Verve Culture Terra Cotta Hot Chocolate Jug

$54.95

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Our supplier partners with a single Mexican artisan to source these handcrafted terra cotta jugs, which are meant primarily for serving hot chocolate but can be used for a number of functions. The hourglass shape prevents liquid from splashing when you're whisking hot chocolate, and the clay can be heated directly on the stove over low flame to warm tea, coffee or even soup. Plus, the dramatic curves of the pitcher and handle make it an elegant and inviting decorative piece. To cure the jug before first use, fill with cool water below its rim and bring the water to a boil on the stove. Simmer for about 5 minutes, then allow the jug and the water to cool on their own. As with all clay cookware, this product should not be exposed to extreme temperature shock. Rinsing a hot jug under cold water, for instance, may cause it to crack.

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Verve Culture Molcajete

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Verve Culture

Verve Culture Molcajete

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Here at Milk Street, we love crushing spices or herbs by hand to create more variation in texture and extract more flavor, and a mortar and pestle allow us to blend them more precisely. The molcajete is a traditional Mexican variation of a mortar and pestle for grinding dried chilies to use in salsas or for making perfect guacamole. It has a shallower, wider bowl than a typical mortar—about 6 inches in diameter—which helps for closer control and more surface area to break down tough textures, like the skins of guajillo or ancho chilies. Plus, the molcajete is made of coarse and incredibly durable volcanic stone that creates plenty of natural friction. Its accompanying pestle is called a tejolote; at 3 inches long, it's perfectly proportional to the shallow bowl of the molcajete. Our food editor, Matt Card, says this tool is worth owning for guacamole if nothing else—the texture it yields is the ideal balance of creamy and chunky. Try our recipe for Central Mexican Guacamole, picked up from Mexican cooking doyenne Diana Kennedy. Each molcajete comes in a one-of-a-kind, hand-woven and vibrantly colored basket made from palm leaves. It's meant to hold tortillas and has a lid to keep them warm, but we also like to use the basket to keep fruits and vegetables on the counter, such as tomatoes, onions or avocados for the guacamole you'll be making. It even makes an attractive container to store kitchen clutter—loose change, receipts and the like.