RHYTHM SECTION
As I remember it, meal times were often fun times for our family. It may have been because we were pleased to be together around the table. There were four of us for a long them; then, seven as the family was augmented plus a phase when relatives moved in.
We were never allowed to “play with our food” in the sense that some children seem to enjoy at snack times today. Food was precious, especially as the economic situation grew worse. Yet, meal times remained a time of pleasant association.
Since we were a musical family from the earliest times I can remember, I can understand why, for instance, we boys and girl's called celery, raw carrots and such side dishes “the rhythm section”.
Celery was the main noise maker at table. Soda Crackers actually cracked, however, just as Ginger Snap cookies snapped audiablly.
All of this came to mind just this morning when I was reading, of all things, a cook book. The chief who wrote the piece, extolled the merits and the demerits of various types of celery, with only slight reference to its “crunchy” sounds when being chewed... especially by children who used to see who could sound off the loudest, I recall.
The Chef/Scribe reminded me of certain celery facts I had forgotten entirely. Not too many years ago, he pointed out, when we went to the local grocer's seeking celery we looked through the display and tried to choose the longest, whitest stalks available - which also seemed crisp and firm and unblemished, of course. It was marketed in those days as being “golden”, but, today, when we shop we seek out green stalks and forget that all celery used to be sold as white or golden.
The difference is that, now that celery is available twelve months of the year, we draw from both California which remains the prime source, but there are also successful celery producers in Florida, New York, Michigan and other states, as well. Generally speaking, late spring is the poorest time for celery shoppers. That's when the giant California crop starts to go to seed and the tender hearts of the celery tend to solidify and, as the chef said it, starts to “eat woody” which, to me, suggests “noisier”, as well.
The green celery, which is now in favor among food shoppers, is called Pascal. Yellow and white types, sold as “golden”, are also available. Green Pascal is the favorite, exactly opposite of what it was fifty years ago .It was not uncommon for us, in years gone by, to catch long string of fiber between our teeth. I don't know if dental floss had been invented at the time, but we used the strings for that purpose and kidded each other about it being about time somebody's big mouth was being sewn shut.
Select crisp, firml packed bunches and avoid those which feel limp to the touch. If you have to settle for a limp stalk, it can be soaked in ice water for a time and be revived to some degree. We always clipped and saved the celery leaves to dry and pulverize as celery salt. That's still a good thing to do and can be used to make a god soup or roats even better. Store celery in covered containers in the refrigerator, or it's usefulness can be extended by wrapping cuts of it in aluminum foil for refrigerator storage.
It may not be called the rhythm section, but kids can still make chewing a stalk of celery a loud and laughable experience. One four your old girl we know likes to slice celery rib crosswise,per a quarter-of- an-inch thick, and set them up as a display of little green “rainbows.” In that form, they are best when touched with a bit of salt and consumed , end-to-end one at a time.
A.L.M. December 31, 2002 [c-657wds]
