The CookingBites recipe challenge: capers/caper berries

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Well…my first caper recipe was a bust - a gin Bloody Mary made with muddled sweet mini peppers, lime, and caper juice, and garnished with a cream cheese-and-caper-filled mini pepper half.

Yeeeeee-UCK! MrsT found the pepper taste too strong, and I found the saltiness too overpowering (and that’s saying something, as I like my salt).

I think the kitchen sink is feeling pretty good this morning, as it’s had two Bloody Marys!
 
Fish and capers are just made for each other, especially fatty fish like salmon. This particular dish is really easy to make - the fish only takes about 5 minutes or so. You do have to concentrate on the cooking, however, otherwise the salmon will overcook and be dry. This particular version was made with Chilean salmon and, with all due respect to my Chilean friends, I'd far prefer Scottish, Norwegian or Alaskan salmon. Far more flavourful. Still - you work with what you've got. A Chilean Sauvignon Blanc, however, is a perfect match.
Salmon with white wine, capers and dill
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My first official entry (after the aborted cocktail earlier):

Königsberg-style Meatballs (Königsberger Klopse)

Meatballs...beefy gravy...a little salty, a little citrusy...this has all that and more. Paired with boiled potatoes and some (one) bean salad, washed down with a nice pilsner, it's a little trip to the Old Country on a plate.

No real pitfalls to report, pretty straightforward, though it does take a little time. Clear the schedule, pour a glass of wine, then just take your time, go slow, and savour the process.

Enjoy!


 
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Recipe - Caper Sauce

I love capers as an ingredient, except for one thing: the tendency they have to roll off things. They're round, so that's inevitable. But, when they're part of a sauce, there's always an uneven distribution: some capers pool together in one bite, while the next bite might not have any capers. This method solves that problem.

Also, note the giant jar of capers. I figured it would keep me for a long time, but this recipe used 1/2 cup of capers, and I expect to make it again.
 
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In my continuing effort to make brown things look pretty, I bring you Ajiaco Bogotano Impostor. Served in a mortar bowl I got in the Yucatan years ago, this is a hearty corn chowdery thing that didn't exist as a recipe until I posted it. Apologies in advance to the Spanish speaking members of this forum for my corruption of the language.
 
In my continuing effort to make brown things look pretty, I bring you Ajiaco Bogotano Impostor. Served in a mortar bowl I got in the Yucatan years ago, this is a hearty corn chowdery thing that didn't exist as a recipe until I posted it. Apologies in advance to the Spanish speaking members of this forum for my corruption of the language.
Congratulations on your presentation - it looks wonderful! And I don't see any corruption of the language, so you are clear from the Policia Linguistica... :dance: :dance:
A few interesting facts about the Ajiaco.
"Ají" , in Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, means "hot chile pepper". So supposedly, this delicious soup might have had hot pepper in it. However, another theory is that the "king" and queen of a Colombian tribe were called Aj and Aco, and the soup was made to honour them.
Ajiaco Bogotano is traditionally made with three different kinds of potatoes and a local herb called "guasca". Just before serving, it's topped with avocado slices and capers. I tried it once in Bogota and it's absolutely divine.
 
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