I grew up with parents who loved to cook.  Often, they would create very unusual meals because they liked to experiment with out of the ordinary ingredients.  At least, these ingredients were not typically seen in our neck of the woods.  If it wasn’t meat and potatoes, you didn’t eat it in most homes in our town.

One of the odd ingredients I remember was capers.  You know, those little tiny green things that come in jars?  My parents actually made Steak Tartare back in the day when it was considered safe, and cool, to eat raw beef.  This specialty dish always had a generous dose of capers both mixed in and sprinkled on the top.  Steak Tartare is not a dish that is recommended anymore, so I started thinking about those fun capers and was wondering how I could use them again, for old time sake.

In doing a little asking around, I found several people who said basically, “If you want a lot of zip, add capers.”  They went on to say that capers add a piquant flavor that’s hard to beat in dishes that could be bland without them.  Does that help?  Maybe a little. 

Seems they’re on to something.  I found several recipes for egg salad and deviled eggs that call for adding capers.  Egg dishes can be pretty bland without a good dose of spice, so capers would be a good match.

What else have you used capers for when cooking?  Have you ever used them just sprinkled on top of a salad?  If so, how did that go?  And, are you of the belief that you have to rinse them before using?  I’d be happy to hear from you if there are some ways that you like to use capers in your recipes.