Help for the celery-challenged

This was the soup I ate all winter last year. It's easy, tasty and uses lots of celery. Even my celery-hating friend enjoyed it. I skip the cream but always sieve it. Hope you like it!
http://wednesdaychef.typepad.com/the_wednesday_chef/2006/03/leslie_brenners.html

More good ideas. That soup with blue cheese and apples sounds great. Thanks! I seem to be most drawn to celery things where the second string layers (blue cheese, anchovies) are pronounced flavors. Makes sense I guess, for a non-celery person.

Saveur had a great article about slow cooking vegetables. It featured an interesting looking recipe for braised celery with tomatoes. See here - http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Sedano-e-Pomodori-Brasati-Braised-Celery-and-Tomato

PIerino reminded me of a celery recipe in Marcella Hazan's cookbook--a meatloaf with celery leaves (that is, if I recall first browned on the stove and then roasted in the oven). It's wonderful!

I'm not the hugest celery fan myself, but found this soup to be surprisingly delicious: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/celery-soup-with-apples-blue-cheese-10000001955948/

First: yes, I have roughly 9523 French cookbooks (only a slight exaggeration) - including JC's Art of...thanks for reminding me.

Thanks for the celery/anchovy salad idea - sounds promising. My devotion to anchovies knows no season. Also, missed the earlier question here about celery - will investigate.

Re: celery tops - yes, I always use them (in fact, sometimes that's all I use.) Almost an herb, really. Also true about celery in Italian cooking - have always liked it 'in' recipes (e.g., meat braises,) but am trying to get on board with dishes where it 'is' the central element. If that makes sense.

In Rome they use celery abundantly. Coda alla vaccinara (oxtail) being a good example. When you buy celery try to get the tops too as they are packed with flavor. In Italy it would be a crime to trim them off and throw them away. But a slowly braise oxtail with celery is mighty fine.

There was a hotline question a few days ago about celery. I found it very helpful. What about cream of celery soup or pureeing into mashed potatoes or a smoothie?

http://www.food52.com/foodpickle/8988-ideas-for-celery

I posted a recipe on my blog recently: http://threecleversisters.com/2011/10/06/celery-anchovy-salad/ because I had the same problem. (I should add it here, actually). It's a bit "summery" I'm afraid but it's easy. I've seen the braised celery in Julia Child. I made it once and to my suprise my husband really liked it. (I can't remember what I thought, except that the idea of braised celery was so odd). I am curious to hear what others suggest as I often have a glut of celery. Actually, I always mean to eat it as a healthy snack but that never happens.

Do you have any French cookbooks? I would recommend a braised celery. Here's a recipe I found on line: http://10minutefrenchcooking.blogspot.com/2010/01/braised-celery.html