The Great Capon Caper
There are a few things in the food category that I had once found inedible, gross and generally not ment for human consumption. Some of those things are now my favorite foods. Among those foods that have transitioned from disgusting to delectable are mushrooms, Greek yogurt, Brussels sprouts and one of my faves, capers.
Let us focus today on the capers. I don't have a litany of recipes that call for capers. Actually I can count those recipes on one......finger. That's right, one recipe. Capers, for those of you that don't know are buds of the Caper Bush, or the not so common, Capparis spinosa, that are pickled in a brine. Oh yea, and they are deeee-licious.
The other night I made my one recipe with Capers, Chicken Piccata, which happens to be one of my favorite foods because it has, yup you guessed it capers. As the family gathered 'round the table one of the kiddies asked what the food in the dish was. I told them "It's Chicken Piccata."
That started the question train rolling. First stop, Sticky Buns, "What is it?". Next stop, Mini Buns "Do I have to eat the gravy?". And finally the question we've all been waiting for from Cheddar Buns, "What are those green thingys?"
"Those green thingys are capers." I said. My Mom-in Law then told us a little story about capers and her childhood.
I said to the children "When I was a kid I always confused capers and capons.". As you may recall I grew up in the not-city, therefore I know of capons though never have I had the good fortune to meet one. "What's a capon Dad?" says Sticky Buns.
That's where I wish my better half, AKA My Beautiful Wife had been at the table to stop me. But, alas, she was not, thence I continued, "A capon is a demasculated rooster.". Hmmm, not bad for an old guy put on the spot.
To my dismay, it didn't stop there either. "What is demasculated, Dad?" said Mini Buns. THEN My Beautiful Wife returns and gives me the look that goes along with "You thought this was a good conversation why?" and asked me "What are we talking about?". "I was telling the children the difference between a caper and a capon." I said.
"Well what is demasculated?" Sticky Buns asked.
As I began to utter the beginning of a dissertation on the process of making a rooster a capon My Beautiful Wife asked "And this is a good conversation WHY?"
I wish I had listened to her the first time she didn't say it.
Let us focus today on the capers. I don't have a litany of recipes that call for capers. Actually I can count those recipes on one......finger. That's right, one recipe. Capers, for those of you that don't know are buds of the Caper Bush, or the not so common, Capparis spinosa, that are pickled in a brine. Oh yea, and they are deeee-licious.
The other night I made my one recipe with Capers, Chicken Piccata, which happens to be one of my favorite foods because it has, yup you guessed it capers. As the family gathered 'round the table one of the kiddies asked what the food in the dish was. I told them "It's Chicken Piccata."
That started the question train rolling. First stop, Sticky Buns, "What is it?". Next stop, Mini Buns "Do I have to eat the gravy?". And finally the question we've all been waiting for from Cheddar Buns, "What are those green thingys?"
"Those green thingys are capers." I said. My Mom-in Law then told us a little story about capers and her childhood.
I said to the children "When I was a kid I always confused capers and capons.". As you may recall I grew up in the not-city, therefore I know of capons though never have I had the good fortune to meet one. "What's a capon Dad?" says Sticky Buns.
That's where I wish my better half, AKA My Beautiful Wife had been at the table to stop me. But, alas, she was not, thence I continued, "A capon is a demasculated rooster.". Hmmm, not bad for an old guy put on the spot.
To my dismay, it didn't stop there either. "What is demasculated, Dad?" said Mini Buns. THEN My Beautiful Wife returns and gives me the look that goes along with "You thought this was a good conversation why?" and asked me "What are we talking about?". "I was telling the children the difference between a caper and a capon." I said.
"Well what is demasculated?" Sticky Buns asked.
As I began to utter the beginning of a dissertation on the process of making a rooster a capon My Beautiful Wife asked "And this is a good conversation WHY?"
I wish I had listened to her the first time she didn't say it.
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