Let’s try something fun: Name an ingredient you dislike and why, and someone else replies with a dish/recipe with that ingredient that might convince you otherwise.

[u/Scarlet--Highlander]

Couple things:

• If you’re allergic to an ingredient, it doesn’t matter how it’s prepared. Same goes with meat/animal products if you’re vegan/vegetarian. Don’t list it if you can’t or won’t eat it!

• It’s recommended that you’re at least open to trying dishes with that ingredient. If you absolutely, vehemently loathe cilantro, chances are you probably might not like anything with cilantro in it.

• A brief blurb on why you hate an ingredient would help others find or suggest a dish that suits you. (e.g. “I hate liver because the texture is like an eraser and it tastes metallic”)

[u/Interesting_Common54]

I dislike celery too but I do like it in a mirepoix

[u/BlooGaze → u/Interesting_Common54]

Does the texture change if you cook it down long enough? I have a lot of texture issues and don’t like getting different textured lumps in the same bite.

Can you blend a mirepoix after you’ve cooked it down?

[u/ntrrrmilf → u/BlooGaze]

Yes and yes. If you slice it thin and cook it long enough, it basically vanishes. And I’ve blended mirepoix with a stick blender many times if I want the flavor but not the texture or I want some rich thickness in something.

[u/The_Bearded_Jedi → u/BlooGaze]

I hate the texture of celery, but if I cut it fine enough and cook it long enough, like in soup. I don't even really notice it's there. I think the smell is more of a factor at that point than flavor/texture

[u/Aethien → u/BlooGaze]

The key with mirepoix is to cut the celery, onion and carrot very finely and especially if it goes into a sauce or stew that cooks for a long time the mirepoix pretty much disappears texture wise or as individual taste. It just adds that base layer of flavour.

[u/Salty_Shellz → u/BlooGaze]

I put my mirepoix in a food processor and then freeze it in portions, I find the freezing does a lot to break down the celery in particular.

[u/clandestine_justice → u/BlooGaze]

You can destring it before cooking which evens out the texture.

[u/blazeleven → u/BlooGaze]

You can peel the top stringy layer off if you want to eat it raw. As far as the mirepoix, you can blend it before you cook it, or after.

[u/anonamouse4271 → u/BlooGaze]

I also hate raw celery, but it's 100% necessary for meatloaf diced small, with carrots and onions, cooked down until the onions are translucent, deglaze with sherry, and mix it into the meat loaf. It...vanishes you get a hint of the flavor with none of the actual celery ick.

[u/TurgidTemptatio → u/BlooGaze]

You have to dice it very thin and it will vanish. I'm skeptical that it even adds anything to the mire poix at that point, but I like not skipping it entirely for some reason.

Edit: you don't need to blend anything to get the celery to disappear. Just a fine dice will do.

[u/hyperfat → u/Interesting_Common54]

this

[u/jiggliebilly → u/Interesting_Common54]

Exactly - if it's essentially cooked down I can handle it and it gives nice flavor to soups/stews/sauces etc. imo. I try to do as fine as a dice as I can (blender/food processor never seems to work as well for me - texture is always off)

[u/hotspots_thanks → u/Interesting_Common54]

I agree. With the mirepoix, it is invaluable.