The Old-School Way To Transform Celery Into An Easy Appetizer
In the world of vegetables, celery is easy to underestimate or even forget about entirely. While you can slice it into a bowl of chicken salad for a welcome bit of crunch, chop it into a three-ingredient soup base, or use it as an aromatic to give a dish five stars, it's rarely used as the standout ingredient. That's a mistake. Celery can make a simple but delicious old-school appetizer when you take inspiration from the 1920s and 1930s, when stuffed celery was all the rage.
In the early 20th century, celery was considered a luxury vegetable and was highly popular at fancy dinner parties and on posh restaurant menus for that reason. Stuffed celery was an appetizer found on hors d'oeuvres trays to bring a sense of occasion to a dinner. Today, though, it's easy to make yourself, no special reason required. Just take some stalks of fresh, washed, trimmed celery, mix softened cream cheese with your favorite seasonings and toppings like bacon bits, spring onions, deviled ham, or paprika, and stuff the mixture into the stalks of celery. Serve as a rich, creamy, refreshing finger food.
Why celery, stuffed or not, was so popular in the early 20th century
As mentioned above, celery was considered a luxury food, and stuffed celery in the 1920s and '30s was served to guests you were hoping to impress. But why? And why did that stop? Well, celery as we know it today was bred, carefully over centuries, from a bitter version which was once used as an herb. By the end of the 19th century, cultivation and food transportation methods had advanced to the point that more people could afford and enjoy celery, and it became the new "it" food.
Stuffed celery was one way of enjoying the rise of the trendy treat that was celery. Unfortunately, like all fads, the great celery craze eventually ended, although it left its mark. Today, not only can you enjoy stuffed celery at home, but its relative, a beloved after-school snack known as "ants on a log" or "bugs on a branch." This nostalgic treat involves stuffing ribs of celery with peanut butter or, if you prefer, cream cheese, and then topping the filling with raisins for the "bugs."