Pesto

Pesto is one of those sauces that have been really mishandled by the great bulk of cafés and restaurants in Australia, not to mention the commercial varieties available in stores throughout the country. It is usually made in a blender, ends up tasting more of roasted nuts and garlic than it does of basil and comes out dark green. It should be made in a mortar with a pestle so that the basil leaves are creamed and their oils are released, rather than chopped and heated. It sounds hard, but i