My first wife once said, “Do you put celery in everything?” Yes I do.
No salad is perfect without those tasty, crunchy bites. And few restaurants put in celery because it discolors if diced ahead of time.
My favorite bar food is buffalo mac n cheese (mac and cheese topped with boneless chicken nuggets with hot sauce on them). The best version of this I have had is at Quaker Steak and Lube, because they add chopped celery and blue cheese bits to mimic the full buffalo wings experience.
And speaking of which, those buffalo wings are properly served with celery sticks and ranch or blue cheese dip. Extra celery please.
I always have celery on hand, love it filled with cream cheese, especially the garden veggie variety. Another great snack is crisp celery stalks with salt and vinegar chips. Celery belongs on any veggie snack plate. To ensure crispness, cut the stalks to length and soak in ice water before serving.
I seldom remove the threads, although I have spent many a moment chewing my cud while wondering what science could do with this indestructible fiber.
Kids love meat loaf made to look like a face when sliced. Just insert red pepper curves for the mouth and two celery stalks for eyes as you pack the loaf. Hmm, I’m getting hungry!
The section near the root is a special treat. Take off the outer layer and cut the stalks off. There are no threads in that part and it has a texture and taste all its own. It’s the filet mignon of celery.
Two words: Celery tea.
Oh, my wife is Thai so cilantro is an integral part of our meals. She uses it as a main ingredient, not a flavoring. We eat it by the bag full. The amount she buys at the Asian market looks like a shopping bag full. After a careful wash she spreads it out on a long strip of paper towels until dry to her specification. Then she rolls the whole thing up so it is like a spiral loaf of cilantro. Just unroll as much as you need, it lasts a long time that way.
One of my specialties, tuna macaroni salad, is on the menu for tomorrow. Rotini macaroni with lots of celery, green pepper and a sprinkling of cilantro. Only Miracle Whip will do.
One of my favorite things she makes is “anything goes” stir fry when she searches the nearly empty fridge. It always features celery, green onions, and whatever else we have on hand before shopping.
Getting late, should go to bed. I wonder if they make celery ice cream?
Dennis T