I had a friend in college who believed that celery was the worst vegetable, and I admit it—as sticks, they aren't all that exciting.Add some blue cheese or Green Goddess and I'd happily eat them, but it's really only when you start adding them to other dishes that they reveal their true purpose: Best Supporting Role.My celery-hating friend certainly enjoyed eating out at restaurants, and most of them were undoubtedly flavoring any number of sauces, stews, salads, soups, and braises with the vegetable.Along with pungent onions and sweet, earthy carrots, celery's slight bitter edge forms the backbone of at least half the dishes in the Western repertoire.When buying celery, look for whole heads still attached at the root with tightly bundled stalks and a bright green to yellowish-green color.For gently cooked preparations or when using celery in larger batons or chunks, the fibrous skin on the outer (convex) surface can be distracting.Using a vegetable peeler, peel each stalk by holding the base against the cutting board and pulling down the length with a smooth, even motion.Slicing the half-moons on a bias (at an angle) to the main stalk will yield slightly larger, heartier pieces perfect for things like stir-fires or hearty sautees.For fine dice, use the tip of your chef's knife to split the stalk lengthwise, keeping it attached at the leaf end (cutting it crosswise into two or three shorter sections can help if this step is difficult for you at first).To make batons for soups or salads, split the stalk lengthwise just as you would for fine dice, then cut crosswise into 1 1/2 to 2-inch pieces