reflect ideas that groups of people hold about others who are different from them.
A stereotype can be embedded in single word or phrase (such as, "jock" or "nerd"), an image, or a combination of words and images. The image evoked is easily recognized and understood by others who share the same views.
Stereotypes can be either positive ("black men are good at basketball") or negative ("women are bad drivers"). But most stereotypes tend to make us feel superior in some way to the person or group being stereotyped. Stereotypes ignore the uniqueness of individuals by painting all members of a group with the same brush.
Stereotypes can appear in the media because of the biases of writers, directors, producers, reporters and editors. But stereotypes can also be useful to the media because they provide a quick identity for a person or group that is easily recognized by an audience. When deadlines loom, it's sometimes faster and easier to use a stereotype to characterize a person or situation, than it is to provide a more complex explanation.