The world on a string.

I. ANCIENT ROOTS

AMONG ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS, CELERY was considered a gift from the gods. Its purported medicinal properties were countless, and occasionally contradictory: while ancient Egyptians boiled celery with oil and sweet beer to create a contraceptive potion, the Greeks felt that the vegetable on its own increased a woman's fertility. Byzantine records, on the other hand, reflect a belief that celery reduced both sexual inhibition and the volume of milk produced by lactating women. In Greco-Roman antiquity, celery was associated with Pluto, master of the underworld, whom grieving Romans hoped to appease by weaving funeral wreaths from celery leaves and serving celery as part of post-funeral meals.

Celery was also used to honor the dead in Egypt and Greece, with elaborate garlands having been unearthed from 3,000 year-old tombs. The Egyptians mixed celery with frankincense as a cure for bloodshot eyes, and with oil to soothe sore joints. In ancient Pompeii, celery was served for dessert, roasted and seasoned with honey and black pepper. Ribs of celery were sewn into crowns and placed upon the heads of victorious Grecian athletes. From antiquity to the Middle Ages, celery was an accepted cure for swelling and gall stones; medics of the Middle Ages prescribed it as a laxative and a diuretic. Confucius wrote about celery in China as far back as 500 BC.

Plant historians believe that celery (Apium graveolens and Apium rapoceum), like civilization itself, originated between the Nile and Indus River valleys, and originally grew as an herb. Toward the end of 2000 BC, ancient farmers began cultivating the plant as a vegetable, but it was not until the Italian Renaissance (1420-1600 AD) that the plant was known in its current thick, juicy-stalked incarnation. John Ray (1628-1705), a pioneer in the field of natural history, documented the human-induced migration of celery, then known as smallage, from Italy to England via France.

II. CELERY-TOWNS, USA

CELERY IS AMONG THE GREAT NUMBER OF CULINARY contributions that European immigrants have made to the American table. First grown from seed in this country in the mid 1800's, it initially flourished in the Southern and Midwestern states.

American commercial celery production began in Kalamazoo County, Michigan in the late 1800's, implemented by Europeans whose conversion of worthless swampland into fertile acres earned them the nickname "the Celery Dutch." From 1890 to 1930, restaurants featured Kalamazoo celery on their menus, and called it by name; it was first marketed to shoppers and chefs under the slogan "fresh as dew from Kalamazoo." In the early 1930's, blight, competition from other states and an ever-lowering water table spelled the beginning of the end for the area known as "Celery Flats." The crop continues to prosper in other parts of the state, however, with the output from several counties currently making Michigan the third-largest celery producer in the United States.

About 60 miles west of Cleveland, Ohio, the tiny town of Celeryville is known as that state's salad bowl, both for the slight dip in its geography and for the profusion of produce that thrives in its 2,000 acres of rich, mucky soil. Celeryville was settled and made arable by the same small group of Dutch farmers from Kalamazoo who moved to Ohio to repeat their success. While Celeryville still produces greens and onions, the bulk of the town's celery crop was destroyed by blight in the early 1990's.

Florida's Seminole County was a citrus-growing region until the 1890's, when a period of unseasonably cold temperatures, followed by a growth-inducing thaw, set the stage for disaster. "A second, hard freeze in February hit just when the sap was running," wrote Jim Robinson in an April 2004 article for the Orlando Sentinel. "Branches and trunks were frozen solid. Growers reported hearing what sounded like gunfire when the frozen sap expanded and split the wood." Newly planted citrus trees take at least five years to grow market-worthy fruit, so the farmers turned to cold-hardy vegetable crops. Of the new plants, celery proved the most successful.

"Celery used to grow like crazy in the muck," says Karen Jacobs, coordinator of the Museum of Seminole County History, referring to the moist, low-lying fields whose rich soil required no fertilizers. By the early 1900's, there were over 100 celery farms in and around Sanford, Florida, earning it the nicknames "Celery City" and "the Celery Delta." A vast infrastructure of artesian wells and irrigation pipes ran below the mucky fields, and in 1908 a group of enterprising celery growers joined forces to create their own railroad. The Sanford Traction Company's refrigerated cars hauled the vegetable from field to market, stopping along the way at customized cooling and packing sheds, until being absorbed by the Atlantic Coast Railroad's Celery Belt Line after just a handful of years. According to Jacobs, Seminole County's celery production peaked in the period between 1920 and 1940, when it was an $8 million per year business. Powerful farmers lobbied successfully for the state's first agricultural marketing center, eventually built in Sanford, and prevented the digging of a cross-state canal whose salt water would have posed a threat to their crops.

"I remember seeing celery fields where there are now four-lane highways," Jacobs says. "Now, there's very little celery grown in Seminole County. It's mostly grown farther south, or imported. For many years, Mother Nature gave us either too much water, or not enough. In the agriculture business, you borrow money from the bank based on the success of your next crop. If the crop fails, you're in trouble. Between that, the rising cost of fertilizer, and the developers with deep pockets, it's essentially history."

III. CELERY NOW

TODAY, THE CENTRAL AND SOUTH COASTAL VALLEYS OF California lead the US in celery production, bolstered by ideal year-round growing conditions. Florida is number two, followed by Michigan, Texas and Ohio, respectively. Americans use roughly two billion pounds of the vegetable per year, or about seven pounds per person annually. The plants that produce commercially distributed celery seeds, celery root (celeriac) and celery stalks are all of different varieties. The seeds or root extracts are most often used to create celery salt, a popular seasoning used in cocktails, vegetable and fish preparations. Celery is a relatively difficult vegetable to grow, requiring large amounts of water, cooler temperatures and a long growing season for optimum flavor and texture.

Escoffier's Guide Culinaire calls for onions, carrots and celery in a 2:1:1 ratio for both mirepoix and matignon, but cooks at Chanterelle in New York know better than to go looking for stalks of green in the walk-in. Chef David Waltuck's distaste for the vegetable is well-known in the industry, and although he admits to liking Chinese celery leaves and celery root, he sees no need for the ribs when building bases for stocks, soups or sauces. "I don't think the flavor is appropriate in stocks or sauces. It's too particular," says Waltuck, who instead adds garlic to his stock bases.

On the other hand, Alexandra Guarnaschelli, executive chef of New York's Butter, prizes celery for both its texture and appearance. "The number one great thing about celery in a sauce or soup is that it breaks down so much that it lends a lot of body to the dish," she explains. "When I use celery as part of a mirepoix in a braised meat recipe, I'll strain it out, puree a portion of it and add it back into the sauce to thicken it. It puts the flavor back in the sauce, leaving it incredibly light but filled with body." Guarnaschelli recalls her days as a sous chef at Daniel, picking out only the yellowest celery hearts and leaves to be used in salads or paired with truffles. "There could not be a whisper of green on anything," she recalls, adding, "In my walk-in now, there's a case of celery that seems completely intact, but if you look closer, you'll see that I've ripped the hearts out of each bunch."

Andrew Carmellini chooses celery for its vegetal astringency, which balances out the "bloody earthiness" of game birds like grouse and pheasant. "If I'm working with those birds, I'll choose to put in more celery than is normally called for in a mirepoix, just to get that balance right." Carmellini, for many years the executive chef at New York's Cafe Boulud, is in the process of opening his own restaurant. Like Guarnaschelli, he likes to match celery with truffles, as well as with mushrooms, sweetbreads or foie gras. "You can julienne it very finely, soak it in ice water to get it nice and crispy and a little curled up at the edges, then dress it with olive oil and salt and pepper. It's a great texture against all that richness, the fat and sweetness."

According to flavor chemist Dr. Larry Buckholtz of Mastertaste Lab in Teterboro, New Jersey, celery owes its distinctive flavor in part to butyl phthalide, a phytochemical that imparts a "... slight astringency, green notes and a very, very slight buttery quality on the end. That particular molecule accounts for about 60 percent of what we know as celery flavor." The aromatic compound sedanolide, along with a combination of esters and aldehydes common to many vegetables, also contributes to its unique flavor profile.

Chef David Burke, who collaborates with Buckholtz at Mastertaste, prizes celery for the "savory top note" it imparts to sauces and braises. "Sometimes I'll make a straight celery stock, and use that as a base for sauces meant to go with chicken or fish, then dry out the celery leaves and use that as a garnish. I recently made a celery ginger broth, thickened it with mango puree, and used it on roasted duck breast, which was a pretty nice contrast. It's something that hits you in the nose, gives you some depth and roundness."

THE TAO OF DUFRESNE

WYLIE DUFRESNE

wd-50 * New York, New York

AC: Were you the kid that was always coming up with weird food combinations?

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WD: No, I was the kid that had a really boring palate. My dad would put chives or parsley in my scrambled eggs and I didn't like it. I was never an adventuresome eater, and it wasn't until I decided to become a chef that I decided to try everything I could.

AC: What led you to study philosophy in college?

WD: I have very eclectic parents. They're very smart, wonderfully quirky and interested in life, and they always encouraged me to be curious. I found it curious that most Eastern and Far Eastern philosophy was about how to live your life, as opposed to all those Germans and existentialists in Western philosophy, who are more dramatic and depressing and, in a way, mathematical. I was not good at math and science. I guess I'm somewhat of a daydreamer. Truth be told, I wasn't much of a student at all. The whole time I was in college I had a job, and it was always in food service.

AC: How did you go from the campus dining hall to cooking professionally?

WD: The summer before my senior year I worked in a restaurant in Providence, Rhode Island, called Al Forno. I spent that summer having the most fun I've ever had doing anything, and I thought, well, I'll give this a try. I had planned to go to New Mexico for a year, to be a ski bum, but that winter I hurt my knee, so I couldn't go. My mother didn't really like that idea anyway, so she suggested I go to cooking school. I started at the French Culinary Institute [in New York] about a month after college graduation. That was 1992. I had a job, too. I went to school from 8:30 am to 2 PM and from 2 PM to close I worked at Gotham Bar and Grill. I went for the whole hog right away. You have to be a screwball to love this life. It's not just about cooking. It's about service. We're weird adrenaline junkies, screwballs who like to be back there with the madness that's there in every kitchen.

AC: You make it sound like a secret society.

WD: Yeah, but it's not that secret. Unfortunately, it's over-glamorized. People now think you can get a six-month culinary degree, work for two years and then get a $250,000 a year gig, which is not true.

AC: Do you think that this glamorization has been responsible for filling kitchens with people who have no business being there?

WD: I've run into so many people who say, "It's been my dream to own a restaurant and be a chef." And they're architects or lawyers. Very few doctors, though. I think if you're a doctor and you've gone through that madness, you don't want to go through any more madness.

AC: Especially at a quarter of the pay.

WD: Yeah. I think to a certain extent that some of the schools have not helped to dispel the myth. Television doesn't help dispel the myth. It's not an easy life. It's wonderful for those of us who are screwballs, but there's a myth that being involved in the food world is all fun and games, you drive your Vespa around and they take pictures of you. It doesn't work like that. We all have to pay our dues, as in any career, and a lot of it is luck. For every celebrity chef, there are guys that are four or five times as good who just don't get the chance.

AC: What's the environment like in the wd-50 kitchen?

WD: I take an academic approach to cooking. It's very much like a classroom environment, but not to the point of being stripped of emotion. There's a Socratic method that can be linked back to the idea that you learn as much from the dishwasher as from the sous chef. Everybody's got something to contribute to the process. When people leave here and someone says, 'What was it like working for Wylie?' I want them to say, 'He made me think.'

It's hard, because people aren't used to having their opinion asked. Here, they're required to have an opinion. I can't do this on my own. There's no creative kitchen in the world that is the work of one person. There are always teams of people working toward a common goal. I've decided the goal and the direction it takes, but I'm supported by an incredibly strong cast of characters. I have no problem sharing success with them. That [Michelin] star belongs to everybody who works at this restaurant.

AC: You've become known as the guy, or at least one of the guys, who are really setting the pace in what's been called 'molecular gastronomy.' Do you ever worry that the novelty of 12-hour sous vide veal breast or noodles made only of shrimp will wear off, or that people will stop paying attention?

WD: The vogue for those specific things might pass, but how can the vogue for being informed pass?

We don't move forward if we don't progress. My cooks are better-informed than the average cook. They know more about how an egg protein and a meat protein differ. You can do more interesting things once you understand that cooking is chemistry. Even if you don't want to reinvent the wheel, if you know that 63 degrees [Celsius] is when a yolk begins to set, you can make a better hard-boiled egg. It's about being informed. So I'm not worried. I don't want to sounds like a [jerk], but we're pretty far ahead of the curve [at wd-50].

AC: How do you compare yourself to the chefs in Chicago [Grant Achatz, Homaro Cantu and Graham Elliot Bowles] who are also doing this kind of cooking?

WD: Well if anything, aren't they 'the guys'? Isn't Grant 'the guy', more so than me? People say that he's closer to being the next Thomas Keller than I am to being the next Jean-Georges. I'm not here to define myself against them, but I do make jokes about the 'Chicago Mafia.' In terms of this progressive contemporary modern American cooking, or whatever you want to call it, it's the three of them in Chicago, me in New York and Jose Andres in DC.

AC: What about farther west?

WD: I've heard that [David Kinch at] Manresa in Los Gatos [California] is doing it, and Ludovic Lefebvrc [at L'Orangerie in Los Angeles] is pushing things pretty hard right now.

AC: Why do you think more chefs, in California or elsewhere, aren't following your lead?

WD: Ten years ago, everybody wanted to have a restaurant like Daniel or Bouley. That was the pinnacle. Before that, you wanted to have a place like Taillevent or Robuchon. That was maybe thirty years ago. These things take time and tend to move from East to West. Ten years ago, nobody knew who Ferran Adria was. The guy has gone from zero to sixty, but there are a lot of people who don't know about him. If Ferran and Bobby Flay walk down the same street, who's gonna get stopped? Bobby might stop and talk to Ferran, but everybody else is gonna stop Bobby. Why aren't more people cooking the way I do? I think people would like to, but they may be waiting to see if it's going to be economically viable.

AC: How does cooking this way affect your food and labor costs?

WD: Our food cost is better or at least no worse than any other restaurant, but it's labor-intensive to do some of these crazy techniques. We do a lot of experiments, a lot of time is spent on research, and that alone is a cost that we have to calculate. I want all the equipment I don't have, and the ability to finance the research. There's so much I don't know. We're just scratching the surface.

AC: Jean-Georges and his partner Phil Suarez are investors in wd-50. Do they have input into your menu or your cost structure?

WD: No. I'm very fortunate because they leave us to our devices, but they support us financially, which is great.

AC: Any plans for a second restaurant, in New York or elsewhere?

WD: No. We want to improve upon this place, make it better and push it forward.

AC: I read that you have been working on hot ice cream. Have you been successful with that?

WD: I can make hot soft-serve, but I cannot make firm, scoopable hot ice cream yet, for a number of reasons. Ice cream is a very simple but complicated beast. It's a foam, and contrary to what some food writers say, foams are not dead and over with. Foams are very much alive. There are a number of elements to making ice cream hot that are not conducive to foam keeping its structure. There's a lot of fat, and fat doesn't like to be hot. So I start with liquid fat and make it to order, but you have to call ahead and request it. I did a project at the Institute of Food Technologists and Research Chefs Association convention last year in New Orleans. It was a joint project with TIC Gums, working on hot ice cream. We only had a month, and it encompassed all the research my team and I did over the past few years. With the help of a gum science specialist, we were able to at least create soft-serve. We then had to serve about 250 portions, which was when we realized that we hadn't perfected it to the point where that was viable. But we'll get there. It's a constant process of improving and educating ourselves.

IRON-CLAD & HUMBLE

MARK LADNER

Lupa, Otto, & Del Posto

New York, New York

MARK LADNER DOESN'T DIG micro greens. "I'm really over that tumbleweed salad on top of everything," he says. "It's become a cliche. I don't use [micro greens] at all. I'm a big fan of the humble vegetables--carrots, onion, celery, fennel. They're so often just used as mirepoix, but I've always liked trying to use them to their full capacity."

Ladner is executive chef and partner at Lupa, Otto and Del Posto, three of the nearly dozen restaurants owned and operated by Mario Batali and Lidia and Joseph Bastianich. Lupa, in business since 1999, is a Roman-inspired trattoria, and Otto, opened in January 2003, specializes in griddle-cooked pizzas and simple, lusty pastas. Del Posto, the latest addition to the empire, is an Italian fine-dining venue whose sheer capacity, including private dining areas and catering options, represents a new level of intensity for Ladner and his team.

"Just the dishwasher and porter staff is fifteen people," says Ladner, shaking his head. "It's wild." Before opening Lupa, Ladner was an opening sous chef at Babbo, also part of the Batali-Bastianich empire, where the entire kitchen is slightly larger than one of the walk-ins at Del Posto. "Babbo amazes me, the numbers they do out of that small kitchen," he muses. "It's an anomaly."

After graduating from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, Ladner returned to his old stomping grounds in the Boston area to cook at Todd English's original Olives restaurant. From there he moved to New York, cooking for several years with Scott Bryan at Luma and Indigo, and for Jean-Georges Vongerichten at Jean-Georges. He's worked for Batali and Bastianich since 1998, and in that time has come to enjoy minor celebrity status conferred not only by his cooking, but also for his supporting role, along with chef Anne Burrell, behind Batali on the Food Network's "Iron Chef America." Recalling the team's first round of tapings in Los Angeles, Ladner says, "It was supposed to be Bobby Flay and Mario against [Masaharu] Morimoto and [Hiroyuki] Sakai, but at the last minute they made it a mixed doubles round. It was Mario and Sakai versus Bobby and Morimoto. As you can well imagine, it wasn't too collaborative on our team, because no one could even communicate with each other. You looked at the plate and you had Sakai's French-y food on one side and Mario's two-minute calamari on the other. We lost that round." The team now competes in the Food Network's New York studio, located just one block from Del Posto.

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When talk turns to the current rage for sous vide cooking and chemical additives borrowed from large-scale food manufacturers, Ladner says that he only uses those techniques and ingredients that make it easier to create his signature rustic Italian dishes. "At Del Posto, we do a braciola that's boned, butterflied, pounded, stuffed, rolled, tied, roasted and braised. That's a lot of steps, but we can seal the edge of that roll with meat glue [transglutaminase] and you don't have to tie it, don't have to worry about the seam coming undone. It's really kind of a miracle." Ladner also uses Jeffrey Steingarten's technique, documented in The Man Who Ate Everything (Knopf 1997), for making perfect mashed potatoes that can be refrigerated and reheated with no change in texture. "You slice them, then cook them at 160 degrees for exactly 30 minutes, shock them and then finish cooking in boiling water. They're not tacky or gluey, no matter how much you work them," says Ladner. "It's stunning. We use that technique for our gnocchi and we have perfect, soft, light fluffy gnocchi. It's incredible to me that every chef in New York isn't using that technique. Why wouldn't you? Everyone has mashed potatoes on their menu. Why wouldn't you want them to be perfect?" A cryovac machine has been purchased for Del Posto, and while Ladner says that it could have some practical applications for the catering division, he isn't about to start filling his kitchen with gadgets. "Some chefs seem to be using these machines so they can cut their labor costs, so they can afford to buy more machines," he laughs. "A lot of my contemporaries say they're feeling a lot of pressure to get into the stuff and start experimenting." He recalls visiting a new restaurant in New York whose meanu, decor and diminutive size were inspired by Asian street fare. "It's like a fucking rickshaw in the street, and I look back there and he's poaching eggs in an immersion circulatorl" Ladner laughs and concludes, "I don't think it will ever become obsolete to prepare and serve a simple plate of food for all the right, nourishing reasons."

DYNAMIC DUO

KAZUTO MATSUSAKA & VICKI FAN MATSUSAKA

Beacon * Los Angeles, California

KAZUTO MATSUSAKA WAS BORN IN KUMAMOTO, JAPAN AND MOVED TO Los Angeles in 1973. His first job was at a Japanese restaurant called Pear Garden, where he easily mastered the required teppanyaki theatrics. In 1978, at the urging of his golf buddy and fellow cook Hideo Yamashiro, Matsusaka approached Wolfgang Puck, then the executive chef at Ma Maison, and got himself a job. He devoured the Japanese translation of Escoffier's Le Guide Culinaire, took his cues from his French and American co-workers, and was soon ascending the ranks.

"[Yamashiro] told me that one way to move up was to steal another guy's job," he says with a laugh. "So I'd go and ask a guy if he needed help, and slowly take over his job. But mostly I just kept my head down and did whatever Wolfgang asked me to do." He eventually moved on to cook at Michael's and L'Ermitage, then helped Puck to open the original Spago. He later became head chef at Puck's Chinois on Main, where he remained for eight years.

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In 1992, Matsusaka left the Austrian master's side to open his own restaurant, Zenzero, in partnership with a Japanese businessman. Chef and moneyman clashed over every aspect of running the place, and after two years, Matsusaka walked away. He left behind Vicki Fan, a young, CIA-trained line cook who had quit her job at One Market in San Francisco just to work for him. Disappointing? Sure, but as the ethically-minded chef says, "If I didn't leave, I never would have been able to ask Vicki to go out with me." They were married a little over a year later, and have worked in tandem ever since. After Zenzero, they spent six months revamping the menu at La Boheme, in West Hollywood, before moving to Paris to open Buddha Bar.

"In Paris, we started from scratch," says Matsusaka, "designed the kitchen, hired the staff, set up the menu, went shopping and researched purveyors. The language issue was a little difficult. Vicki speaks French very well, but I only swear in French. I made one of the French sous chefs cry." He laughs and says, "It was an eye-opening experience to live and cook in Paris after twenty years in the US, with mass production and convenience all around. The flavor of the vegetables and fruits, the texture of the meat--everything was so different, the way I think it used to be in America. Now, it's all about mass production, and the quality comes second, which is why artisan products are so important." Fan and Matsusaka returned to California after about a year, when Buddha Bar's owners asked them to open Barfly in Los Angeles. They were relieved to return to the "easy" southern California lifestyle, but admit to missing the food and even the chilly European winter they'd experienced in Paris.

Once Barfly was up and running, the couple moved again, this time to Fan's native New York. They'd been tapped to operate Restaurant Above at the Times Square Hilton, for Larry Forgione, who was at the time enamored of Asian cuisine, and his consulting partner Jonathan Waxman. Matsusaka calls the eastward move "an easy decision. Vicki's mom has an apartment near Union Square, so we had a place to stay. It was a great experience to work with New Yorkers, and with hotel people, and it gave us great ideas for the future. But I don't belong in a hotel. Breakfast, lunch and dinner was a handful, a big headache." Fan and Matsusaka spent some time catering in New York and were back in Los Angeles by 2001, continuing to cater and work as private chefs until finding the Culver City space that now holds Beacon.

"Beacon marks the triumphant return to form of Kazuto Matsusaka, who ... may have been the best-known Japanese-born cook in America before the dominance of Nobu Matsuhisa," wrote Jonathan Gold in LA Weekly. In 2004, Los Angeles magazine called Beacon "the best restaurant in the city", and Russ Parsons of the Los Angeles Times wrote of Mastsusaka's cooking, "The dishes are thoughtfully edited, with only a few carefully chosen ingredients that somehow always seem to taste even better than you think they will." S. Irene Virbila, critic for the Times, gave Beacon 21/2 stars, predicting, "Beacon may be the start of a dining revolution."

RELATED ARTICLE: Celery Pudding, Peanut Soup, Juniper-Cured Snapper and Celery Seed Tuile (Serves 8)

WYLIE DUFRESNE

"V" Viognier

Graf Hardegg Estate

Weinviertel, Austria 2002

directions

For the peanut soup: In saucepan, combine water and konbu over medium-high heat. Just before water boils, add bonito flakes and remove from heat. Let sit 15 minutes, then strain through fine-mesh sieve and let cool to room temperature. Add peanuts to mixture, bring to simmer, and remove from heat. Let sit 12 hours or overnight. Strain through fine-mesh sieve, combine with peanut butter and puree with immersion blender until smooth. Strain through fine-mesh sieve, season with salt and blend in propylene glycol alginate. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

For the juniper-cured snapper: In small bowl, combine salt, sugar and berries and mix well. Place layer of curing mixture onto half sheet pan. Place fish on top, skin side down, and sprinkle with another layer of curing mixture. Wrap sheet pan with plastic and refrigerate 12 hours, turning fish every four hours.

For the celery pudding: Combine all ingredients in bowl and combine with immersion blender. Transfer to saucepan and heat to 180 degrees. Divide mixture among eight rocks glasses and refrigerate until pudding is set. Cover and keep refrigerated until 15 minutes before serving.

For the celery seed tuile: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Gently brush each slice of bread with butter. Season with celery seeds and salt. Transfer to sheet pan lined with parchment and dry in oven until crisp.

To serve: Bring pudding and soup to room temperature. Gently spoon soup over pudding so that glass is half-full. Brush excess curing mixture from snapper, remove skin and cut into 1/2-ounce portions. Press one portion onto inside of glass. Place tuile in glass, facing fish. Garnish fish with radish, celery leaves and micro celery and serve immediately.

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ingredients

For the peanut soup:

2 cups water
1 2-inch x 5-inch piece konbu*
1 tablespoon bonito flakes
8 ounces shelled peanuts, toasted
3 tablespoons peanut butter
1/4 teaspoon propylene glycol alginate**
Salt to taste

For the juniper-cured snapper:

1 1/4 cups salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons dehydrated and finely ground juniper berries
1 4-ounce snapper fillet

For the celery pudding:

2 1/4 cups celery juice
2 ounces skim milk powder
1/2 teaspoon iota carrageenan***
Salt to taste

For the celery seed tuile:

8 paper-thin slices sourdough bread
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup celery seeds, toasted
Celery salt to taste

For the garnish:

Julienned radish
Coarsely chopped celery leaves
Micro celery****

*Dark, thick, slightly sweet Japanese seaweed, sold dried; available in Asian markets and health food stores.

**A thickening and stabilizing agent derived from brown algae. Available through Gallade Chemical, [phone] or www.galladechem.com.

***A jellifying and stabilizing agent derived from red algae. Available through CP Kelco, [phone] or www.cpkelco.com.

****Available through The Chef's Garden, [phone] or www.chefsgarden.com.

RELATED ARTICLE: "Green Eggs and Ham" (Serves 6)

WYLIE DUFRESNE

Cava Rosado

Avinyo

Penedes, Spain NV

directions

For the celery "yolks": In blender, combine juice, xanthan gum and syrups and blend until mixture has consistency of egg yolks. Season with salt and pour into 1 1/2-inch silicone hemisphere molds. Freeze eight hours or overnight.

For the bacon crumbs: Preheat oven to 200 degrees. In food processor fitted with metal blade, pulse bacon and panko until mixture forms coarse crumbs. Transfer to sheet pan and cook in oven until mixture is dry and crisp, about 40 minutes. Keep warm.

For the coconut "whites": In saucepan, combine milk, cardamom and sugar and bring to simmer. Remove from heat, let sit 15 minutes, then strain through fine-mesh sieve. Place mixture in blender and add stabilizer. Blend three minutes. Immediately spoon onto six plates to form egg whites. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve

To finish: In saucepan, combine water, gum, carrageenan and potassium chloride and heat to 180 degrees. Cool to 115 degrees. Insert a skewer through one celery yolk and dip in gum mixture to coat. Place on top of one coconut white. Repeat with remaining yolks and whites. Let sit 30 minutes to allow yolks to defrost completely. Season eggs with salt and pepper and sprinkle with bacon crumbs. Drizzle with olive oil and serve immediately.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

ingredients

For the celery "yolks":

2 cups celery juice
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum*
1 1/2 tablespoons glucose syrup
Smoked maple syrup to taste**
Salt to taste

For the bacon crumbs:

6 ounces bacon, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
Salt to taste

For the coconut "whites":

2 1/4 cups coconut milk
1 1/2 tablespoons crushed cardamom pods
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon TIC stabilizer***

To finish:

1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon locust bean gum****
1/4 teaspoon iota carrageenan*****
Pinch of potassium chloride******
Celery "yolks", from above
Coconut "whites" from above
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the garnish:

Extra virgin olive oil

*Powder derived from a dried microorganism called Xanthonomonas campestris. Has binding and emulsifying properties. Available through TIC Gums, [phone] or www.ticgums.com.

**Prepared in-house at wd-50. Dufresne pours syrup onto half sheet pan and places over commercial smoker for 45 minutes.

***Vegetable gum. Available through TIC Gums, [phone] or www.ticgums.com.

****Food additive with thickening and binding properties. Available through AEP Colloids, [phone] or www.aepcolloids.com.

*****A jellifying and stabilizing agent derived from red algae. Available through CP Kelco, [phone] or www.cpkelco.com.

******Sodium-free salt substitute. Available at health food stores.

RELATED ARTICLE: Flat Iron Steak with Celery Noodles and Celery Root Ricotta (Serves 6)

WYLIE DUFRESNE

En Bollery "Terres d'en Foce"

Domoine de la Vougeraie

Burgundy, France 2003

directions

For the pickled cherry sauce: In saucepan, bring water, sherry, vinegar, honey and wine to boil. Let cool. Transfer to Cryovac[R] bag, add cherries and seal according to manufacturer's instructions. Let sit 12 hours or overnight. Open bag and transfer contents to food processor fitted with metal blade. Add juice and agar-agar and puree until smooth. Place mixture in saucepan, bring to boil and cook eight minutes. Season with salt and pepper, remove from heat and let cool. When mixture is set, blend with hand-held immersion blender until smooth. Set aside.

For the celery root milk: In saucepan, combine milk and celery root and bring to simmer. Cook one hour over low heat, strain through fine-mesh sieve and reserve.

For the celery root ricotta: Using hand-held immersion blender, blend milk and carrageenan. In saucepan, heat milk mixture to 180 degrees. With immersion blender, mix in methyl cellulose. Season with salt, cover and cool to 50 degrees. Set aside.

For the steak: Bring pot of water to 128 degrees. Slice beef lengthwise on meat slicer into 1/2-inch thick sheets. Arrange beef on plastic wrap to form rectangle and sprinkle with transglutaminase. Roll steak into cylinder in plastic wrap, tying ends tightly. Poach wrapped steak in water 90 minutes. Cool in ice bath. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

For the celery noodles: Bring pot of salted water to boil. Using vegetable peeler, shave celery ribs into very thin, wide strips. Blanch in boiling water 15 seconds. Drain and chill in ice bath.

To serve: Unwrap steak and slice crosswise into six portions. Season each portion with fleur de sel and pepper. Heat oil in saute pan over medium heat and warm steak in pan, turning often. Arrange steak on plate with pickled cherry sauce and celery noodles. Break ricotta into large curds, using fork. Top noodles with ricotta, garnish with micro celery, and beet juice and serve immediately.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

ingredients

For the pickled cherry sauce:

1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sherry
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup rice wine
1 pound cherries, pitted
1/4 cup beet juice, reduced by half
1 teaspoon agar-agar*
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the celery root milk:

1 pint milk
1 large celery root, peeled and coarsely chopped

For the celery root ricotta:

1 cup celery root milk, from above
1/8 teaspoon carrageenan**
3/4 teaspoon methyl cellulose***
Salt to taste

For the flat iron steak:

1 1/2 pounds flat iron steak
1/4 teaspoon transglutaminase****

For the celery noodles:

4 ribs celery, peeled

To serve:

2 tablespoons olive oil
Fleur de sel and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the garnish:

Micro celery*****
Yellow beet juice, reduced by half

*Additive derived from seaweed that has five times the setting capacity of gelatin. Available in health food stores and Asian markets.

**A jellifying and stabilizing agent derived from red algae. Available through CP Kelco, [phone] or www.cpkelco.com.

***Stabilizer. Available through TIC Gums, [phone] or www.ticgums.com.

****An enzyme with the ability to cross-link proteins, produced by the microbial fermentation of naturally occurring organisms. Available through Ajinomoto Food Ingredients, www.ajiusafood.com.

*****Available through The Chef's Garden, [phone] or www.chefs-garden.com.

RELATED ARTICLE: Salmon, Cream Cheese Noodles and Celery Consomme (Serves 4)

WYLIE DUFRESNE

Chenin Blanc

Foxen Vineyard

Santa Barbara, California 2002

directions

For the salmon: In Cryovac[R] bag, combine all ingredients and seal. Bring pot of water to 122 degrees, add bag and poach 10 to 12 minutes. Remove bag from pot and set aside until ready to serve.

For the cream cheese noodles: In saucepan, heat water to 185 degrees and vigorously whisk in methyl cellulose. Add mixture to cream cheese and stir well to combine. Place mixture over ice bath and whisk until cooled to 50 degrees. Transfer to squeeze bottle and set aside until ready to serve.

For the blood orange puree: Blanch and drain zest four times, chilling in ice bath after each blanching. Combine zest and orange juice in saucepan, add sugar and simmer over low heat until zest is very soft and liquid is reduced by half. Transfer to blender, add beet juice and puree until very smooth. Season with sugar and salt to taste.

For the celery consomme: Combine juice and ascorbic acid and pass through fine filter. Pass again through super-fine filter. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

To serve: Warm consomme over medium heat until simmering. Meanwhile, bring two liters of water to simmer and pipe in cream cheese mixture to form noodles. Drain noodles as soon as they become firm, about 30 seconds. Pour consomme into bowl and add salmon. Arrange dollop of puree on one side of bowl. Gently toss noodles in capers and arrange atop salmon. Garnish with celery leaves and oil and serve immediately.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

ingredients

For the salmon:

4 6-ounce salmon fillets, skinned
1/4 cup olive oil
Cayenne pepper to taste
Salt to taste

For the cream cheese noodles:

12 1/2 ounces cream cheese
5 1/2 ounces water
1 teaspoon methyl cellulose*

For the blood orange puree:

Zest and juice of 5 blood oranges
1 teaspoon granulated sugar, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons beet juice
Salt to taste

For the celery consomme:

4 1/2 cups celery juice
Pinch of ascorbic acid

For the garnish:

Dehydrated capers, finely chopped
Celery leaves
Extra-virgin olive oil

*A food additive with thickening and stabilizing properties. Available through Great Vista Chemicals, www.greatvistachemicals.com.

Note: Dufresne uses a Buon Vino Flojet winemaking filtration system for the consomme. Available through The Vintner Vault, [phone] or www.thevintnervault.com.

RELATED ARTICLE: Celery Root Cake with "Celery Soda" and Coconut Sorbet (Serves 8)

WYLIE DUFRESNE & SAM MASON

Spatburgunder

Weinguf Familie Rouen

Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany 2003

directions

For the coconut sorbet: In saucepan, combine all ingredients over low heat and bring to simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar. Chill over ice bath. Cover and refrigerate eight hours or overnight. Transfer to ice cream machine and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Store in freezer until ready to serve.

For the "celery soda": In saucepan, bring syrup to simmer. Remove from heat and stir in gelatin and juice. Pour into shallow container, cover and refrigerate until chilled and set. Cut mixture into 1/4-inch cubes and place in carbonating can. Pressurize with food-grade carbon dioxide cartridge to 80 pounds per square inch. Let cubes sit in container at least three hours before serving.

For the poached celery strips: Slice celery lengthwise into 1/8-inch wide strips, using mandoline. In saucepan, combine syrup and juice and bring to simmer. Add celery and cook 15 seconds. Strain through fine-mesh sieve. Separate celery strips and lay on Silpat[R]-lined sheet pan. Set aside.

For the raisin paper: Preheat oven to 200 degrees. In saucepan, bring water to boil. Remove from heat, add raisins and let sit 30 minutes. Drain. Transfer raisins to food processor fitted with metal blade and puree until smooth. Add egg white and blend until incorporated. Spread very thin layer of puree onto Silpat[R]-lined sheet pan and place in oven to dry, one to two hours. Let cool and carefully break into strips. Set aside.

For the celery root cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In bowl of mixer, cream together butter and sugars. With mixer on low speed, slowly drizzle in oil and mix until incorporated. Beat in eggs until smooth. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix until just combined. Stir in celery root. Butter and flour an eight-inch square pan, pour in batter and bake 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool and slice into eight pieces.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

For the ginger caramel: In saucepan, melt sugar over low heat and cook until medium golden brown. Carefully whisk in water and juice. Keep warm.

For the celery powder: In bowl, combine juice and syrup. Add starch and whisk until mixture is powdery. Set aside.

For the celery foam: Combine ingredients and, using hand-held immersion blender, blend until foamy.

To serve: Spoon caramel onto plate. Remove celery soda cubes from carbonating can and wrap each in celery strip. Arrange cubes on plate with cake, celery foam and celery powder. Top cake with quenelle of sorbet and raisin paper. Garnish with micro celery and serve immediately.

ingredients

For the coconut sorbet:

16 ounces coconut puree*
8 ounces water
1 1/2 ounces granulated sugar
1 1/2 ounces glucose syrup
1/3 teaspoon ice cream stabilizer

For the "celery soda":

2 ounces simple syrup
5 sheets gelatin, softened in cold water
16 ounces celery juice

For the poached celery strips:

2 ribs celery, peeled
8 ounces simple syrup
8 ounces celery juice

For the raisin paper:

24 ounces water
10 1/2 ounces raisins
1 egg white

For the celery root cake:

4 ounces butter, softened, plus more for pan
2 ounces granulated sugar
4 ounces brown sugar
2 ounces grapeseed oil
2 eggs
6 ounces all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
6 ounces peeled and grated celery root
Salt to taste

For the ginger caramel:

10 ounces granulated sugar
1 cup water
2 ounces ginger juice

For the celery powder:

1 ounce celery juice
1 ounce simple syrup
2 ounces tapioca maltodextrin**

For the celery foam:

4 ounces celery juice
4 ounces simple syrup
1 teaspoon hydrolyzed soy protein***
1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum****

For the garnish:

Micro celery*****

*Available through L'Epicerie, [phone] or www.lepicerie.com.

**Stabilizer derived from tapioca starch. Available through Ciranda Inc., [phone] or www.ciranda.com.

***Powder derived from a dried microorganism called Xanthonomonas campestris. Has binding and emulsifying properties. Available through TIC Gums, [phone] or www.ticgums.com.

****Food additive used as leavening agent and stabilizer. Available through Sunlight Foods, [phone] or www.sunlightfoods.com.

*****Available through The Chef's Garden, [phone] or www.chefs-garden.com.

RELATED ARTICLE: "Ants on a Log" (Serves 4)

WYLIE DUFRESNE & SAM MASON

Sake Komekome "Happy Bride"

Kamoizumi Brewery

Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan NV

directions

For the celery sorbet: Whisk together all ingredients in large bowl, cover and refrigerate eight hours or overnight. Transfer mixture to ice cream machine and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Store in freezer until ready to serve.

For the cinnamon-poached raisins: In saucepan, combine raisins and cinnamon. Cover with water, bring to simmer and cook 30 minutes. Drain and discard cinnamon. Cover and refrigerate raisins until ready to use.

For the peanut butter powder: In food processor fitted with metal blade, pulse starch and peanut butter until mixture is powdery.

To serve: Place quenelle of sorbet in bowl, top with raisins and sprinkle with peanut butter powder. Serve immediately.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

ingredients

For the celery sorbet:

24 ounces celery juice
6 ounces simple syrup
1/2 tablespoon ice cream stabilizer

For the cinnamon-poached raisins:

1 pound golden raisins
2 cinnamon sticks, charred

For the peanut butter powder:

2 ounces tapioca maltodextrin*
2 ounces smooth peanut butter

* Stabilizer derived from tapioca starch. Available through Ciranda Inc., [phone] or www.ciranda.com.

RELATED ARTICLE: Oxtail Croquettes with Celery Emulsion and Celery Salad (Serves 4)

MARK LADNER

Vigna del Vassallo

Colle Picchioni

Lazio, Italy 2002

directions

For the oxtail: In large saucepan, combine oxtail, sugar, salt, celery seeds, chili flakes, peppercorns and one quart water. Bring to boil, then remove from heat and let oxtail cool in liquid. Cover and refrigerate 12 hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Discard liquid and pat oxtail dry with paper towels. Transfer to sheet pan and roast in oven until edges are crisp, about 45 minutes. On separate sheet pan, toss onions, carrots and celery with oil and roast until browned. Decrease oven temperature to 225 degrees. Combine oxtail and vegetables in roasting pan and add remaining one quart water and wine. Cover and cook in oven until meat is very tender, about five hours. Remove oxtail from liquid and let meat and liquid cool separately. Pull meat from bones and reserve. Strain liquid and finely chop vegetables. In bowl, combine meat with equal volume of vegetables and season with salt and pepper. Divide mixture into three-ounce portions and refrigerate until ready to use.

For the celery emulsion: In small saucepan, combine celery root, milk and water. Bring to boil and simmer over low heat until celery root is tender. In food processor fitted with metal blade, puree mixture. Pass through fine-mesh sieve and transfer to blender. Add oil, celery and lovage and blend on high speed until smooth. Strain through fine-mesh sieve, season with salt and pepper and keep warm.

For the celery salad: In bowl, combine leaves, celery, nuts, raisins, celery seeds and zest. Toss with oil, juice, salt and pepper.

For the croquettes: In deep-fryer or tall-sided pot, heat oil to 350 degrees. Shape oxtail portions into discs. Dredge in flour, dip in egg and coat with breadcrumbs. Deep fry two minutes or until crisp and golden brown. Drain on paper towels and season with salt. Arrange croquette on plate with emulsion and salad and serve immediately.

ingredients

For the oxtail:

2 pounds oxtail
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon celery seeds
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
2 quarts water
1 large onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 ribs celery, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 quart dry white wine
1 small bunch parsley
4 sprigs thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the celery emulsion:

1 celery root, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup tangerine olive oil*
1 rib celery, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 sprig lovage
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the celery salad:

2 cups celery leaves
1 rib celery, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts
1 tablespoon raisins
Pinch of celery seeds
Finely grated zest of 1 blood orange
Tangerine olive oil to taste*
Lemon juice, to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the croquettes:

2 quarts olive oil
Oxtail mixture, from above
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup breadcrumbs
Fleur de sel

* Specialty extra virgin olive oil made by cold-pressing tangerines with olives. Available through Cyber Cucina, [phone] or www.cybercucina.com.

RELATED ARTICLE: Celery Root Tortellini in Brodo (Serves 4)

MARK LADNER

Macchiona

Aziendo la Stoppa

Emilia-Romagna, Italy 2001

directions

For the chicken broth: In 12-quart pressure cooker, combine chicken and water and bring to a boil, skimming as needed. Add onions, carrots, celery, fennel and garlic and return to boil. Seal pressure cooker according to manufacturer's instructions and cook over low heat about two hours. Transfer entire cooker to ice bath and cool completely before opening. Strain broth into large pot and let settle. Skim broth, bring to boil and reduce by half. Season lightly with salt.

For the tortellini broth: In 12-quart pressure cooker, combine mortadella, pancetta, celery root, ribs, leaves and broth and bring to boil. Seal according to manufacturer's instructions. Cook over low heat 1 1/2 hours. Transfer entire cooker to ice bath and cool completely before opening. Strain broth into saucepan through fine-mesh sieve, season with salt and pepper and keep warm. Reserve solids for filling.

For the filling: In food processor fitted with metal blade, puree mortadella and reserved solids until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate until ready to use.

For the tortellini: In bowl of mixer with paddle attachment, combine flour and yolks and mix until thoroughly combined. Wrap dough in plastic and let rest at least one hour. Roll dough through pasta machine, ending by passing dough twice through second-thinnest setting. Dough should be smooth and elastic. Cut circles from dough with 1 1/2-inch round fluted cutter. Place about 1/2 teaspoon filling on circle, moisten edge with water, fold over and pinch to seal. Overlap corners and pinch together. Repeat with remaining circles and filling.

To serve: Bring broth to simmer, add tortellini and cook until they float, about three minutes. Serve immediately.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

ingredients

For the chicken broth:

5 pounds chicken necks, backs and wings
1 gallon water
2 onions, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 ribs celery, coarsely chopped
1 fennel bulb, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled
Salt to taste

For the tortellini broth:

8 ounces mortadella, coarsely chopped
4 ounces pancetta, coarsely chopped
1 large celery root, peeled and cut into eighths
1/2 cup coarsely chopped celery ribs and leaves
1 quart chicken broth, from above
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the filling:

8 ounces mortadella, coarsely chopped
Reserved solids from tortellini broth, from above
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the tortellini:

2 cups "00" Italian flour*
12 egg yolks
Tortellini filling, from above

*"00" is the Italian designation for soft, highly refined flour. The flour has a protein content of 8.5% and is often used to make tender pasta and pizza dough. Available as "Italian-Style Flour" through King Arthur Flour, [phone] or www.kingarthurflour.com.

RELATED ARTICLE: Celery Salad with Warm Pancetta Vinaigrette (Serves 4)

MARK LADNER

Vespa Bianco

Azienda Agricola Bastianich

Friuli, Italy 2002

directions

For the salad: In saute pan, heat oil and pancetta over medium heat until 2/3 of pancetta fat is rendered. Remove from heat and add one cup celery leaves, 1/2 cup ribs and 1/2 cup parsley. In separate bowl, toss remaining celery leaves, ribs and parsley with celery root, cheese and lemon segments. Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Arrange on plate, top with pancetta mixture and serve immediately.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

ingredients

For the salad:

1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces pancetta, thickly julienned
2 cups coarsely chopped Chinese celery leaves
1 cup thingly sliced Chinese celery ribs
1 cup coarsely chopped parsley leaves and stems
1 large celery root, peeled and coarsely grated
8 ounces 2-year-old Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, coarsely grated
1 Meyer lemon, peeled and segmented, juice reserved
Salt and coarsely ground black pepper to taste

RELATED ARTICLE: Chicken and Celery Tramezzino (Serves 4)

MARK LADNER

Prosecco Bellavista

Tenuta Castellino

Franciacorta, Italy NV

directions

For the chicken broth: In 12-quart pressure cooker, combine chicken and water and bring to a boil, skimming as needed. Add onions, carrots, celery, fennel and garlic and return to boil. Seal pressure cooker according to manufacturer's instructions and cook over low heat about two hours. Transfer entire cooker to ice bath and cool completely before opening. Strain broth into large pot and let settle. Skim broth, bring to boil and reduce by half. Season lightly with salt.

For the tramezzino: In small saucepan, bring broth to boil, add chicken and poach 12 minutes. Remove from heat and let chicken cool completely in broth. Pull meat from bone and chop coarsely. In bowl, combine chicken, celery, mayonnaise, lemon juice and olive oil and season with salt. Spread mixture evenly on two slices of bread, top with remaining slices of bread, remove crusts and cut sandwiches in half diagonally. Serve immediately.

ingredients

For the chicken broth:

2 1/2 pounds chicken necks, backs and wings
2 quarts water
1 onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 rib celery, coarsely chopped
1/2 fennel bulb, coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled
Salt to taste

For the tramezzino:

6 ounces double chicken broth, from above
2 chicken thighs, skin removed
2 ribs from celery heart, finely chopped
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
Meyer lemon juice to taste
Ceppo Antico extra virgin olive oil to taste*
4 slices Pullman bread
Salt to taste

*From Liguria, Italy. Available through Gourmet's Market, [phone] or www.shopgourmetsmarket.com

RELATED ARTICLE: Celery and Pear Crostata (Serves 4)

MARK LADNER & T'AL CHOPPING

Nocino

Azienda Agricola Aggazzotti

Modena, Italy NV

directions

For the dough: In bowl of mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine flour, sugar and salt. Add butter and mix to form coarse crumbs. In separate bowl, whisk together cream and yolks, then add to flour mixture. Mix until dough forms. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate at least two hours. Butter and flour four 4 1/2-inch tart pans. Divide dough into four pieces and roll out to 1/4-inch thick circles. Place in pans, trimming overhang. Set aside.

For the filling: In bowl, combine all ingredients and let rest five minutes.

For the crostata: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Using slotted spoon, generously fill tart shells. Bake 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool and remove from tart pans. Garnish with quenelle of cheese and walnuts and serve.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

ingredients

For the dough:

8 ounces all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
2 ounces granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 ounces cold butter, cubed, plus more for pan
2 ounces heavy cream
1 egg yolk

For the filling:

4 ribs celery, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 medium pears, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 ounces walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
5 ounces granulated sugar
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 ounce cornstarch
1/2 ounce Sambuca

For the garnish:

Taleggio cheese
Toasted and coarsely chopped walnuts

RELATED ARTICLE: Seared Beef Tataki with Celery Salad and Spicy Chili Vinaigrette (Serves 4)

KAZUTO MATSUSAKA & VICKI FAN MATSUSAKA

Riesling, "Art Series"

Leeuwin Estate

Margaret River, Australia 2002

directions

For the chili vinaigrette: Whisk together sriracha, vinegar, mirin and oil. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

For the candied walnuts: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In saucepan, combine sugar and water and bring to boil. Stir to dissolve sugar. Add walnuts and cook four minutes. Transfer to sheet tray lined with parchment paper and cook in oven until golden and glazed, about five minutes. Remove and let cool to room temperature. Store in tightly sealed container until ready to use.

For the celery salad: In bowl, toss together cheese, celery, oil and juice. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

For the tataki: In saute pan, heat oil over high heat. Season steak with salt and pepper and sear briefly on all sides. Let cool in refrigerator. Slice beef 1/8-inch thick and fan on plate with celery salad and walnuts. Drizzle with vinaigrette and serve.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

ingredients

For the chili vinaigrette:

1/4 cup sriracha*
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup mirin
1/4 cup canola oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the candied walnuts:

2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup water
1 cup walnut halves

For the celery salad:

1/4 cup crumbled Fourme d'Ambert cheese
2 cups thinly sliced celery hearts
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1/4 lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the tataki:

2 tablespoons canola oil
12 ounces hanger steak
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

*Hot chili-garlic sauce. Available through Thai Supermarket Online, [phone] or www.importfood.com.

RELATED ARTICLE: Jellyfish and Celery Heart Salad with Poached Chicken and Peanut Dressing (Serves 4)

KAZUTO MATSUSAKA & VICKI FAN MATSUSAKA

Sake, Onigoroshi Junmai Daiginio

Wakatake

Shizuoko, Japan, NV

directions

For the peanut dressing: Whisk together peanut butter, mustard, vinegar, mirin, soy sauce, sesame oil and water. Season with togarashi, salt and pepper.

For the jellyfish: Soak jellyfish in cold water 24 hours, changing water every three to four hours. Julienne jellyfish and place in fine-mesh sieve over bowl. Pour boiling water over jellyfish, then place in ice bath to chill completely.

For the salad: Toss together all ingredients with peanut dressing. Serve garnished with lettuce and celery leaves.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

ingredients

For the peanut dressing:

1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons water
Togarashi to taste*
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the jellyfish:

1 sheet dried jellyfish**

For the salad:

1 cup julienned jellyfish, from above
2 cups thinly sliced celery hearts
1/2 cup julienned red radishes
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
4 ounces shredded poached chicken

For the garnish:

Red oak leaf lettuce
Celery leaves

*Spice blend with chilis, orange peel, seaweed, ginger, sesame and poppy seeds. Available through Pacific Rim Gourmet, [phone] or www.pacificrimgourmet.com.

**Available at Asian markets.

RELATED ARTICLE: Grilled Santa Barbara Prawns with Celery Root and Asian Pear Remoulade (Serves 4)

KAZUTO MATSUSAKA & VICKI FAN MATSUSAKA

Sauvignon Blanc, Te Muna Road

Craggy Range

Martinborough, New Zealand 2004

directions

For the yuzu-Pommery mustard vinaigrette: Whisk together juice, mustards, mayonnaise and creme fraiche. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

For the yuzu-tarragon butter: In bowl, combine juice, tarragon, salt and butter. Season with pepper and refrigerate until ready to use.

For the remoulade: Toss together celery root, pears, carrots, fennel and vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

For the prawns: Preheat grill. Season prawns with oil, salt and pepper and place cut-side down on grill. Cook for one to two minutes, then turn and brush with butter. Remove from grill. Arrange on plate with remoulade and garnish with sprouts. Serve immediately.

ingredients

For the yuzu-Pommery mustard vinaigrette:

1 tablespoon yuzu juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Pommery mustard
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon creme fraiche
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the yuzu-tarragon butter:

1 tablespoon yuzu juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the remoulade:

1 medium celery root, peeled and julienned
2 Asian pears, peeled, cored and julienned
1/2 carrot, peeled and julienned
1/4 fennel bulb, cored and julienned
Yuzu-Pommery mustard vinaigrette, from above
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the prawns:

12 Santa Barbara prawns, heads, tails and roe intact, split lengthwise
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons yuzu-tarragon butter, from above, melted
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the garnish:

Micro celery sprouts

RELATED ARTICLE: Miso-Braised Veal Cheeks with Celery Root Puree (Serves 4)

KAZUTO MATSUSAKA & VICKI FAN MATSUSAKA

Petite Syrah Panza

Stags' Leap Ranch

Napa Valley, California 2002

directions

For the miso broth: Bring water to boil and reduce heat. Add konbu and simmer 30 minutes. Turn off heat and add bonito flakes. Let sit until bonito settles to bottom of pot, then strain through fine-mesh sieve. Return to simmer, stir in miso and remove from heat. Add mirin and strain through fine-mesh sieve. Keep warm until ready to use.

For the veal cheeks: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large frying pan, heat four tablespoons oil over high heat. Season veal with salt and pepper and sear until browned on all sides. Remove veal and wipe out pan. Heat remaining oil in pan over medium-high heat and cook onions, carrot and celery until browned. Add garlic and ginger, cook 30 seconds, stir in wine and reduce until almost dry. Return veal to pan, stir in broth and soy sauce, cover and transfer to oven. Cook until veal is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Let cool, then remove veal from liquid. In food processor fitted with metal blade, puree liquid and strain through fine-mesh sieve. Return puree to pan with veal, season with salt and pepper, and keep warm.

For the celery root chips: In deep-fryer or tall-sided pot, heat oil to 325 degrees. Fry celery root until golden brown, drain on paper towels and season with salt.

For the carrots: In tall-sided pot, bring two inches water to boil. Place carrots in steamer basket and steam in pot until just tender, about five minutes. Let carrots cool slightly, remove skins with paper towels, and halve carrots lengthwise. In saute pan, melt butter and add carrots, tossing to coat. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.

For the celery root puree: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In saute pan, melt one tablespoon butter, saute apples until soft and set aside. Cook potatoes and celery root in separate pots of boiling salted water until soft. Drain vegetables and transfer to sheet tray. Place in oven to cook off excess liquid, about 10 minutes. Pass potatoes, celery root and apples together through food mill and stir in remaining butter and cream. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper and keep warm.

To serve: Arrange veal cheeks, celery root puree and carrots on plate and garnish with celery root chips. Serve immediately.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

ingredients

For the miso broth:

1 quart water
2 x 2-inch piece konbu*
1/4 cup bonito flakes
1/4 cup white miso
3 tablespoons mirin

For the veal cheeks:

6 tablespoons canola oil
2 1/2 pounds veal cheeks, trimmed
1 onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 rib celery, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon peeled and finely chopped ginger
1/2 cup white wine
1 quart miso broth, from above
2 tablespoons mushroom soy sauce**
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the celery root chips:

2 quarts rice bran oil
1 celery root, peeled and thinly sliced on mandoline
Salt to taste

For the carrots:

1 pound Thumbelina or other baby carrots, trimmed
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Salt to taste

For the celery root puree:

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 Pippin apple, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound celery root, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup heavy cream, warmed
Nutmeg to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

*Dark, thick, slightly sweet Japanese seaweed, sold dried; available in Asian markets and health food stores.

**Available through Thai Supermarket Online, [phone] or www.importfood.com.