In the Spotlight

     "Most people think of celery as a bit player, adding crunch to a salad or an aromatic edge to a pot of soup, but I've been a fan forever." writes Fine Cooking senior food editor Ronne Day.  "I like its bold salty-herbaceous flavor so much that I often make it the star of the dish.  I also appreciate its range: Raw, it can be the freshest, crispest bite on the plate, yet it can also cook to perfect tenderness."

     And why not?  There are so many great qualities to this relative of carrots, parsley, fennel and caraway.  It's naturally low in calories, carbohydrates, fat and cholesterol. It makes a healthy snack and livens up a salad just as easily as it can stand on its own cooked for dinner.  Celery is a good source of Vitamin K and being 95% water helps to keep the body hydrated.  One stalk contains only about 10 calories but is loaded with dietary fiber, providing regularity to the body's GI system.  It also helps to maintain weight and reduces the risk of gastric ulcers and gastritis.

     It is not inconsequential that for thousands of years celery was valued more for medicinal purposes than for cooking.  In the Middle Ages it was considered a remedy for things like anxiety, insomnia, rheumatism, gout and arthritis.  It wasn't until the 16th Century that the Italians began to introduce it into the kitchen, flavoring soups, meats and stews.  Today medical science credits celery for contributing to weight loss, reducing inflammation, lowering blood pressure, regulating the body's alkaline balance, reducing stress and even combating some prevalent forms of cancer.  And studies have also proven that it boosts sexual arousal.

     Maybe you should have brought home a stalk of celery on Valentine's Day rather than that box of chocolates!