posted by Anjali on April 3, 2012
Celery is like an extra in a movie restaurant scene. You need it, but you aren’t supposed to notice it or think about it much. If it stands out, you probably used too much. But every extra dreams of a big break, the moment when the director points straight at it — most likely in slow motion — and says, “Youuuuu. You’re my staaaaar.” (In slow-motion-speak, obviously.)
This soup is that moment for plain old celery.
It was born the weekend I got an enormous bunch of celery in my CSA box, a leafy, bright-green bunch that was way too big to fit in my fridge as-is. For some reason I kept thinking about soup, though I think the only celery soup I had ever eaten was a can of Campbell’s Cream of Sadness at some point in my childhood. This celery deserved better.
And it got it: a slow softening in butter with chopped potato and onion and — thrown in at the last minute — an apple on the counter that had gotten too mushy to eat out of hand. I added as many celery leaves as I could, which turned deep green as they cooked. Everything got covered with stock and simmered until soft, then whizzed up with the immersion blender into a creamy puree.
The combination of celery and apple had gotten me thinking about Waldorf salad, that classic mix of celery, apples and walnuts, so I added a drizzle of walnut oil and it was just right: a little nutty, a little sweet, with celery the undeniable star.
Celery, I’ll never ignore you again.
Creamy Celery, Apple & Walnut Soup
{ Ingredients }
3 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1 small onion, sliced
1 large starchy potato, peeled and chopped
1 medium apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1 pound celery (stalks and leaves), chopped
5 cups vegetable or chicken stock
Salt
Pepper
Walnut oil
{ Directions }
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, potato, apple and celery and a sprinkle of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, until the onion has softened and the celery leaves are deep green.
Add the stock and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potato and apple pieces are very soft. Remove from heat and blend with an immersion blender, or let cool slightly and blend in batches with a countertop blender. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Ladle into bowls and drizzle about 2 teaspoons of walnut oil onto each serving.
Additional Notes
• For a smoother soup, peel the strings out of the celery stalks and discard them before chopping. I actually prefer the more substantial texture of the soup with the strings left in.
• A wan, leafless celery bunch from the supermarket won't make a soup that is as full-flavored. If possible, use a fresh bunch from the farmers market that is bright and leafy and that smells deeply celery-ish.
• Starting with olive oil instead of butter will make this soup vegan, but I think the butter adds something extra-special. Use it if possible.
posted by Anjali on March 30, 2012
Parsnips in love. (Follow me on Instagram: anjaliruth)
What I’ve been reading:
Red Meat Blues – New York Times
Supreme Court Ruling: Broccoli Sucks – CHOW
Make Perfect Pita – Gilt Taste
‘Larry,’ Quaker of Oatmeal Fame, Gets a Makeover – Wall Street Journal
Kicking the Dessert Habit – Dinner A Love Story
What I’ve been cooking:
Nancy Silverton’s Focaccia – Los Angeles Times
Chana Masala – Orangette
…and thinking about cooking:
Roasted Feta with Thyme Honey – Food52
Strawberry & Honey Sorbet – The Kitchn
posted by Anjali on March 28, 2012
No matter how healthy my eating habits, I have one big weakness: sweets. Put a giant bowl of mac and cheese in front of me and I’ll be able to stop eating after a few bites. Make it a big piece of cake or a pint of ice cream or a slice of warm pie and I make no promises.
I used to take down full-size ice cream sundaes at the age of two. They were from a local ice cream parlor called Betsy Ross, where the sundaes came topped with tiny paper American flags. I saved these, like a serial killer collecting trophies. I am a sweets killer. I show no mercy.
Needless to say, I’m always on the lookout for healthy-ish snacks that will satisfy my post-dinner sweets craving. Fresh fruit, dates, chocolate-covered dried cranberries, almonds and dried apples are the usual suspects. But as much as these snacks quiet the sweets monster, none are real desserts, not like a flourless chocolate cake with fresh whipped cream or a salted caramel tart.
But you know what is a real dessert? A brownie. What is special about this particular brownie is what isn’t in it — it’s vegan, gluten-free and raw — and the fact that it tastes rich and decadent, like a real dessert should.
Raw pulverized walnuts and raw cacao powder take the place of the usual flour, butter and melted chocolate, while dates add sweetness and a fudgy texture. I didn’t strictly make mine raw — I toasted the almonds in the oven! call the Raw Police! — but I was surprised by the nutritional difference between raw and regular cacao powder. The latter has significantly more fiber, iron and magnesium. It also costs a lot more, so feel free to use any good-quality cocoa powder; the brownies will still taste good.
I made these particular brownies for a Paleo dinner party for my gym (happy one-year anniversary, CrossFit 323!), so these are also Paleo-friendly. I was told later that certain guests were found hiding outside with the platter at the end of the party, scarfing down the remaining brownies. Doesn’t that sound like a real dessert to you?
• Get the recipe: The Raw Brownie at My New Roots
I also wrote a brief review of this recipe on The Kitchn. That’s how good it is — two write-ups in one week!
posted by Anjali on March 19, 2012
I brought too much cash to the farmers market, that was the problem. If I hadn’t been carrying around more than twice what I usually bring, I wouldn’t have felt flush enough to consider buying meat from the vendor who sells pork, lamb, rabbit and goat alongside his excellent carrots and spinach. But it happened: I bought a goat leg. It was expensive.
It was a pretty big goat leg, to be sure. And I was excited about cooking goat for the first time. With with a third fewer calories than beef and half the saturated fat of chicken, goat is healthy, and because the animals live on pasture cows don’t like, it is also a sustainable meat choice. But this leg was definitely a luxury, and as I walked away with it, I thought, This better be the best damn leg I’ve ever eaten.
Goats, rangy little creatures that they are, do well when moist-roasted, which keeps the meat from being tough. An overnight marinade infuses the meat with flavor and further tenderizes it. I will fully admit I had no idea how my goat leg would turn out while I was making it. A Chow.com thread about cooking goat made me realize I didn’t know if I was dealing with a comparatively tender young kid or a gamey old nanny goat. (The label said simply “GOAT LEG.”)
Goblin likes goat legs too.
But after three hours of slow-roasting, I dared taste a shred of meat. It was tender and tasted a little like lamb, but with a deeper, richer flavor and none of the gameyness I expected. I knew I had a winner. And probably a kid, not a nanny.
I served it shredded, alongside soft corn tortillas and all the taco truck fixings, for Rob and a couple friends, all goat newbies. We polished off almost all of it, to cries of “So tender!” “So good!”
I’m happy to report it was the best damn leg I’ve ever eaten.
Slow-Roasted Goat Tacos
Yield: 4 generous servings
{ Ingredients }
For the goat:
3-pound goat leg
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons grapeseed or olive oil
½ cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon ground coffee
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
5 garlic cloves
2 bay leaves
1 onion, roughly chopped
Black pepper
For the tacos:
12-15 corn tortillas
Salsa
Optional toppings:
Cilantro, chopped
Crumbled queso fresco
Pickled red onions
Lime wedges
{ Directions }
The night before cooking the goat, in a medium bowl whisk the vinegar, coffee, sugar, salt, cinnamon and cumin until the sugar and salt dissolve. Add ½ cup oil, garlic, bay leaves, onion and pepper to taste. Place the goat in a shallow baking dish and pour the marinade over, rubbing to make sure all surfaces are covered. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, turning once.
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Remove the goat from the marinade and pat dry. Don't toss out the marinade -- you'll be using it.
Heat a dutch oven on the stove over a high flame until very hot. Add 2 tablespoons oil and brown the goat on both sides. Remove from the pot and set aside. Pour the marinade into the pot and bring to a boil. Put the goat and any accumulated juices back into the pot, cover, and place in the oven. Bake, basting occasionally, for 3 - 3½ hours, or until the meat is tender and pulls easily from the bone.
Let the goat cool in the cooking liquid until cool enough to handle. Remove from the pot and strain the liquid into a measuring cup or jar, discarding the solids. Using two forks and your hands, shred the meat, discarding any fat or gristle. Spoon off as much fat as possible from the cooking liquid and pour the remaining juices over the shredded meat.
Serve immediately or keep covered in the refrigerator. To reheat, warm covered in a 350°F oven for 15-20 minutes.
To assemble the tacos, heat the tortillas one at a time in a hot skillet until warm and pliable, about 15-30 seconds per side. Cover and keep warm as you heat the remaining tortillas. Serve the goat alongside the tortillas and toppings, and let everyone build their own tacos.
Additional Notes:
• Look for goat meat at farmers markets, specialty butcher shops or ethnic markets specializing in halal, Mexican, Indian or Greek food.
My name is Anjali and I'm a food writer, former personal chef and current graduate student studying to be a registered dietitian. The recipes I share here are what I like to cook at home: healthy, economical, mostly vegetarian meals that are easy to prepare at the end of a long day of work or school. 
