Full disclosure:
I don't actually sit down to a big meal very often.  In fact, almost never.

I make 'meal' food for the fam.  I love cooking it.  I love it tasting great.  I love looking at it.  I love picking at it.  I don't always love getting a big plate of it and tucking in.  
How do it usually eat?
I snack.  Sometimes constantly.  It's a compulsion.  An apple.  A slice of cheese.  A little, eensy bowl of chips.  An orange.  Or a Croquette.  I usually eat two eggs and maybe even a little bacon for breakfast.  I might have an apple, a pear, an orange and maybe (just maybe) something I've baked as a snack.  I might (sometimes but not always) have a small sandwich or a little bit of leftovers for lunch while I'm teaching - the boys are used to this by now.  I might have another snack, fruit or something, when I get home.  Most evenings I have salad (my winter salad is comprised of thinly sliced cabbage, shredded parsnip or carrot and sliced beets with a little feta cheese and balsamic vinegar.  I'll also have some soup or something like it.  I always have a square or two or dark chocolate.  And there you have it... my food day.  Not a full meal in sight.  It's a little embarrassing actually.


However, these little cakes of perfection made it into my lunch for a full 3 days this week.  There are two reasons for that.  The first one is that they are perfect for picking up and eating while you are trying to accomplish something else.  Now I know that eating while doing about ten other things is not the way I should be going about eating.  Let's face it though, there is the ideal world and then there is reality.  In reality,  I just don't have the time while I'm at work to do it any other way, so spare me the lecture.
The second reason that they made it into my lunch for the better part of the work week is that they taste AWESOME.  I was shocked.  They were so simple and easy to put together (aside from the stupid flour/egg/crumb dipping part which I hate) that I really did not think that something so completely yummy would result.  And yet it did.  It so resulted.  I can tell you that the bacon is irreplacable, that the addition of bouillon cubes into the potato and the celeriac while boiling should not be skipped.  I can also tell you that a combination of different kinds of crumbs (corn flakes, shredded wheat, cracker and bread) produces and wonderful effect.


As you can tell by the pictures, I did burn a few of these puppies but after having eaten all of the burnt croquettes I hereby declare that it did not affect the taste detrimentally in the least.  Might have even enhanced it but I can't prove that with certainty.
So if like me you are a snacker OR you like celeriac OR you like bacon OR the idea of a little patty of stuff totally appeals then this is your thing.  


Celeriac and Potato Croquettes adapted from Delicious Magazine UK
makes about 15 small to medium sized

2 1/2 cups (1 med sized) celeriac, peeled and diced into 3 cm cubes
milk (you'll know what I mean)
2 1/2 cups floury potato, diced into 3 cm cubes
3 rashers bacon, diced
1 bouillion cube
3 cloves of roasted garlic (just place the garlic in it's skin on a baking sheet at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes)
1 1/2 tsp salt
pinch of pepper
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp basil
1/2 cup grated cheese
1 cup flour
3 lg eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups bread crumbs, crushed crackers or crushed cereal (or a combination of the above)
oil for frying

Place the diced celeriac into a sauce pan and add milk until the celeriac is just covered.  Place half of the bouillon cube in the pot.  Bring to a simmer for about 20 minutes or until the celeriac is completely softened.  Set aside to cool slightly.  Drain the celeriac but save the milk.  Place the celeriac in a blender and puree adding just enough milk to make a thick but stirrable mixture.  Set aside.
Bring the diced potato to a boil in a pot of water.  Add the other half of the bouillon cube to the pot.  Simmer for about 10 -15 minutes or until completely softened.  Drain and mash thoroughly.
Fry up the diced bacon, drain and set aside.
Mix together the celeriac mash, the potato mash and the bacon.  Stir to mix.  Squeeze out the roasted garlic and add to the mash.   Add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, basil and grated cheese.  Mix well.
Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and turn on your exhaust fan because you're going to need it (or take the batteries out of your smoke detector briefly).
Place the flour, egg and crumbs in three separate bowls.
Taking a large spoonful of the mash mixture dip it first in flour until coated, then the beaten egg until coated and then the crumbs until coated.
Add about an inch or so worth of your favourite frying oil and place the coated thing in the pan and pat it down until it's just a little flattened.  Turn after a few minutes or it's nicely browned (or slightly burned if you like).  Brown the other side.  Remove and cool slightly before eating.  Repeat with the whole bowl of mash until it's all used up.  If you need to replenish your flour, egg or crumbs before you've used up the mash then just go for it.  I had to.
Enjoy.