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Chocolate-dipped strawberries stir fuss Upcoming summer celebrations -- weddings, graduations, Father's Day, picnics -- can drive perfection-conscious cooks crazy, as this month's reader letters attest. Help! I agreed to host a fancy tea as a fundraiser for my women's group. Part of the menu included chocolate-dipped strawberries. I thought I was being clever making them the night before the event, but when I woke up the next morning, I was horrified. The strawberries all stuck to my platters; they wouldn't budge! Besides that, they were all wet! Water was running off the plates! What did I do wrong? -- Joan C., Medford Well, Joan, the first thing you should know is it's not you. Veteran chef Dorathy Anderson-Thickett of Soup to Nuts catering in Medford has encountered the very same problems with chocolate-dipped strawberries. One solution is easy. To keep the berries from sticking to your platters, don't set them directly on the plates when they're wet. Use waxed paper instead. When they dry, peel the paper from the coated berries. As for the water, it's condensation that forms when the juicy berries meet the rigid chocolate coating. It's as common as it is unattractive. Thickett's best fix for chocolate-dipped strawberries is straight-forward. "I never do them," she says. "They weep. They stick. I think it's an inferior way of serving them." Instead, Thickett offers fresh, cleaned berries at room temperature with a bowl of warm chocolate sauce. Her favorite recipe is a secret, but she says the best ones include several different kinds of chocolate and lots of fat. She'll mix up a batch of to-die-for chocolate sauce, then keep it warm in small fondue dishes, taking care not to scorch the sauce. "It's just a much better presentation," she says. I'm planning a bridal shower and trying to decide on an elegant menu. The main dish I want to make calls for capers. I've never used capers before. What are they? -- Mary T., Central Point Those wrinkled little berries in the jars near the olives on your grocery aisle are capers, Mary. Basically, they are the flower bud of a bush native to the Mediterranean and parts of Asia, according to my trusty edition of the "Food Lover's Companion" by Sharon Tyler Herbst. The flower buds, which can range in size from very tiny to as big as the tip of your little finger, are picked, dried and then pickled in a vinegar brine. Occasionally they are salted and sold in bulk. Capers have a pungent flavor widely used in sauces and condiments, as well as in garnishes for meat and vegetable dishes. Rinse capers before using to remove excess saltiness. If you want to try a taste before your shower, check out the recipe for Lemon Chicken with Capers below. I've been wondering if anyone in Southern Oregon raises mustard commercially. It appears to grow vigorously in our climate, decorating the roads and the hillsides beautifully. I'm not sure who else here makes and sells mustard besides Rising Sun Farms in Phoenix. Do they grow their own mustard or buy it from somewhere else? -- Ellen W., Medford Rising Sun Farms does not grow mustard commercially, Ellen, according to Lauren Ravin, vice president of marketing. And it would appear that no one in Southern Oregon raises for profit the yellow-topped plants that grow so well here. Of three Master Gardeners and one agent available at the Oregon State University Extension Service, none had heard of commercial mustard-growing operations. If anyone else has, let me know. Lemon Chicken with Capers 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts 2 tablespoons flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/3 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 2 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice 1/2 cup chicken broth 1/2 cup dry white wine 1 tablespoon capers, drained 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped On a flat plate or waxed paper, combine flour, salt and pepper. Dredge chicken breasts in mixture, shaking to remove excess. In a 10-inch skillet, heat butter until sizzling. Add chicken breasts and cook, turning once, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes per side. Remove to a warm dish and keep warm. Over medium-high heat, add lemon juice, broth and wine to skillet, stirring to loosen brown bits. Cook rapidly until reduced by about half, 10 minutes. Add capers and parsley. Pour sauce over chicken; serve immediately. Serves 4. (Send questions to A la carte, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501. Reach JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465 or by e-mail at [email protected] ) Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA