Pepper

There is no denying that--even for those who never cook--salt and pepper are two kitchen essentials, whether they're in dedicated shakers or those little packets you get from take-out. As long as they are going to be mainstays in the kitchen, they might as well live in a distinctive (and easy-to-find) container.

Styled somewhat like a metal rocket toy from the 50s, the Prepology 2-in-1 Salt and Pepper Mill gives these kitchen essentials a worthy home. Featuring more than just good looks, the mill delivers fresh flavor via the use of its ceramic grinding mechanism. The gadget stores peppercorns … Read more

The Indian military plans to weaponize the bhut jolokia, the world's hottest chili pepper, by using it in tear-gas grenades against terrorists, defense officials there have announced.

The notorious pepper from Bangladesh and northeast India, also known as the "ghost chili," is ranked by Guinness World Records as the most piquant of peppers. It has more than 1 million Scoville heat units, way beyond tabasco and jalapeno peppers, which pack 2,500 to 8,000 units.

"This is definitely going to be an effective non-toxic weapon because its pungent smell can choke terrorists and force them … Read more

I have no doubt musicians will continue to perform throughout the 2010s, but they'll make less and less money from recorded music. The passion to make and sell recorded music is already starting to wane.

Big record labels will be increasingly irrelevant so I wouldn't be surprised if Warner, Universal, Sony/BMG, and EMI eventually merge into one mega-label to sell and license back-catalog music. New music, that's another story. Already established bands, like Radiohead, have already proved the point: they don't need record companies anymore. They can sell their music directly to fans.

But that model won't work for smaller groups. Recorded music for them may survive purely as a promotional tool, as fewer and fewer bands have any expectation of seeing recording as a potential source of income. Buying music, in physical form or by legal download, doesn't seem to have much of a future. So why would a band make an effort to make music people would want to listen to decades from now? The art of making albums--a suite of songs if you will--may become a rare pursuit. … Read more

Salt and pepper seem to have a lot of superstition attached to their existence. For example, there's that whole thing about throwing salt over one's shoulder after spilling it. Another one is that apparently, salt and pepper need to be kept together at all times. What happens if your throwing arm goes out, or if you are on a salt-reduced diet, I'll leave for other brave souls to test out, but when it comes to the world's most common spices, there is no end to how we keep them at the ready.

Not only is it … Read more

Salt and pepper are both indispensable spices. They sit by our side at practically every meal. Some people use a little, some people use a lot. Having the power over your own seasoning practically guarantees an enjoyable meal. From course to fine, the grind of our favorite spices makes all the difference in the world. Giving up on pre-filled containers of already ground pepper is probably the easiest way to increase your taste enjoyment.

The Cole & Mason Buzz Revolution Salt or Pepper Mill makes it easy to enjoy your favorite spices at their best. Fully adjustable from a fine … Read more

If you're even remotely interested in The Beatles, today's episode of The 404 is a must listen. CNET Audiophiliac Steve Guttenberg helps us out today for all things Beatles. To set it all up, Steve gives the three of us a lesson in how the band essentially shaped a decade of music and culture and how they became innovators in the way that bands record music. For example, did you know that it only took the band 4 hours to record and mix the song "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band?" Later on in the show, Steve tells us about how the Beatles used a vacuum tube-based machine to record their earlier albums and later switched to solid-state, with adverse affects to the low-end sounds. Lots more Beatles trivia on the show!

We also talk extensively about the latest Beatles Remasters and whether or not they're worth the extra investment. Some claim that there are "near-miraculous improvements in the key areas of information retrieval, hidden details, expanded midrange, etc...," but Steve makes the argument that simply remastering doesn't necessarily improve sound quality. Check out the Audiophiliac blog for Steve's Beatles box set review coming soon, but in the meantime you can enter for a chance to win the entire remastered Beatles CD collection!

This salt and pepper shaker may not be the kind of thing you'd keep on your dinner table during a fancy dinner, but they'd certainly make a good gag gift.

The Moustache Salt and Pepper shaker are designed to fit together to form a perfectly twirled moustache. The halves are distinguished from one another by differing numbers of holes, and each is made from a solid piece of walnut. Which spice you decide to put into the half with extra holes is up to you: they come to you empty.

Even with its unconventional appearance, the set sold … Read more

Peppers can take a secondary role in many dishes, just by adding a little flavor and color. They can also take the primary role: stuffed peppers are a meal unto themselves. Either way, though, you'll have to spend some time coring peppers and making sure that seeds don't make it into your dish. The Pepper Corer is a tool designed to handle just that task: all you need to do is insert the curved edge into the pepper and then twist. The pepper's innards will come out easily and can be deposited in the trash. The blade … Read more

We've all been there: right in the middle of preparing a meal--say, a chicken dish--and you need to grab something, but your hands are a mess. In the case of the aforementioned chicken, it's usually a pretty good idea to keep cross-contamination to a minimum. Heck, it is always a good idea to keep cross-contamination to a minimum. So, you walk over to the sink, and wash your hands, only to mess them right up again after you reached for whatever you needed to grab. If it was salt and pepper you were after, things just got a … Read more