Now, don't get all weirded out by the presence of tofu in this dish. Or celery, for that matter. Their combination with a spicy infused oil makes it all worthwhile.
Here's what you need:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2twAyVh_j2sxQ_uj20qohPIJJcmLh9G4bBo1kK7Gcmhe6ORjAj0FqHJ4oq8mtzLPDfNbmpGmOQzZ58MCAyN4MmYn2PASOAlhkL-iq_26yL6G4pR5VSJ2afFVAFF4GtBase2nj/s400/celerysaladmise.jpg)
- 1 cup of peanut oil
- Some fat slices of peeled, fresh ginger
- A stick of cinnamon (I used a piece of really yummy Vietnamese cinnamon from the lovely White on Rice Couple.)
- Three cloves
- A teaspoon of coriander seeds (which I ended up skipping because I only had ground coriander. Whoops)
- A teaspoon of cumin seeds
- 4 star anise
- A tablespoon of Sichuan peppercorns (mine are ordered online from The Spice House. Most reputable spice places will have them, and Asian markets. You probably won't find them at Safeway.)
- 1/4 cup of red chili flakes
- A couple roughly chopped scallions (optional)
- 1 bunch Chinese celery, thinly sliced
- 4 to 6 ounces pressed tofu, thinly sliced
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqZv5CIlil-qmKn5F_h7_TQmeiP-8YuSvdh_gw3DzIOfFE8UzT-uGW8M_RwaUpPXm_ich5huwlDuG-UC2fruuJI7M4Ghj7V-49DuU0n8fQwsIacHWrUSVHIqVRo4LLbsaplgJ2/s400/celerysaladoil.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVsW-DFYCsYAqQy2XQoclk1cwD7ft_-D1cuyRzVnM-x-843WepTducwWiqnkZR5O2RH-yWj6V9t1_2Bqs5OukCya9_IZcEGV_SQIFbJibuUY4MPlH8i-meu3WFvKZNAIpEiWqY/s320/celerysaladtofu.jpg)
(I found a nice blog post that expounds on pressed tofu engagingly: Here.)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxt3l9ezfjpNN6eWFKfFSc5rOYdFgODzdUqUH-swSwALpirv_zth6UxIPls21g0ZRaRtsswgU4sakgn1g2vQaglmODFjxE9yzpMnLSBOTAU9Y6TBgqz79JzZHohCzr6md_SShN/s400/tofu.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP5-_F8G8icACXZij0xLlaxSZaVwM9IHPLrBZ6AG-Y2Wbb8ZYnWyCMtlj_7522pj7755lxKjNo5XW2ZR3iHAS9_DGwgRPKmfMpRwS00DbWG17iqkIEteuxTMhhzwm2yal5jQJV/s320/chinesecelery.jpg)
Toss the celery and tofu together with a little salt, then drizzle the infused oil over it and enjoy! It's spicy but also light and refreshing. Just the antidote for all that holiday gorging.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuVHJiPnFv9GEkCeIVINu5FsrIC4WcU8zFWPODyqX7YI8Z1Kyuupg4htms3faKKSC3GzsqPpnRqe87k_7RqfJpOBKYiKaIDYs6nXPmpomrDgtW45mHZl7P9BX2rQ6dzwtkfDOC/s400/celerytofusalad.jpg)
I'll warn you, though: Don't try to make popcorn with it. If your pan gets too hot, you'll create your very own tear-gas cloud in the kitchen. Fun!