Krok (Thai Mortar & Pestle)

"It's the kitchen tool I really couldn't do without. Its extra-deep ceramic base can hold a good five cups' worth of ingredients and is rough enough for easy grinding. I use the palm-wood pestle to grind and mix ginger, galangal, lemongrass, garlic, and papaya to make green papaya salad, and it's also handy for making pestos, spice rubs, tapenades, and vinaigrettes." -John Hanesworth, San Antonio, Tex., from the 2010 edition of the SAVEUR 100, Issue #126