Dependence on onions!!

[Cooper'sMom]

My DH is very allergic to onions. I have tried cooking different varieties of them in my food and I particularly love Spanish Red Onions and thought I could hide them by chopping it almost to smittereens (sp?) but midnight came and DH kept me sleepless getting up to go to the toilet every 10 minutes or so. He has the gas. That was 3 childrens ago. Every now and then I will slip a little onion in the food that I cooked and I swore each time that I will never do that again. Then last year, I started removing the middle of the onion, the white part where the roots should be, chopped the rest and watched almost all night to see if it had affected him. It didn't so since then when a recipe calls for onions, that is exactly what I do, remove the white middle part of it. So we are in heaven...but that is a different story...

[MexicoKaren]

I suppose that onions are probably the most-represented ingredient in many of the dishes we cook. How many recipes start out with "sweating" chopped onions and garlic in olive oil/butter? I think some people just have different body chemistry...I read awhile back that many people cannot tolerate cilantro; it tastes like soap to them. For me, it is a fresh scent of heaven.

[buckytom]

lol, cooper's mom. it's always fun to experiment on our loved ones.

[Robo410]

onions are a base of cooking. Their acids tenderize other foods and their sugars caramelize and sweeten. Some types are stronger than others. The sweet onion...vidalia, walla walla, etc are very mild. However, you may be sensitive to the flavors. You certainly can cook without them but there really is no substitute for them. Same holds true for peppers in Latin cuisine.

Furthermore, both of these vegs are high in vit C and just plain good for you. So much cuisine from all continents and cultures rely on these base building veg.

[stinemates]

I think onions are really a base for every cuisine in the world. You'd be hard pressed to find a meal without them.

You must be a super taster! Do you often find yourself tasting very subtle flavor or is it only the onions that have that particular effect?

For me, I love em! Lots. And bell pepper? Love em stir fried, can't stand either raw.

[giggler]

I don't think this is so hard, just leave onions out. you may need to find something else to sort of round out the flavors, just try different things.

My SO. hates the flavor of "cooked" celery, even just a little. this at first gave me fits, as I'm rather "old school" and put chopped celery in most everything....

Now, I just don't use it, and found that either chopped bell peppers or chopped carrots, "depending on the dish" sub quite well...

Eric, Austin Tx.

[Bigjim68]

I wouldn't know how to cook without onions. I have garlic and shallots in the counter basket, red, green, Vidalia, and white in the fridge. Most of my own creations start with the onion family. I wrap whole Vidalias in foil and throw them on the grill or in the oven. and substitute for potatoes. I come by it naturally, my mother's favorite sandwich was homemade bread, butter, and slices of onion. This is the one onion preparation that I do not care for.

[HMGgal]

I'm cooking for my pregnant daughter right now and she's so weird about onions. For her, it's more the "slimy" texture of a cooked onion. I'll catch her picking through the dish and she will find them, no matter how small I mince them. Well, I will stand there and grate the darn things (not a great option for carmelizing and sweating), but at least the flavor is there. I've substituted green onions and leeks--neither of which bother her. So OCD. I guess I could just really chop them coarsely to make them easier to pick out, but I have a hard time watching a person pick through my food. My SIL has the soap cilantro thing, but I could roll in cilantro and will put it just about anything. Cilantro perfume? I'm there!

[Barbara L]

I'm one of those people who loves onions in just about everything. Things like stew, chili, and spaghetti (and many others) wouldn't be the same without onions in them. I love raw onions on burgers. I like green onions chopped and added to a salad or to the top of a baked potato with sour cream. Plus I love onion rings and the big fried onion flowers served at restaurants with a nice spicy sauce (had Lonestar Steak House's "Texas Rose" a couple nights ago).

They say your tastes change every seven years (this has held true for me, with eggs), so maybe someday you will learn to like them.

Barbara

[Barbara L]

Originally Posted by HMGgal

I'm cooking for my pregnant daughter right now and she's so weird about onions. For her, it's more the "slimy" texture of a cooked onion. I'll catch her picking through the dish and she will find them, no matter how small I mince them. Well, I will stand there and grate the darn things (not a great option for carmelizing and sweating), but at least the flavor is there. I've substituted green onions and leeks--neither of which bother her. So OCD. I guess I could just really chop them coarsely to make them easier to pick out, but I have a hard time watching a person pick through my food. My SIL has the soap cilantro thing, but I could roll in cilantro and will put it just about anything. Cilantro perfume? I'm there!

They sell bottled onion juice (spice aisle). Have you thought about trying that? As you said about grated onions, it would at least add the flavor.

Barbara