Celeriac. My first encounter in the US with this strange looking root vegetable was when it arrived in our CSA box the first year. I recall being turned off by it’s appearance and wishing for carrots or potatoes instead. Like many things in our CSA box that were new to me, I learned to enjoy celeriac and would even seek it out in the grocery store once my CSA allotment had been consumed. My favorite dish to prepare was a celeriac and carrot slaw. So, this afternoon when I visited the grocery store that caters to foreigners I became excited when I noticed celeriac bulbs on the shelf. Until I saw the price. One bulb equivalent to 1.2 pounds was priced at $14.40 US dollars! Despite my cravings I decided to pass. Instead, tomorrow I’ll try cooking with a vegetable called “satoimo”, also know as taro. It’s a starch vegetable, high in fiber, and lower in calories than a white potato. The Japanese recipes I’ve seen for satoimo are either boiled in a dashi liquid or simmered as nimono. I’m planning to add it to a basic American beef stew. This is not without risk. I have read that Westerners sometimes categorize satoimo as slimy. However, the slimy factor is suppose to dissipate with stewing. Sliminess is the one food texture that sharply divides the east and west. In the west many of us abhor sliminess. In Japan, it’s more of a love affair.
The above is a photo of matsutake mushrooms, a HUGE beautiful Asian pear, and satoimo. Matsutake is a speciality mushroom that only appears in the stores in the fall. It's a seasonal treat and may be given as a gift, hence the presentation in the packaging.
Celeriac. My first encounter in the US with this strange looking root vegetable was when it arrived in our CSA box the first year. I recall being turned off by it’s appearance and wishing for carrots or potatoes instead. Like many things in our CSA box that were new to me, I learned to enjoy celeriac and would even seek it out in the grocery store once my CSA allotment had been consumed. My favorite dish to prepare was a celeriac and carrot slaw. So, this afternoon when I visited the grocery store that caters to foreigners I became excited when I noticed celeriac bulbs on the shelf. Until I saw the price. One bulb equivalent to 1.2 pounds was priced at $14.40 US dollars! Despite my cravings I decided to pass. Instead, tomorrow I’ll try cooking with a vegetable called “satoimo”, also know as taro. It’s a starch vegetable, high in fiber, and lower in calories than a white potato. The Japanese recipes I’ve seen for satoimo are either boiled in a dashi liquid or simmered as nimono. I’m planning to add it to a basic American beef stew. This is not without risk. I have read that Westerners sometimes categorize satoimo as slimy. However, the slimy factor is suppose to dissipate with stewing. Sliminess is the one food texture that sharply divides the east and west. In the west many of us abhor sliminess. In Japan, it’s more of a love affair.
The above is a photo of matsutake mushrooms, a HUGE beautiful Asian pear, and satoimo. Matsutake is a speciality mushroom that only appears in the stores in the fall. It's a seasonal treat and may be given as a gift, hence the presentation in the packaging. 
1 comment:
Lovely!
I love celeriac - we get it in our box too, and while I wasn't too fond of it at first, I look forward to it now. That is $$$ there! Wow!
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