Scientifically speaking, capers are the pea-sized, unopened flower buds of Capparis spinosa (Capparidaceae), a shrub prevalent in the Mediterranean region. Caper berries are the fruit of this same shrub. If you’ve never seen them, this picture is to-scale and shows their actual size.

Let’s break it down one time… So there’s this bush, right–the caper bush. It’s a flowering bush. Capers, the tiny little green balls you find pickled in jars, and caper berries, the slightly larger, berryish-looking green things also sold–stem intact–pickled in jars, are both this bush’s flower — cultivated before the flower had a chance to bloom. Tricky, huh?

It’s really not that tricky! Capers are the bud at earliest stage of development while caper berries are the bud at a later stage of development. So if you’ve got a bud at stage one, it’s a caper. If you’ve got a bud at stage two, it’s a caper berry. If you let that bud grow even more you would have a caper flower. Get it?

Good. Want to read more? Check out this article. Insider’s Tip: Use deep-fried capers as a canape garnish. Capers are delicious when deep-fried. They open up into beautiful little flowers that impart loads of flavorful salty goodness (thanks to their pickling process and their close relation to the cabbage/mustard family–Brassicaceae).

P.S. (Who knew that cabbage and mustard were in the same family?!)

“Food that is hot must have flavor,” says Barbara Tropp and I agree.

How to do it? If you want heat, add chiles and remember to balance the dish with ingredients that stimulate all of your tastebuds. Something sweet, something salty, something sour… Here’s a list of ingredients that help mute and enrich the searing heat of chiles so you can have heat and flavor:

Radishes
Sour orange juice
Garlic
Lime
Cilantro
Ginger
Roasted vegetables
Vanilla
Herbs
Fennel
Spices
Yogurt
Cheese
Chocolate!

You don’t necessarily have to put these into your spicy dish. Try serving the meal with a foamy cold drink or incorporating them into a sidedish.

Ever wonder where spices come from? Here’s a little rhyme to help you remember:Cinnamon from the bark
Pepper from the berry
Ginger from the root
Nutmeg from the fruit!

Have you seen goat milk yogurt in your favorite grocery store lately? Chances are you haven’t– unless you live in Northern California or some other very health-conscious locale. It’s goaty for sure! Redwood Hill Farm makes a very nice goat milk yogurt in a variety of flavors. If you’re confused about what to do with the foreign-sounding milk product, never fear! The same farm also offers an extensive list of recipes to get your creative juices flowing. (Goat milk yogurt: it’s not just for lunch anymore). They even have beer and cheese pairing suggestions. You can substitute goat milk yogurt in pretty much any recipe that calls for sourcream, buttermilk, milk, or cream for an exciting new kick. I had the opportunity to vist Redwood Hill Farm when I lived in Nor-Cal and it was a very well run place indeed. (And they have some terrifically adorable goats to boot!). Give it a go; you’re in for a pleasant surprise!