The Zen of Celery

I enjoy cooking - playing around with different components and flavors makes my brain sparkle with activity. The idea of finding a vegetable or other ingredient as a foundation for a meal warms my soul. And in these cold days nothing is more pleasurable than a wonderful bowl of soup.

It’s not so much for its temperature elevating properties in cold climates that interests me. It’s the preparation that is very relaxing. I usually use carrots, onions and celery to create my base. From there anything is possible. I’ll use any vegetable I have on hand. Occasionally I’ll add a protein but most likely grains get a starring role and combinations you wouldn’t imagine are more intriguing to me than the old standards.

In the chopping of my aromatics, I find the utmost sense of repose. Concentrating on the blade as it cuts through the celery eases my tension. The sound of the swish as the knife slices through the stalks lets me know I’ve completed the cutting.
The carrots are a bit more challenging as they are a tougher vegetable but it is relaxing in its own right. I have to constantly keep an eye on the flying carrot bits that can ricochet off the chopping block. And then there is always a beggar puppy who wants some treats when I cut the orange root.

As much as I love the flavor of onions, the action of prepping them is an exercise in speed. No matter what tactics I use to not make me cry while cutting them, it has yet to work. If I can chop through half an onion without having to bathe my eyes in cold water, I have succeeded. It’s not really bliss to cut that tuber but it definitely keeps me alert since I don’t want to loser a finger tip while trying to prepare dinner.

If I decide to use fresh herbs, the aromas that waft through my nostrils as I chop them make me feel like I am walking in an expansive garden. All this writing is making me want to go home and cook.