Onion Worship

The Onion was worshipped by Ancient Egyptians.  They often used onions as funeral offerings, placing them in the eyes, pelvic and thorax while mummifying their Pharaohs. It's probably the bad breath thing that has kept the onion on the social outskirts in modern times but in ancient days their strong odor was thought to get the dead to breath again and their purifying quality were considered magical. They believed the onion's circle within a circle indicated eternal life. Yet, these days, the underrated onion is relegated to a common condiment for belch-inducing meat products such as hot dogs, hamburgers and chili. This reliable, vaguely exotic and aged vegetable offers cleansing health benefits as well as supplying us with cancer and stroke fighting flavinoids while playing perfect accompaniment to a wide variety of food. And since onions are used in almost every culture they can walk the map with you to whichever destination you desire. Add some chick peas and spices for Chana Bhaji in India, some zucchini and cappellini for Pasta Primavera in Italy, steep some Apple Onion Soup in Germany or head to France for some Mushroom Onion Quiche.

The pilgrims liked onions for their durability since they keep well in winter if stored in a dry, dark place so they brought them along with them on the Mayflower. When they got here they found onions growing wild, all different types of onions, good for all different forms of food. Red onions are great raw in salads or for skewers on the grill. Yellow are great for sauteeing, and roasting and ideal for soups, anytime the recipe calls for the onion to be cooked slow and long. White onion varities are sweeter so are good to use when lightly baking and grilling and is the main onion used in Mexican cuisine.

Because those cancer and stroke fighting flavanoids are also considered a useful natural anti-imflammatory, I use a lot of onions. To add convenience, whenever I mix up a batch of onions I always make some extra and seal them up in the fridge. Go for it. Sautee the entire onion - make it two! Spice them up with some basil or cumin, depending on your regional tastes at the time or keep them au naturel and ready for tomorrow's spice du jour. And the bad breath thing? Try to have some washed parsley on hand. It works wonders for future smooches and is great for your liver!