Cooking

 Onions lend themselves to a variety of cooking methods

Highly versatile, onions are an indispensable commodity throughout the world, lending themselves to a variety of preparations and cooking methods.

So why do they make you cry?

When you pierce an onion, you cut its cellular network, releasing a series of sulfur-based compounds that instantly combine and re-combine, causing sulfonic acid to be given off and triggering our tear response when we breathe it in. Now, aren’t you sorry you asked?

 Balsamic vinegar has a variety of uses. Have you ever tried drizzling a little on a baked potato instead of using butter or sour cream? How about over steamed vegetables or in place of soy sauce in stir-fried vegetables? Some use it as a substitute for salt with either meat or poultry.

I think one of the best uses of balsamic vinegar is over fresh tomatoes and mozzarella, with just a little touch of basil. It just seems to bring out the flavor of the basil.

 At one time or another, we’ve all been to a restaurant and had a really fantastic meal and wished we could make that same meal at home. And you probably could, if only you knew the exact ingredients, how to prepare the special sauce and how long to cook it. But, it always seems there’s an ingredient or two you’ve left out, as it just doesn’t taste quite the same as what you had in the restaurant.