Celeriac, Celery Root, it's all the same

I have been wanting to try celeriac, aka celery root, for some time. You see I have this great cookbook called The New Book of Middle Eastern Food by Claudia Roden. There a few recipes in there that call for celeriac. I had never heard of it before so I was curious. I never saw it at the markets but then I didn't know what it looked like. I suspect it was there but I just looked right over it thinking maybe if I saw it, "what the heck is that ugly thing?" Check it out here at Kat's blog to see a pic of it.

Anyway, this pretty little thing, ehem, not so pretty, tastes a lot like celery but milder. It acts a lot like a potatoe.

Here is the recipe I used and I must say it was SUPER tastey!

CELERIAC IN OLIVE OIL
Recipe from Claudia Roden, The New Book of Middle Eastern Food

1 celeriac , weighing about 1 pound
2 tablespoons olive oil
juice of 1/2 of a lemon, or more to taste
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
s and p
pinch of sugar

Peel the celeriac, and cut into 3/4 inch cubes. Saute gently in olive oil until lightly colored. Add a little water, barely to cover, and stir in lemon juice, turmeric, salt, pepper, and sugar. Simmer about 25 minutes, until the celeriac is tender and the liquid is considerably reduced. Eat hot or cold.