Girls Don't Cry: Chop An Onion Safely

So I made French onion soup recently. Nothing amazing. But, in the process I thinly sliced two large onions without dissolving into searing, crying eyes. Not a tear in sight. My new solution to the eternal eye-onion conflict: Press your tongue to the roof of you mouth while chopping. I saw it online somewhere.The wonders of the Internet.

Other tricks include opening a window, lighting a candle or incense near your cutting board (who wants their food flavored with a hint of patchouli?), and wearing goggles (no thanks). Or, since the reaction is supposedly more pronounced in fresh onions, you could use old vegetables. I'd rather not.

My onion allergy typically causes frequent mid-chop pauses, interrupts my chefly rhythm, and risks my fingertips with blurred vision. Let's hope this new trick proves successful.

Šopska Salata, salad of the Western Balkans

Some folks bring trinkets from far-away lands, littering the shelves of friends and family with exotic tchotchkes. Some send postcards. And some share food.

Matt is the last of these -- the best option, in my opinion. His holiday visit from Serbia brought chocolate filled with Pop Rocks and a bottle of Rakia ("potent" is an understatement. See Rakia in the glass in the photo above, courtesy SoSofia.com).

Also on the Serbian menu: Šopska Salata, a simple Balkan salad. From Matt:

"Šopska Salata, found on every dinner table across almost all areas of the Western Balkans
(for large salad):

• Two tomatoes
• Large cucumber
• Green pepper or similar
• Large Onion (add small hot pepper if you like)
• Firm Feta cheese that you can grate (or substitute Greek Mizithra)
• Oil (traditional: sunflower, lux: Extra Virgin)
• Vinegar (traditional: something real simple, lux: Balsamic)
• Salt, Pepper

Peel and roughly chop/section all veggies and put in bowl, cover with shredded cheese, leaving it on top. Individually season with a spritz of oil and vinegar to taste, same with salt/pepper. Wash it down with copious amounts of Jelen Beer, and serve as a garnish to your giant pile of grilled mixed meat:"


If meat with a side of meat is not on your menu, this salad would be great with with grilled fish, fried chicken or barbecue.

Recipe preview: Everyday Foods Nov. 09

Everyday Food would be a kitchen staple for me even without my slight Martha obsession. Unpretentious, seasonal, and vaguely health-minded (without the off-putting lose-weight-now! theme of many women's mags), plus helpful tips: this month, a reminder to keep potatoes and onions separate (the onions will cause the potatoes to turn on you quickly).

This month's thanksgiving focus is practical and useful, including classic recipes, a count-down chart, and a "Do-ahead Tips" page with photos and dates for how and when to prep items in advance. Specifically: I'm not a fan of slimy/crunchy green-bean casserole, but certain people demand it. Everyday Food offers a home-made alternative with fresh beans, mushroom sauce, and home-made fried shallots in place of those canned onion sticks -- along with a plan for prepping the components in advance and assembling day-of, making the whole ordeal no more of a T-day burden than the classic canned-ingredients version. 

Bourbon sweet potatoes are another appealing alternative. While my stepdad loves a marshmallow-encrusted yam, I'm pretty sure he loves bourbon even more. 

Some of the non-holiday recipes look awesome. Of particular note: Spice-Rubbed pork with Acorn Squash, Winter Vegetable Soup, Roasted Tomato and Fennel Salad, and Lamb Chops with Herb-Mustard Crust (will attempt with cheaper meat before buying lamb).

So I've agreed to host thanksgiving for the second time, and while it went fine last year, I'd like to aim a little higher. Everyday Food recipes are not gourmet, but hopefully the practical advice will allow me to see beyond whether the menu is complete to what might make it interesting. And if not, this month's edition offers instructions for making a very large pitcher of whiskey-sour -- undoubtedly a better recipe of "interesting" than a bean casserole.