I cannot let it go nor can I fully commit. One time it is love, the next time hate. It is good for me, but not always fully appreciated. Maybe you can relate to my dilemma. Tommy sort of feels the same way.
My mother always put diced celery in spaghetti. The pieces were about 1/4-inch cubes. I ate the spaghetti and loved it. She put the same size dices in tuna salad. I ate it. She cut the stalks into three or four pieces and put them into the pan with a roast, along with carrots, potatoes, and onions. I DID NOT eat the celery.
I cannot each a celery stick to save my life! I cannot eat it with peanut butter or even with pimiento and cheese.
Before yesterday, I put short sticks of the stalk into soup and did not eat it. I always dipped it for Tommy. He would eat it but left a bit. Somewhere lately, I have eaten a soup with slices of celery. They were delicious.
Until yesterday, celery in what I cooked was strictly for flavor. Then, I threw it away. All that changed for cooked celery.
So, yesterday I thinly sliced the celery, across the stalk, of course, put it in the soup, and we both ate it. The slices were about 1/8-inch thick, definitely not even a quarter inch. I loved it and Tommy said it is okay. It was delicious and good for us.
So, it is settled. I can now eat celery one more way. The next time I dehydrate celery, the celery will be thinly sliced. I just cannot stand big pieces in my mouth, cooked or raw. I must have something mixed with it if it raw.
What foods are you ambivalent about eating? How so? Explain it to me. Inquiring minds need to know!
My husband doesn't want celery in anything. I like it cut into slices in chicken or tuna salad with added dried cranberries. I like lots of celery in it, but I make sure I pull a many of those nasty little strings off of it.
ReplyDeleteOne time I was at a friend's house for lunch and she had prepared a delicious chicken salad served on a large croissant, it was really good, and salsa with sticks of chilled de-stringed celery. Celery was delicious dipped in that salsa. She used celery instead of tortilla chips. It was very cooling and refreshing on a hot summer day. Funny how I don't remember what she made for our desert, but I was really impressed by that chicken salad with bits of apple cut up it it served on the huge croissant and those chilled celery sticks in salsa. I had never been able to stand to eat celery sticks before that either. In fact, I wondered if the celery sticks would make me gag, but it turned out they were delicious. I think the trick is de-stringing them carefully.
susie,
DeleteHow does your husband react to your putting celery in food? Do you make his separately?
Well, I don't eat salsa, so this is all beyond me...lol. I have never tried destringing celery. I will add that to my repertoire.
When I make chicken or tuna salad, I make them in separate bowls. I make mine with the celery and dried cranberries and 1/2 mayonnaise and 1/2 Miracle Whip,and just a little chopped onion so with all of the celery slices and dried cranberries and Miracle whip, my bowl of tuna/chicken salad turns out to look like a lot of salad. His bowl of salad has absolutely no celery, or dried cranberries, or Miracle whip, just chicken/tuna, mayonnaise and a little chopped onion, so it looks like a pitiful bowlful that doesn't have much texture. I use the same amount of tuna or chicken in each bowl. He eats all of his in the same meal. I get another whole meal out of mine.
DeleteIf I make beef stew, I like small celery round slices in it, but not too many. I cook it in the stew in the stockpot. He picks every bit of celery out of his bowl and puts it off to the side, where I go ahead and put it into my bowl of stew.
When I rarely decide to eat raw celery, I never have the patience to get every celery string off the celery, I don't even know if that would be possible, but the thicker strings have got to go. I don't like the way they feel in my mouth.
That is a good idea to make two separate dishes. I sort of do the same thing for Tommy and I. My bowl does tend to be fuller than Tommy's.
DeleteI take things Tommy picks out and he takes things I pick out and eat it, too. No use wasting food...lol.
To keep the strings down, I lay the celery down with the round side up, use a very sharp knife and slice it so the strings are cut cleanly. I cannot stand the strings in my mouth.
I saw someone using a carrot peeler (what I call it) and scraping/cutting off the strings. I doubt I could cut it cleanly with my teeth, but can slice it without strings.
Beets, bananas, and liver. I do not and will not eat them.
ReplyDeleteAnne,
DeleteI am with you on the beets. I will eat calf liver, none other. And, you know how I feel about bananas--love them!
I can eat raw celery but get a bit sick of the strong flavour. Cooked celery is something I can cook and eat over and over. I regard it as a kind of healthy filler.
ReplyDeleteMany years ago I used to make a one pot dish with a lot of celery, hot dog (do you call them that? the red sausages) pasta and tomato soup. I was always delicious. I eventually decided it contained too many highly processed ingredients but boy was oit a fabulous way to eat celery
kylie,
DeleteYes, we do call them hotdogs, but hotdogs are not sausages, same shape, though. I love the flavor, just cannot eat raw and alone. Maybe you can use celery as a filler in something else.
Bailey doesn’t care for celery, so I have to hide it if I do use it. I do hide it in the dressing I make for thanksgiving. As you say, it adds a lot of flavor.
ReplyDeleteBelinda,
DeleteMama had to put the spaghetti in the blender because two younger siblings refused to eat the onions, mushrooms, and celery in the spaghetti.
I love celery in all forms. Raw, cooked, plain, dipped, chunky, slivered. Doesn't matter, it's awesome.
ReplyDeleteMy personal nemesis is liver. LIVER.
Now I like braunschweiger (cooked and smoked pork liver).
And I enjoy chicken liver pate.
But cooked beef liver smells and looks revolting. Mom always cooked it until it smelled like ammonia and was as tough as shoe leather. Thank god she never forced us kids to eat it! It was bad enough that we had to sit at the same table and eat our hot dogs while Dad ate liver and onions.
Funny story: I was at a restaurant in Monte Carlo and asked the waiter what his favorite dish was. His eyes lit up and he said, "But of course, the pate!" The lad filling our water glasses agreed vigorously and gave a chef's kiss. So I ordered it.
The waiter, with a grin as big as the Mediterranean, brought me a crock that contained not the American version of chicken liver pate, but a pile of pink, RARE liver.
Now I don't know if it was a prank the waiter liked to pull on unsuspecting American tourists, or if it was truly his favorite dish. But I was darned if I was going to be the butt of any joke. So I ploughed my way through it.
The taste was okay, but the texture was hurl-worthy. To this day I can feel that near-raw liver on my teeth and tongue. God help me, it was beyond disgusting. But I ate most of it. My husband laughed himself silly over my stubbornness. But I won. Or did I?
Sue,
DeleteOh, yuck! That turns my stomach just thinking of it. Raw pork is dangerous. We only ate calf liver, better. Braunschweiger is good! No, I don't think you won at all...lol.
PS: For a minute there, I thought this post was going to be about Tommy! LOL forever!
ReplyDeleteLOL
DeleteSue, I did, too. That would be more interesting than a discussion of celery.
DeleteCarole,
Deletelol
Tommy and his quirks ARE interesting fodder for discussion, aren't they, Carole? It's always fun to read what new weird thing he is having an apoplectic fit over.
DeleteLinda, you have the skills to be the American Ambassador to Russia with what you've learned in managing that man!
Sue,
DeleteIt does take diplomatic skills to manage him!
I can eat celery with peanut butter or cheese on it. I've never had it in spaghetti sauce, interesting. I've also added it to home made chicken soup.
ReplyDeleteOne,
DeleteThat big, crunchy bite would get to me. We always had it in spaghetti for the taste. I bet it is good in chicken soup.
I can't stand celery. Not because of the taste,but because of the smell. I just cannot stand the smell of celery, so I don't eat it. I won't touch liver either, but I loved the gravy that my dad used to make with the liver drippings. He always added onions to the gravy and it was so good.
ReplyDeleteMs Goose,
DeleteI think celery is funky smelling, but love the taste it imparts to other foods. I basically love it. The smell from my mother's liver and onions is with me still. It is a wonderful memory.
Amish call hotdogs sausages..might be a German thing as Daughter 4's daughter's uncle (did I lose you?) called it Sausage since he moved over seas. I won't eat liver but will the gravy. Hubby has no sense of smell(lost it while raising hogs enclosed) so does not taste much.
ReplyDeleteChef,
DeleteI will have to be careful when I travel to get what I want. Loss of smell must be a mixed blessing.
I used to be in a similar relationship where it was love one day and hate the next. Eventually I realized how toxic it was to live like that and how deeply unhappy I was. It took time but I worked to get myself set up so I could leave & finally did. Was one of the best things I ever did for myself because eventually (years later actually) I found the love of my life in the man I'm with today & couldn't be happier! It was a rough road to get here though but that just makes the good times even sweeter! Give yourself some grace because life is hard!!
ReplyDeleteI am a celery lover - cooked, raw, however I can get it, I love it. Foods I don't care for are few and far between, but I really don't like liver and don't care for salmon. I used to hate all fish but the hubby changed my mind after taking me to his hometown of Boston several years back where I fell in love with fish - Haddock especially or any white flaky fish Mmmmm! I just hadn't had good fish before but it's hard to find decent fish in a land locked state like Utah! Two other foods I don't like are water chestnuts and anything hazelnut - especially Nutella!!
What about you?? What else don't you care for?
Bri,
DeleteI am glad you found happiness at last!
Beets, cooked spinach, and okra in any form. I am allergic to Hazel Nuts even though I like them. I have never tasted Nutella. I do not like seafood! I prefer fresh caught fried catfish, bream, or other fish guys catch. Restaurant fish is nasty. I prefer not to eat walnuts. I am allergic to most of the things I do not like.
Linda -
DeleteThanks! I wish the same for you my friend!!
Oh yes I actually don't like most of those things you listed either so guess I have more to add to my list. I love fresh spinach but the taste of cooked spinach is just awful!!
I think that is the trick to seafood or fish - it must be freshly caught! Fresh fried catfish is delicious!!
Nutella is a Hazelnut and Chocolate spread. Most people go crazy over it but I am not a fan. Too bad you're allergic. Do you still eat them anyways?? Wondering if I'm the only idiot out there that still eats things they are allergic to LOL I am allergic to Pistachios but I love them so so much that I still eat them on occasion if they are right in front of me... well at least until my face & throat start to itch & swell. My hubby gets so mad at me LOL Definitely not a smart move on my end but I can't help it, I love them! Do you still eat Hazel Nuts or are you smarter than I am? LOL
Bri,
DeleteI like cooked spinach, but it comes right back up. So, I just don't eat it. I do eat some things that are allergens, but not cashews or hazlenuts. Mostly, I don't eat things I should not. I always hated English peas and it turns out I am allergic to them! Same with other allergens.
Yep, I knew it! You're definitely smarter than I am not eating things you should not! ;) Think most people are, I don't know anyone else who still eats what they're allergic too. At least I'm a self-aware idiot I guess? LOL
DeleteBri,
DeleteLike me when I eat the wrong things or too much--self-aware.
Does anyone else get horrible stomach cramps from honey? I have since I was a child. Bananas now have the same effect on me, but I could eat them when I was a child. Peanut butter now gives me violent, horrible sudden stomach pain and then I throw up. I used to eat it when I was a child and young adult and never had a problem, but once I developed the problem from it, I have had the problem ever since. I do miss being able to eat a peanut butter sandwich with a glas of milk.s
ReplyDeletesusie,
DeleteHow awful! I have never had a problem with honey. But, these days I don't eat honey. Well, maybe once every six months and then a bit. I do have violent stomach pain, but that is from ice cream and it is the milk causing that problem. You maybe should go see an allergist. You might need an epi pen.