Recipes with celery stalks

Two whole chickens simmered with leeks, carrots, celery, and fresh thyme yield a crystal-clear broth and tender diced meat. A from-scratch chicken soup that's worth every minute of the 2.5-hour simmer.

Stuffed mushroom caps filled with a Mediterranean eggplant and tomato mixture brightened with garlic, basil and parsley. A make-ahead vegetarian appetizer you can serve warm or at room temperature.

Homemade white stock made the classical French way: blanched beef, veal, and chicken-feet bones simmered with mirepoix and a sachet of herbs for up to 18 hours. Crystal-clear, gelatin-rich, and the foundation of every great sauce.

Lentil stew Creole with okra, green beans, tomatoes, and green pepper served over brown rice. A plant-based Southern-style stew with a Tabasco kick and no added fat.

Herb garden couscous salad with black beans, fresh dill, mint, parsley, tomatoes, olives, and a lemon-olive oil dressing. A bright, no-cook grain salad.

Maryland-style crab soup simmered with beef shin, tomatoes, mixed vegetables, and a pound and a half of crab meat. A slow-cooked Chesapeake Bay classic loaded with briny sweetness and deep beefy broth.

Curry stir fried chicken and apples, a quick 20-minute skillet dinner with cubed chicken breast, honey-curry glaze, crisp apples, and plump raisins served over rice.

Chinese egg foo young noodle bowls: crispy ham and vegetable omelets stacked over Chinese noodles in a ginger-garlic broth with sherry, soy, and rice vinegar. A one-bowl Chinese-American dinner.

Upgraded tuna noodle casserole with bell peppers, celery, pimentos, sherry, and slivered almonds. A retro comfort dish dressed up with classier ingredients than the standard version.

Rich winter vegetable stock made with squash, celeriac, leeks, lentils, and fresh herbs, stewed then simmered for deep seasonal flavor. A vegan soup base.

Wild rice with dried chestnuts, currants, aniseed, shallots, and orange zest. Includes both pressure cooker and stovetop methods. An elegant vegetarian side dish.

Southern cornbread dressing done right: make-ahead cornbread and homemade turkey giblet broth prepped the night before for Thanksgiving day assembly with rice, mushrooms, pecans, and fresh herbs.

Master chicken stock simmered low for hours with a whole fowl, leeks, carrots and a classic bouquet of herbs. Skim it well, strain it clear, then chill and lift off the fat for a clean, golden base for any soup or sauce.

Sun Dance chili with coarse-ground beef, ground chile peppers, mushrooms, and kidney beans simmered for two hours. A hearty, from-scratch chili that uses real ground chiles instead of chili powder.

Warm lentil salad with stir-fried carrots, celery, scallions, and water chestnuts tossed in balsamic vinaigrette. High-fiber, diabetic-friendly, and served on crisp lettuce.

Sweet potato carrot soup: a vegan, gluten-free, low-fat broth simmered from sweet potatoes, carrots, and celery, brightened with lemon and paprika at the finish.