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What vegetable activates your gag reflex?

I know you have one.  We all have one.  (Unless of course, you’re one of those people who doesn’t have a gag reflex.  In which case…food blogging?  Really?  Don’t you think there are bigger and better things you could be doing with this “talent” of yours?)

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For me, it’s celery.

And no people.  Get your minds out of the gutter.  It is not because of any inappropriate usage of the ever so phallic-ly shaped stalk.  And really, if it were would I even be telling you about it.  Here.  On a food blog.

(Sadly. Probably yes. Don’t judge me.)

Seriously, though.  I hate the stuff.  It’s stringy and stalky and has this overpowering taste that makes me feel like it’s trying to take over the world or at least my palate.

And it makes my skin crawl.  There.  I said it.  It. Makes. My. Skin. Crawl.

(I’m sorry to all you celery farmers out there.  But you are ruining my life.)

Which explains why I cannot say a single good thing about these whipped root vegetables.

You see.  These have celeriac in them.  A.K.A. celery root.  And somehow, somewhere, I got it into my head that celery root doesn’t actually taste like celery.  I read it somewhere. Or someone mentioned it once.  Or I’m delusional.  One of the three.

So I thought, eh, what the hell.  I’ll try it.

Oh how wrong I was.

From the moment I peeled that ugly, dirt encrusted vegetable (top left in the picture above).  And that god-awful smell permeated my kitchen.  Which was enough to send the gag reflex atwitter, might I add.  I should have known.

But no.  I decided to forge ahead.  Be the bigger person.  Try not to judge a vegetable by its odor.

And all that got me was a big pile of mashed vegetables that I can barely even look at.  Such a shame.  Because I can tell that beneath that offending, obtrusive flavor.  Is sheer deliciousness.

Next time. I’m using a sweet potato instead.  Hellz yeah.

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I’m always one to look on the bright side, though.  And so, yeah.  Maybe the root vegetable thing didn’t quite work out. It happens.

But the veal.  Oh, the veal.  It is fall-apart, melt-in-your-mouth-but-not-in-your-hand good.  It is lemony and caper-y and you will squeal the entire day while it is cooking in your kitchen and you can smell it’s heady scent from your bedroom.  It will comfort you while you are in the middle of watching “The Back-Up Plan”, an amazingly terrible chick flick with Jennifer Lopez that will essentially be the story of my life someday, and thinking that no one will ever love you enough to want to raise the children that you were artificially inseminated with just mere days before you met them.

Really, you smell this and you feel like you are being encased in a warm hug.  And then you taste it.  And it’s like love.  Really.  Do it.

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Braised Veal Shanks with Gremolata
Serves 6, adapted from Symon’s Live to Cook

3/4 cup brine-cured green olives (I used garlic-stuffed green olives)
6 2-inch thick veal shank pieces (osso buco)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
flour, for dredging
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 medium-large onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 salt-packed anchovy fillet, rinsed and chopped
grated zest of 2 lemons
1 1/2 tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
3 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tbsp freshly grated lemon zest
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic

1. Preheat the oven to 275.  Or if you oven only goes as low as 300…preheat to 300.

2. Lightly crush the olives with the side of a large knife and discard the pits.  Finely chop a third of them and set aside.

3. Pat the veal shanks dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.  Dredge each shank in flour and shake off the excess.  In a heavy saute pan, heat 1 tbsp of oil and the butter over medium-high heat until the foam subsides.  Brown both sides of the shanks in batches, about 2 minutes on each side.  Transfer the shanks to a roasting pan.

4. Wipe out the saute pan.  Spray with cooking spray. Add the onion and cook over medium heat, stirring, until golden, 5-10 minutes.  Add the garlic and anchovy and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.  Add the olives, lemon zest, capers, rosemary and stock and simmer for 5 minutes.  Pour over the shanks and cover the roasting pan tightly with foil.  Braise the shanks in the oven for 4-6 hours or until the meat is very tender.  I went with 4 hours.  If desired, let the shanks cool before covering and refrigerating for up to 2 days.  Discard the fat from the top before reheating.

5. To make the gremolata, combine the parsley, zest, and garlic in a small bowl.

6. Transfer the shanks with a slotted spoon to another roasting pan or deep oven-proof platter and keep warm, covered, in the oven.  Strain the cooking liquid through a sieve into a 1 quart glass measuring cup and reserve the solids, discarding the rosemary.  Let the liquid stand until the fat rises to the top.  Skim and discard the fat.  Add the reserved solids to teh liquid, heat through, and pour over the shanks.  Serve sprinkled with the gremolata.

Whipped Root Vegetables
Serves 4, adapted from Symon’s Live to Cook

1/2 lb potatoes (about 1 large russet)
1/2 lb parsnips (about 2 medium)
1/2 lb celery root (about 1 medium) OR 1/2 lb sweet potato
1/4 lb turnips (about 2 medium)
2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp butter
1/4 cup almond milk

1. Peel the potatoes, parsnips, celery root, and turnips.  Cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces.  Combine in a large pot and cover with cold water and 1 tbsp of the salt.  Bring the water to a boil over high heat.  Reduce the heat to medium and boil gently until the veggies are tender, about 20-30 minutes.

2. Strain the veggies well and return to the pot.  Let the pot sit for 5 minutes over low heat to cook off any excess liquid.  Whip the veggies using a hand mixer or run through a food mill.  Add the remaining tbsp salt.  Whip in the butter and then, if not smooth enough, add some milk.

This is my submission to Symon Sundays, which is hosted over at Veggie By Season!

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You are reading this post on Eats Well With Others at https://joanne-eatswellwithothers.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author and or owner of Eats Well With Others. All rights reserved by Joanne Bruno.
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120 Responses to Braised Veal Shanks with Gremolata and Whipped Root Vegetables

  1. Simply Life says:

    oh I think this looks great! I actually really like celery – but okra, ugh – I don’t even like to think about it!…

  2. Great way to use (disguise) celery root. I bought this thing once. I never waste food but with this thing I had no choice but to throw away. Now I know a great way to use it if I ever buy it again. Thanks for the top. Carrots could make a good addition perhaps, and add bit of color?

  3. oh Joanne, you for sure have a knack to turn everything you cook/bake into a beauty! This looks really really really to die for!

  4. Nelly says:

    That looks heavenly. I haven’t tried veal yet – still trying to work my way through the various cuts of beef – but it’s on the list!

  5. Indie.Tea says:

    I’ve never had gremolata, but I’ve got to make one day.
    And as for a vegetable that makes me gag…mustard greens and bitter melon.

  6. Mmm, it really was a great dish! Your veal looks so succulent and inviting.
    Sorry you didn’t care for the celeriac, but now you know for sure!
    Looking at yours, I am sorry I only made enough for the one night – would have made great leftovers.

  7. Shirley says:

    You’ve done this so well Joanne.

  8. My gag inducing vegetable is cauliflower, does anyone else not notice the smell of dirty socks as it is cooking:D All fingers down our throat aside these shanks look so tender the meat will fall off the bone and I love mash of any kind.

  9. these photos are insanely gorgeous, girl. i love them!

    xo Alison

  10. I actually really like celeriac and like celery. However, I used to detest any kind of salad (like tuna) with celery in it. Now I mind it a little less. Fennel on the other hand, not for me!

  11. I feel the SAME exact way about celery…I don’t know how anyone can stand the stuff. The meal looks absolutely delicious though!

  12. Claudie says:

    First — the dish looks amazing. It is as if coming out of a fine dining restaurant.
    Second — I learnt to be “ok” with celery, as long as it’s fresh (not like those awful pre-cut celery sticks they sell… those are disgusting most of the time, really.) I was going to say I really like all veggies, but ‘Simply Life’ above reminded me: yup, I can’t stand okra either. Once a friend baked some for me.. I tried, and I barely swallowed the first bite. I’m (not really) sure there must be another way to prepare it which I will like, but in any case, I’m not too willing to try it again 😀

  13. Another beautiful dish! When I was younger, just the thought of Brussels Sprouts made me gag…but now I LOVE them! I can’t think of any that make me want to gag today, but I know there are those out there I haven’t tried yet!

    I’ve been wanting to make veal…this looks like a perfect way to prepare!

  14. Candace says:

    oh.my! This looks amazing.

  15. I am right with you on the celery root…I tried it once and never will again. I even served it to guests, and was apologizing the whole time.
    The veal looks and sounds divine!

  16. polwig says:

    I often put pasnips in mashed potatoes when making shephards pie and other sides. My kids love it my husband can pick the taste out in seconds even when I add cheddar cheese. Turnips for me are harsh tasting when cooked and bitter, I love them fresh and crunchy. I love mashing potatoes with other root veggies though, I think it was one of the baby foods I made and actually liked. The veal shanks look amazing… love them

  17. Louanne says:

    Arugula tastes like petroleum smells – can’t stand the stuff. And the crazy part? My parents use to grow it, in droves, to sell at the farmer’s market. We’d all be packaging the stuff – gagging – the entire family, mind you.
    On another note, you eat incredibly well for a medical student – the veal looks scrumptious!

  18. MM says:

    Ya know, most root vegetables give me the willies (beets, turnips, parsnips, radishes, celeriac). But it’s under or over cooked egg that makes me gag.

    Now gremolata I can certainly do. Yum!

    (And I like celery)

  19. Julie says:

    blog reading twins! haha i just read your comment as i was mid-read on your post. great minds think alike

    for the record i HATE celery. hate ahte hate hate it and eliminate it from every recipe i make that its in haha

  20. Kim says:

    I feel the same way about sour cream. Just the scent of it is enough to make me gag. I think it’s great that you went out on a limb to try the whipped root veggies though. The veal does look superb! I’m really looking forward to the rich tender meat and the salt briney olives and capers.or (I had to order my veal shanks and should get them tomorrow).

  21. That anchovy fillet in your recipe gives me the gag reflex. As far as veggies? I’d say brussels sprouts. I tried to like them, I really did but they just taste nasty and smell nasty. This vegetable, I’ve never tried but I LOVE celery so I’d probably like it. Do you ever cook with celery? Probaby not. Though it tastes way different cooked. Remind me not to invite you over on chow mein day. It is PACKED with celery!

  22. Joanne, your photos are perfect. Brings out everything you described.

  23. Amy says:

    We really are kindred spirits. I loathe celery.

    When I was a kid, my sister used to eat it with peanut butter, and to this day the image still makes me itch.

    I didn’t even know it was a root vegetable – I just know I hate it like no other. I will avoid any recipe, which includes it, or replace it.

    That, and green bell peppers. No thank you.

  24. Faith says:

    Oh no, sorry the mash wasn’t your favorite! Wish I lived closer, I would totally take it off your hands, lol! And OMG the veal…can I skip breakfast and lunch and go straight to this?!

  25. Mo Diva says:

    my mouth watered.
    I happen to love celery. But i can relate when i see spaghetti squash. I just get nauseated looking at it. It happened when i first moved out of my mom and dads house. I made some cornish hens and some spaghetti squash.
    Later that night I had a ragin fever. And the worst stomach virus of my life ensued… and having food repeat on you in THAT way never ever works well for an attempt to have another go at it. The stock i was making from the bones was simmering in the crock that entire night as I suffered… and even the smell of cornish hens sends me into a gagging fit.
    So, yeah. I get it.
    LOL

  26. Tasha says:

    My husband would be horrified to hear of all this celery hatred. He LOVES the stuff. In fact, he took a big baggie full to work for a snack today. I’ve always been rather impartial to celery but because of him, I’ve grown to really like it and learned think of it more than just a soup ingredient.

    As for my own gag-inducing vegetable…it used to be mushrooms. Hated them growing up. But I made myself like them, and now they are seriously one of my favorite vegetable. So I guess I don’t have one anymore!

  27. vanillasugar says:

    yeah mine would have to be brussel sprouts. so coppery tasting.
    but let’s eat yours instead! LOL

  28. Mary says:

    Joanne, I make osso bucco whenever I can get my hands on veal shanks. That unfortunately doesn’t happen often here. I’ve never served them with your puree, however. I really want to give the that a try. It sounds delicious and I love the vegetables you’ve combined here. This could be a real treat. Have a great day. Blessings…Mary

  29. I can’t stand celery either! The stringy texture, the taste, and even the smell gross me out. A lot of people don’t understand and tell me celery tastes like nothing, but I know it does.

  30. Ashlee says:

    I’ve never had celery root either, and also thought it didn’t taste like celery! I’m so glad you posted that it does, because now I’m definitely not making this recipe as written! Your dish looks beautiful!

  31. Good job forging ahead and facing your celery fears . . . even if it didn’t produce palate-pleasing results. And thoughts of that veal have me crazed with hunger.
    My recent cooking failure involved ravioli with a crab/ricotta filling. How could that go wrong??? I’m still asking myself that question. But somehow I ended up with slimy ravioli with a mediocre filling (an expensive mediocre filling at that!), and the lemon butter sauce just made them greasy to boot. Yuck.

  32. Pam says:

    I just can’t do the veal thing but if I did – this would be the recipe I’d try. Your photos are fantastic Joanne!

  33. elra says:

    So delicious looking, silky, and mouth watering dish !

  34. Joanne I love you! You make me laugh. I can just imagine you freaking out being near celery.

    And do you ever eat poorly? Say a McDonald’s cheeseburger and fries? You make the rest of us look bad. 😉

    Laura

  35. Those vegetable photographs? AWESOME!!!!!

  36. Swathi says:

    Love anything with root vegetables, this platter is perfect. what else need for a good dinner.

  37. I just wrote a lengthy comment = did you get it? It just disappeared???

  38. That Girl says:

    Celery doesn’t bother me, although it fascinates me to watch my father-in-law remove each individual string from his daily lunch portion of celery. (i don’t think that’s what they mean when they say you burn more calories eating it than it has) My gag inducing vegetable is asparagus.

  39. Shannon says:

    i can do celery, and i’ve only tried celeriac once, but turnips? not my thing. There may be others, but i’m still trying things out!

  40. JMCD says:

    hominy………ick 🙁

  41. Daryl says:

    Your food photography is just gorgeous making everything look so tempting.

  42. Hate celery and I always thought celery root tastes like celery so I dare not try. Gorgeous dish!

  43. Big Dude says:

    The veal dish looks delicious and from your comments, is it safe to assume you don’t care for celery? 🙂

  44. Kristen says:

    For me it’s rutabaga. I would make a lot of promises if it got me out of eating that offending root. Your veal sounds wonderful.

  45. I will never look at celery the same way again.

  46. Lindsay says:

    Beautiful photos!! I’ve never met a vegetable that I didn’t like, but I have some mental hurdles with eating lamb — my dad baaa-d once while I was eating it and it was game over from there.

  47. marla says:

    Whipped root veggies?? Nice! With this hunk of veal shank – this would make for a lovely Valentines feast 🙂 xo

  48. Let me try again.
    1. This looks divine and I really appreciate the Symon recipes you are sharing with us; I would ever think of gremalada with veal – but, it clearly works
    2. The mash LOOKS fantastic… and I love all of the veggies here
    3. Vanja also hates celery – WHO hates celery, you two! And, he hates parsley and cucumbers. I don’t have ANY gag reflex over ANY vegetable (and I did kill myself laughing over the fact that I should consider changing my profession if I am sans gag reflex – I am not. Just not over veggies) 😉
    Great post. Glad you are COOKING something instead of eating it RAW. I am still looking to see what that cookie dough looks like baked.
    😉 😉 😉
    Valerie

  49. teresa says:

    your blog is always such a pleasure to read. you CRACK me up! if i were to rank veggies, celery would definitely not be up there for me either. i’ve never tried celery root though, who knew?

    i haven’t seen the backup plan, but i had a feeling that it would be terribly awesome.

  50. I just want to start by thanking Amy for introducing me to your wonderful blog. Without it, I would go days without laughing over food-induced funnies.

    Next time you make a horrible root veggie puree, feel free to send it my way. I promise to adorn it with something as delicious as this veal looks.

  51. How do you manage to make photos of root vegetables look glamorous?!?
    Since you asked… my gag-reflex-activator is the brussel sprout. Blech. Does anyone actually enjoy those things?

  52. Katerina says:

    Indeed celery has intense taste and you can immediately taste it in every dish is added. I like celery but I do not so much like cilantro. It happens to all of us. Some vegetables are just not meant to appeal to us. I like your veal looks very juicy. I am sure it melts in the mouth.

  53. Pam says:

    Isn’t it funny how we react to certain foods? Fabulous pictures!!

  54. Bridgett says:

    I definitely can’t do beets. You outdid yourself once again. I wouldn’t be able to resist these veal shanks. They look delicious.

  55. OohLookBel says:

    It’s a shame you didn’t really get over your celery phobia with celery root. Although, I think that lovely osso bucco and gremolata would make anything taste wonderful. Except coriander/cilantro. BLEURGH!

  56. When Rebecca over at Chow and Chatter mentioned that gremolata is traditionally used over veal shanks I thought to myself how good that sounded and here you’ve made it! It looks delicious!

    I’m sorry you didn’t like celery root. I love the stuff so go figure!

  57. Oh yes, celeriac does taste like celery 🙂 You are eating well tonight, girl!! Veal shanks, mmmmm!! Gremolata, mmmmm!!

  58. Nicole, RD says:

    Gorgeous! I am pretty certain these are the best photos of yours I’ve seen. Absolutely stunning, Joanne!!! I love celery root and want more ideas on how to use it 🙂

  59. Shanon says:

    🙁 i love celery. i knot lots of people who hate and don’t see the point, but i actually love the flavor. do you think it is like the cilantro thing? some people think it tastes like soap?

  60. Peggy says:

    I adore celery… definitely celery root more than actual celery, but I love them both, so I’m sure I would adore the mash! And the veal… it looks absolutely gorgeous! who wouldn’t want to eat it?!

  61. Raina says:

    I am not a huge veggie fan of any kind. I usually have to have them slathered in some type of sauce or hidden in a recipe…lol But celery is actually one of the few that I do like. It is kind of flavorless, though, now that I think about it:)

    Your veal shanks look totally flavorful and delicious. I even think I would like the mashed root veggies since they are mashed up with butter and almond milk.

  62. hahahahaha!!! this was your funniest post EVAH chica!!!!! and I love celery root, so all the more for me!

  63. Wow, your photos are awesome!!! I actually don’t think there’s any veggie I don’t like… Weird! But growing up, there were a whole bunch, so maybe you still have time to change 🙂 In any event, I have a feeling I’d absolutely love those whipped root vegetables. And the veal… Oh my!

    Sues

  64. Jessie says:

    Ohmigosh, I’m the EXACT same way about celery! I even wrote a couple of posts on my blog about how much I hate celery (and you know that I’m not often that negative 😉 ). It’s the absolute ONLY food I won’t eat, especially raw (shudder) – while all the other little preschoolers were eating “ants on a log”, I was throwing hissy fits in the playroom.

    Anyway, even though celeriac is no longer allowed in your kitchen, the first picture in your post has me drooling, mostly over that hot piece of meat (aka veal). Nice one, Joanne 🙂

  65. For me, it’s garlic chives. Blegh.

  66. elly says:

    I just posted veal shanks with gremolata too! Such a great dish. For me, cauliflower is the veg that gives me the gag reflex. Ugh, just the smell of it is enough to give me the saliva shoots.

  67. So funny! I hated celery until recently. Somewhere over the last year I have begun to like it cooked but definitely not raw!!

  68. Leslie says:

    Thanks so very much for stopping by my blog and commenting on my Garbage can food eating issues!!!! Delicious blog you have here!

  69. You are too funny…celery, really? I do not like collard greens, I won’t say gag…but I have hated them since childhood, along with green lima beans.
    Beautiful meal you have going here, and I am going to have to try these mashed root veggies 🙂

  70. I have never eaten gremolata bur would love to try once.I love the idea of root veggies..for me broccoli gives me gags!Everything looks. so beautiful plated up.

  71. janet says:

    First of all, Joanne, your top photo is simply gorgeous!

    Second, you know me and how much I hate celery. Thank goodness, I don’t have to experiment with celeriac to find out I will hate that too. If you ever find yourself having to cook celery, though, the trick is to peel away those strings. It does wonders to remove the yucky celery taste. Someone once told me, when cooking with celery, you remove the strings for your friends, but keep it for your enemies! 😉

  72. La Liz says:

    Downside of living in a NYC apartment — no root cellar. I love root veggies and thanks for whipping up this recipe. Vegetable beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Gorgeous.

  73. Eden says:

    Look at you trash talking celery! I dont like it plain, but I love it chopped fine and mixed in a tuna salad. Root veggies always make a marvelous mash. I suppose these are the types of “roots” you want to show! (I know, lame joke)

  74. Marisa says:

    Bluergh, I also hate celery! Though I find it’s at least palatable when cooked and paired with bacon and spaetzle. Oh and don’t even get me started on turnips – gag doesn’t even begin to describe it.

    On the other hand, that super tender looking veal? Bring it on.

  75. tigerfish says:

    The braised veal shanks looks exotically good and I bet the moist and tenderness.

  76. It’s funny… I don’t have that issue with any ingredients. I used to hate (HATE) mushrooms growing up, but I grew out of that pretty quickly.

    This is a great recipe and I like that you have one for the carnivores and one for the vegetarians.

    Great post, Joanne!

  77. I feel as if I should compose an ode to celeriac. Or hire a poet to! Oh, I think I’ll just skip right over the root vegetable thing and head right to the meat of the matter. YUM! I can smell it and taste it.

    Best,
    Bonnie

  78. Joanne says:

    My husband would love that recipe especially if he saw your photos. But I won’t cook him veal so he’d have to settle on some substitute.

    As for my gag reflex, it’s soggy sandwiches. I very rarely eat sandwiches because of that reason. BUT… weirdly enough, I love to dip bread in soup and sauce. ???? 🙂

  79. This looks delicious!!! Gorgeous photographs! ~Leslie

  80. Dawn says:

    I just had a discussion about celery with the owner of our local natural food store. Apparently Americans think of celery as this thick stalked, woody, watery and stringy vegetable whereas in other countries it’s thin and soft stalks with lots of very sweet leaves. He said he tried to sell it because he hates the conventional version of celery that we are all used to but most customers didn’t even know what it was or what to do with it and wouldn’t buy it so he stopped carrying it.

  81. love it now i have another gremolata recipe

  82. I love food that seems to give you a warm hug! And, coming to think of it, I don’t think there’s a vegetable that gives me a gag reflex. I can honestly say I like celery root, so the whipped root vegetables look great to me!

  83. seriously with a meat that looks that good…even my favorite vegetable wouldn’t stand a chance

  84. Catherine says:

    One of my favorite things, I know, I sound like Mary Poppins…but I love veal shanks. I also like celery root, so the veggies look very appetizing to me. Wonderful meal. Blessings, Catherine

  85. Cara says:

    This has to be the best “I didn’t like this but I’m blogging it anyway” post I have ever read. Most people completely suck at this and it’s an utter turnoff to read (I suppose we can’t judge if they just wanna get their traffic up like we all do. Sigh.) Anyway, I don’t like celery much either so I will take your advice and stay away from this celeriac business.

  86. Our root veggies are soo different here and im yet to see celery root around:-(
    But i lovee what u did , u eat so varied ,while i cook local traditional food , day in and day out , ok atleast 4 times a week ,the other days its trying different cuisines but way far from all ur excellence:-)
    Looks heartily elicious and m sure tastes even more..

  87. Barbara says:

    Hah. I don’t like turnips or parsnips. Guess I don’t be making that veggie!
    However, the veal looks divine!

  88. Ann says:

    What makes me gag – Jennifer Lopez/Aniston. I’ll gladly down bowls of those root vegetables instead of watching another lame movie with either of them in it. BTW – those shanks look plenty awesome.

  89. Beth says:

    I don’t know about a gag reflex, but I really don’t care for cucumbers. And raw tomatoes give me hives! Go figure.

  90. Ivy says:

    Hi Joanne. I saw your lovely comment at Joumana’s and popped by to thank you. I am really glad to meet you and hope that we shall be exchanging visits more often. I don’t know about gremolata as I am not familiar with the roots in the picture but the dish looks delicious.

  91. I laughed. I cried. I gagged. I laughed some more. Funny stuff you write. 😉

    I’m making you my official “Great Blog Maker” so I can be amazing at intros, story lines, and pictures (not to mention wow with the food) like you.

    honestly, I want a big, giant meat hug right about now.

  92. girlichef says:

    Oh, that looks dreamy… I love that first shot 😀 And you can just send any threatening celeriac you encounter in the future my way…I totally dig it! But I bet it would definitely rock hard w/ sweet potatoes…cuz of course they’re way better.

  93. Haha well, live and learn, right? That’s a pretty intense reaction to such a subtley flavored veggie but, hey, can’t love everything!

  94. Lyndsey says:

    Your so funny…talking about gag reflex…are you sure you eat well with others? JK! When I made my celeriac potato mash I didn’t use that much of it and I added cream cheese and kale, I didn’t taste the celery in it at all. It must of been out numbered. What a trooper you were to give it a try anyway!

    I have a very sensitive gag reflex…when I was a kid it was cold potatoes, we had to eat everything on our plate and potatoes were not a fav of mine, so I had to gag them down cold…to this day I don’t care for potato salad because of cold potatoes. I think lima beans would be up on that list too. (texture thing, but that’s a whole other issue :D)

    Everything looks wonderful…I have got to stop reading food blog at suppertime!

  95. Reeni says:

    I can’t say I love celery, a little bit here and there is ok, never had celeriac…but I’m betting I would like this root mash. Your brave for giving it a go – the veal more than makes up for it! Utterly delicious.

  96. Velva says:

    Should I mention that I grow celeriac? Nah, i won’t mention it.
    The veal shanks look to die for and the vegetable root mash? It looks mighty good too.

    My hate ’em vegetable? Cooked spinach (gag)

  97. That sounds delicious, love the added saltiness from anchovies and capers!

  98. Lizzy says:

    Veal Shanks?!?! I think my husband would marry you! He wants meat so bad and I’m trying to cook more vegetarian. Its not making him happy!! That looks so good Joanne. wow!

  99. ann says:

    Joanne, All your food looks so wonderful. This one is no exception. Great post!

  100. I actually rather enjoy celery and celery root so this is getting bookmarked for the vegetable portion. Can we still be friends? I’m sure I’ll like the veal too!!

  101. Victoria says:

    Wow, celery huh? I had no idea. I don’t think there is a single vegetable I hate that badly. I suppose a badly cooked vegetable could make me gag, but one prepared by the likes of Eric Ripert or Thomas Keller, I’d eat just about anything those dudes made, haha. Your veal shanks looks awesome, but how does one go wrong with braised meaty goodness? See you tomorrow!!

  102. Amy says:

    I think the juxtaposition of that first, perfect picture of that beautiful veal and succulent mound of whipped veggies and”What vegetable activates your gag reflex?” is the best thing I’ve read in a long time. I’m pretty sure I would have milk coming out of my nose…if I drank milk. And read that. While I was drinking it.

    Also, I always loathed that melts-in-your-mouth-and-not-in-your-hand business. I wanted to sue M&M’s/Mars when I was seven because I was on the playground with a handful of colorful little M&M’s in my hand (the why in inexplicable right now). I was also wearing white shorts. Let’s just say my palms got sweaty…and colorful nicknames for me ensued. Come to think of it, I could’ve added emotional distress to my charges. I better get on that.

    Also, this meal. It shall be mine. It’s way sexy enough to be my Valentine’s dinner, yes?

  103. The veal is just gorgeous–love the capers of course. I may have to add this recipe to my osso buco experiments. 😉

  104. Although I absolutely loathe mashed swede or carrot & parsnip mashed together, as a result of force feeding as a child, the thing that really activates my gag reflex is any kind of combination of sweet and rice – you know sometimes you get sushi and they have either put a bit too much of the sweet rice vinegar in or didn’t mix it very well and you get a mouthful of sweet rice – complete uncontrollable gag! Never in my life will I ever be able to eat rice pudding – just thinking about it makes me start!!

    Your celeriac mash on the other hand looks pretty darn good, and as for the veal – if I was a man I would want to marry you for that 🙂

    Sue

  105. Wow! Love this vela shanks dish! Beautiful clicks!

  106. jenna laughs says:

    Oh my goodness, lady. This looks fantastic!

  107. love the way you use root vegetables, I love them
    bises from France
    Delphine

  108. Carolyn says:

    Oh man, sorry that the celery ruined the potato part of your dinner. But the veal sounds amazing, truly. Mmmmm, mmmm!

  109. Maria says:

    To start on a good note, you’ve made yet another amazing dish. And since I haven’t had meat all week, I am licking my lips and on the verge of stabbing a fork into my laptop’s screen.

    As for the celeriac, I’ve got to admit I have never tried it before. I don’t have a problem with celery though. What I do have a problem with is parsnip! I made a skordalia with them once and that I could eat, but I cannot touch the stuff roasted, boiled, sauteed, you name it. I don’t know why, but the taste is gag-inducing for me!

  110. Chris says:

    Oh my fark! I AM IN LOVE. Tender veal makes my mouth water. And Symon is a genius.

    I’m not a big celery fan but I do like it with wings. When I use it in a recipe though, I used less than most would and I dice the hell out of it so it’s unrecognizable!

  111. grace says:

    for me, the culprit is mushrooms. i don’t like the way they look (especially sauteed), i don’t like the way they smell or taste or feel in the mouth. boo. hiss. gag.

  112. Elizabeth says:

    That veal looks amazing. It’s one of those things that I really love but can never convince myself to try making at home. maybe one day I’ll get up the courage.

  113. Please send those root vegetables to me, as I love celery root! (Don’t really like celery though.) I’m not a veal fan though, even though it does look absolutely delicious!

  114. Karen says:

    Ive never had celery root, but am sure I’d like it. Although it doesn’t help with the taste, I always peel my celery to get rid of the strings (with a regular vegetable peeler). Had to laugh at suggesting people with no gag reflex are wasting their talent. Ha!

  115. Kerstin says:

    What a meal! I don’t like celery either, although I do still use it occasionally in things like stuffing where I know people will miss it. I need to try celery root!

  116. Megan says:

    The braised veal shank would be sooo much like a warm hug. It looks amazing. And all I need to hear is lemony and caper-y, and I’m already scanning the ingredient list, figuring out how soon I can make it.

    I actually do like celeriac, but, yeah, it definitely tastes like celery. I bet you would have loved those root vegetables without it.

  117. Jennie says:

    I dislike celery but I like celeriac? Weird I know.

    This is such a sexy dish Joanne! Mouthwatering pic’s!

  118. Eliana says:

    See – this is why I love you. Cuz I hate celery too and everyone thinks I’m so weird because of it.

  119. Deborah says:

    There isn’t a vegetable that activates my gag reflex, but Corn Nuts do. Strange, I know – but I can’t even be in the same room as an open bag of them…

    And sadly enough, I’ve never had veal. I can’t even find it here. One day, though.

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