Since the beginning of our time together, my partner and I have had a special dinner on Christmas Eve. We usually watch It’s a Wonderful Life, too. This week’s assigned recipe (along with a catch up from late November) was perfect for our Christmas Eve meal.
The celery root purée was almost as simple as mashed potatoes, just cubed celery root and potato boiled in a mixture of water and milk along with onion (and in my case, garlic), then puréed in the food processor with lashings of butter. I skimped a little on the milk, because I had other plans for it, but I don’t think that harmed the flavour of the purée at all.
The purée seemed like a great accompaniment for stew, so I also made the beef daube that I’d missed at the end of November. I didn’t bother tracking down beef cheek – the week before Christmas is hectic enough and I’d gotten a great deal on stewing meat at the grocer’s. I also skipped the elbow macaroni and replaced the regular flour called for in the recipe with a gluten-free all purpose blend. Beef, red wine, carrots, and a little chocolate at the end make a beautifully rich braise. Along with the buttery, slightly sharp taste of the purée, it made for an elegant supper.
This time of year, I think about how important societal rituals can be for making life meaningful, while at the same time, how hard they can be for some folks. Creating personal traditions helps to mark our passage through the year, while removing some of the hurt that many people carry through the standard holidays. At the darkest time of the year, we need all the light we can get.
This is my last post of 2012 (and it also happens to be the 200th post on this blog). I hope you ring in the New Year safely and joyously. See you in 2013.
You can find many other blogged descriptions of this week’s FFWD recipe here: Go-With-Everything Celery Root Purée
Here’s everyone else’s take on the Beef Cheek Daube With Carrots & Elbow Macaroni
One Wet Foot 
Congrats on post #200, Teresa! I think you paired this puree perfectly…looks like a wonderful dinner. Happy, happy New Year!!! xo
Congrats on 200 posts!
The puree and daube are a great pairing. Yum.
Happy New Year!
The puree went so well with a beef daube – I made Dorie’s “go-to” as the main of my meal. I admit, I liked looking at my puree more than eating it. Celeriac just isn’t my thing. Still ,yours looks terrific paired with the daube!
Teresa, congratulations on 200 posts! Your Christmas Eve dinner tradition sounds lovely plus It’s a Wonderful Life is one of my favorite movies ever. Have a very Happy New Year! See you in 2013.
Happy New Year Teresa! I think stew with this puree was the perfect choice. I agree that our rituals can give special meaning to the seasons.
Teresa, what a wonderful idea to pair the Celery Root Puree with the Beef Daube with Carrots – that really sounds delicious! Wishing you and your family a very Happy and Healthy 2013!
Such a wonderful looking dinner! I’m sure the daube and celery root puree were delicious together! A perfect paring! Congrats on your 200th post!
Wishing you a very Happy, Healthy New Year!
I really, really love the idea of the daube with this dish, brilliant. Happy New Year.
looks great! i still have some celery root waiting for this recipe in my fridge 🙂
So true, Teresa. I think combining the beef daube with the celery root is a good idea because they seem like they would be like mashed potatoes and mashed potatoes are so much better with a gravy. It looks like the perfect comfort meal. I hope you have a safe and joyful New Year!
Félicitations, Teresa, for 200 Posts. That’s something to celebrate. You’re right, the daube and the Mash are a creat combo. The celery root purée definitely needs some saucy, soupy, or gravy something. Special dinners are lovely and traditions make for wonderful memories. Good for you. Believe it or not, I have never watched “It’s a Wonderful Life.” I am sorta ashamed to admit that. I wish you and your partner a happy and healthy New Year 2013.