Onions

A cook will spend more hours chopping onions than doing any other task in the kitchen. This is because most meals start with an onion. If you travel the globe, you will be hard-pressed to find a cuisine that doesn’t contain an onion somewhere.

These pungent alliums tend to be easy to grow, they store well and, like an egg, can be used in so many dishes. They work raw and cooked, and they add a depth of flavor and earthiness that is hard to obtain without them. I firmly believe if you go into the kitchen and start chopping an onion, an idea for dinner will soon follow.

 

Selecting: For best storage, look for firm onions without blemishes.

Storage: These should be kept at room temperature with a little bit of breathing room to prevent spoiling. Remove any that have begun to smell rotten or have gotten soft. Once you have cut into part of the onion, store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

 

Pair well with: Apples, bacon, basil, beans, beef, beer, beets, bread, butter, cardamom, carrots, cheese, chile peppers, cilantro, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cream, cucumbers, cumin, curry, dill, eggs, garlic, honey, lemon, lime, marjoram, milk, mint, mushrooms, mustard, nutmeg, orange, oregano, parsley, peas, pork, potatoes, poultry, rice, rosemary, sage, salt, sour cream, thyme, tomatoes, vinegar, wine.