A staple in writer Joan Didion’s holiday menus was a puree of vegetables: beetroot, turnip or celeriac (whose European pseudonym is celeriac). This version, which he cut from a New York Times article Craig Claiborneit’s a little chunkier than you might expect from the name, with a consistency more like that of mashed potatoes. This is not surprising, given the main role that potatoes play in the dish. For those looking for a twist on the traditional puree, celery root adds a subtle sweetness to the celery. —Patrick Farrell
