It's creepy and it's kooky, mysterious and spooky, it's all together ooky, the knobby celery root. Maybe we've gotten carried away with the Addams Family reference, for celery root is not exactly haunting, just intimidating.
Most cookbooks, and cooks, ignore the celery root. It's normally relegated to the scary vegetable area of the produce section, nestled among the fennel, rutabagas, tomatillos, jicama and sometimes even beets out of their cans! I dare you to buy me, it says, with its woven, hairy skin and fingerlike protrusions.
Take the dare next time you go shopping because celery root adds low-fat flavor and variety to your diet.
Celery root, also called celeriac, is the thickened edible root of a certain variety of the celery plant. Though related, it doesn't come from the ubiquitous celery stalks we are used to eating. The ivory white exterior, which can be eaten raw or cooked, tastes like a cross between parsley and strong celery.
To use, peel off the thick exterior. If eaten raw, shredded for a slaw for instance, soak the vegetable in water mixed with a few tablespoons of lemon juice for about 10 minutes. This prevents discoloration.
Celery root can be added to soups or stews, or boiled and pureed for a healthy side dish. Pureed celery root is delicious with chunky salt and fresh ground pepper. You might even consider faking out a mashed-potato loving, low-carb dieter with a mound next to his grilled steak. (It has 9 carbohydrates per cup, compared to about 30 for potatoes, no fat and 42 calories.)
C'mon. Don't be scared. Celery root is not nearly as hairy as Cousin Itt.
cooking class
To remove tough-to-open bottle tops and loosen jar lids, first put on a pair of rubber gloves or stretch a fat rubber band around the lid. Then twist to open.
- From 1,001 Secrets of Great Cooks by Jean Anderson (Perigee, 1995).
It's time to ramp up your food voyeurism and go on a romp with a food columnist who only identifies herself as the Vittles Vamp. She roams the streets of New York, tongue flapping in the wind. "Last night, when a few of my gal pals and I whooped it up . . . we encountered Satan. He came to us in the form of a breadbasket. And let me just say that I'm a sinner - and I'm not alone. I brought my friends down with me."
Join her on jaunts around the city but learn from her experiments in the kitchen. Her enthusiasm is infectious.
nonsticking point
If you appreciate the convenience of nonstick cookware but also like to brown your meat on the stove, then Calphalon has a pan for you.
The manufacturer has introduced Calphalon One, a line that combines the qualities of traditional metal pots and pans with the easy cleanup of nonstick cookware. The secret lies in an anodization process that allows the nonstick coating to penetrate into the pores of the metal. The pan lets cooks sear meats and fish and deglaze sauces with ease.
Prices range from $75 for an 8-inch omelet pan to $225 for an 11-inch skillet. The cookware is available individually and in sets at Williams-Sonoma stores.
gallows humor
With a recipe for "rice rigor mortis," Brian Price's new cookbook brings a touch of dark wit to a subject seldom welcome at the dinner table: death. But it's the taste of Price's humor, not the flavor of his dishes, that is raising questions about Meals to Die For, a collection of recipes for final meals requested by inmates on Texas' death row. His recipes - such as Old Sparky's Genuine Convict Chili, in levels of spice measured at 5,000, 10,000 or 20,000 volts - have drawn criticism from at least one victims' rights group. The book says the favorite last meal is cheeseburgers and french fries. Steak, ice cream and fried chicken are popular too, Price said.
melted delight
Looking for ways to improve the grilled cheese sandwich? Try these inspired suggestions from New York's Comfort Diner:
* Gorgonzola, pears, walnuts and dried cranberries on a baguette.
* Monterey Jack and pesto chicken on whole-grain bread.
* Havarti with roasted garlic on ciabatta.
* Smoked mozzarella, prosciutto, tomato and basil on Italian bread.
* Manchego on brioche with white truffle oil.
* Smoked Cheddar with caramelized onions on pumpernickel.
* Muenster and Black Forest ham on an onion roll.
* Provolone with grilled eggplant on black olive bread.
the moon is made of cheese
New from Sargento Foods are cheese snacks in shapes and cracker-size slices. Sunbursts are bite-size, sun-shaped cheese pieces available in a mix of mild cheddar, colby Jack and Monterey Jack cheeses. Stars and Moons shaped cheese pieces come in a mix of mild cheddar and Monterey Jack. Each package is 7 ounces and about $2.49. Sargento Cracker Snacks are cheese slices that fit on most standard crackers. A 24-slice package is $2.49.
- Compiled by Janet K. Keeler from staff and wire reports
