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Cephalopod Celery

Stephen F. Greb, Kentucky Geological Survey, University of Kentucky

If you don't want to eat meat as your cephalopod, here's a quick way to make some veggie cephalopod appetizers. Cephalopods were squid-like animals that lived in shells. They were very common in Paleozoic-era seas. They would probably have tasted like calamari (a fancy name for squid to trick people into eating it), but what are your chances of getting a child to eat squid? My kids love peanut butter and ranch dressing on celery as a snack. Here's a way to add some science entertainment!

You'll need:

• Celery
• Peanut butter, ranch dressing, cream cheese, cheese spread, or other spread for celery
• Olives with pimentos, yogurt-covered raisins, or other two-toned circular object for eyes
• Knife

Preparation time: 10 to 15 minutes

Recipe:

1. Break off celery from stalk. You want to use the wide, tapered bottom of each celery stalk to make the "tentacles" of the cephalopods.

2. Make several V-shaped cuts into the broad bottom of each stalk to shape the tentacles. You can make the cuts 2-2 ½ inches deep.

3. Cut the remainder of the celery stalk according to the size you want to make each appetizer. Generally, making each celery "cephalopod" 4 to5 inches in length is good.

4. Spread your filling inside the celery just behind the V-cuts to the end of the celery.

5. Clean off any filling from the edges of the celery after spreading.

6. Add an eye, such as an olive, and serve.