Marion's column: The great kitchen fix-it caper

Originally published Aug. 12, 1999.

Every home cook knows that being resourceful in the kitchen can save a drab meal.

The most resourceful cook I've ever known was James Beard, who wrote 28 cookbooks and was known for years as "The American Cook."

I assisted him at various times for 11 years and I remember two typical occasions when his ingenuity saved the day.

Once when he was to do a cooking demonstration in a Chicagodepartment store, and we arrived with the ingredients to prepare the food, we found that there was no stove or hot plate to cook on. He hesitated no longer than a minute and he went to the housewares department and borrowed two irons. He propped them upside down, plugged them in and managed to cook on them.

The second astonishing solution to a problem was when we had prepared an enormous amount of food for a large fund-raising event.

As we were packing all the food for the dinner, one gallon of creme anglaise - the vanilla custard sauce for the desserts - spilled all over and there was no time to make more.

A splendid discovery

My discovery of capers, as a splendid addition to dishes that need a good tart boost, is hardly that resourceful. But I feel as if I've discovered a wonderful new ingredient.

Capers are just right when added to the following Tomato, Basil and Caper Sauce. I put this sauce, chilled from the refrigerator, over hot spaghetti and it was very good for a summer supper. It is also good added to brown butter and spooned over fish fillets.

Capers are flower buds from a Mediterranean bush that are pickled in vinegar. Don't confuse them with peppercorns; they look alike in jars, but that's where the similarity ends. Capers are often used with very rich dishes, veal, beef and vegetable dishes with olive oil or cream sauce that need the balance of acid.

Spaghetti With Tomato, Basil and Caper Sauce X

- 2 large tomatoes, core removed, finely chopped

- 2 tbsp. fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

- 2 tbsp. onions, finely chopped

- 3 tbsp. green bell pepper, finely chopped

- 3 tbsp. capers, rinsed under cold water

- 1/2 tsp. salt or to taste

- 1/4 tsp. pepper

- 1 lb. spaghetti

- 1/4 c. olive oil

Finely chop or mince the tomatoes, basil, onions and bell pepper and put them in a bowl. Add the capers, sugar, salt and pepper.

Don't add Parmesan cheese to the dish.

Cook the spaghetti, drain and put into a large bowl. Stir in the olive oil and salt if needed.

To serve, spoon or divide the sauce equally over each serving.

Nutrition information per 1/6-recipe serving:

Calories 400

Protein 11 g

Fat 11 g

including sat. fat 1 g

Cholesterol 0 mg

Sodium 615 mg

Dietary fiber 4 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1 vegetable exch., 4 bread/ starch exch., and 2 fat exch.

Butterscotch Walnut Bars X

Makes about 3 dozen bars.

Bottom Crust:

- 1/3 c. (packed) light brown sugar

- 1 egg

- 1 1/4 c. flour

- 1/4 tsp. salt

- 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

- 2 eggs

- 1 c. (packed) light brown sugar

- 1 1/2 c. chopped walnuts

- 2 tbsp. flour

- 3/4 tsp. baking powder

Icing:

- 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar, sifted

- 1 to 2 tbsp. cold water

Lightly grease a 9- by 13-inch pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Crust: Put the butter and brown sugar into a mixing bowl and beat until smooth and blended. Stir in the egg and mix well. Add the flour, salt and vanilla, mix well. Pat the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. While the bottom crust is baking, prepare the filling.

Icing: Combine the powdered sugar and enough water to make the icing spreadable. Do a very thin coating of the icing; you don't have to use all of it, and it should just be a thin, thin glaze.

Let the bars cool before cutting into squares.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories 130

Carbohydrates 18 g

Fat 6 g

including sat. fat 2 g

Cholesterol 25 mg

Sodium 52 mg

Calcium 21 mg

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1 bread/ starch exch., and 1 fat exch.