Most of us like to use fresh ingredients in our cooking. But how often do we grab some powdered form when the fresh version is available at the grocery store? This is especially true when a recipe calls for onion. Even the food writers specify onion powder in their recipes to enhance flavors, particularly of meat.
I am aware of the fact that a cut portion of onion kept in the refrigerator should be tightly wrapped in plastic wrap or aluminum foil to prevent the onion smell from penetrating its surroundings. On the other hand, there are some people who love the smell and taste of raw onions and would not eat a main course without a slice. As a snack, some people will eat a raw onion just like an apple, a crunchy bite at a time.
No one really knows where onions originated. However, it was presumably in the Middle East, probably Mesopotamia, around 2400 B.C. There, the Code of Hammurabi stipulated that the needy shall receive a monthly ration of bread and onions. Onions were regarded as a food for the poor, who ate them raw on bread, a staple diet at the time.
The ancient Egyptians were great onion eaters, too. The onion is the plant most often shown in Egyptian art. It was sometimes depicted on altars, because baskets of onions were considered the second-best funerary offerings — the best being bread.
It is not known when onions reached Greece — probably around 500 B.C. Over time, the market in Athens offered a wider choice of vegetables, although they were quite expensive. This was not the case for onions, which were widely eaten, especially by the poor.
It also is not known when onions reached Rome, where they were the food of the poor. Onions were included in the first cookbook, designed and written by Apicius for use by the wealthy. He suggested using onions in sauces, but not as a vegetable. However, ordinary Romans had become addicted to onions and started their day with a breakfast of raw onions on bread.
Columella, the first agricultural writer of the Christian era, praised the onions of Pompeii, which were found in a brothel. They were not overcooked. Sadly, however, the guild refused admission to the onion mongers, who later formed their own guild. By 110 A.D., onions were respectable enough in Rome that they hung on ropes from the ceilings of first-floor markets.
When the barbarians arrived in Rome, they needed no instructions of how to use onions. The ancient Germans had learned how to season roasts and stews with onions.
During the Middle Ages, onions were a favorite food of the common people, but they also were appreciated by the not so common — including Charlemagne, who had them planted in his garden. Onions appear in French feudal deeds more frequently than any other vegetable. They were often listed as one of the crops used to pay rent.
Marco Polo reported from the Persian island of Hormuz (he gets around, doesn’t he?) that its inhabitants ate dates, salt cod and onions, on which they thrived. Further east, onions were less welcome. When the ancient Aryans invaded India, they allowed conquered people to eat onions, but their own citizens could not eat them.
Meanwhile, in England, onions had been popular since the last half of the 13th century. Alexander Neckham, abbot of Cirencester, had set an example by growing onions in his garden. A century later, onions and leeks were the favorite vegetables in England for salads.
In America, Cortez saw onions as his way to get around in Mexico. They were like a road map. Further north, a century later in 1624, Pere Marquette was saved from starvation by eating wild American onions.
In spite of the large variety of Native American onions — at least one for each of the lower 48 states — the onions in the United States today are almost all descendants of the Eurasian onion. It is possible that a native onion — which American cowboys put into their son-of-a-bitch stew and endowed with the name “skunk egg” — became a prime ingredient of a Texas specialty.
Although I use onions as a seasoning, I am fond of the following onion pie. It is a great light supper or luncheon dish.
Tomato, Cheese and Onion Pie
» 1 ¼ cups flour
» 5 tablespoons butter
» 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
» 4 to 5 tablespoons ice water
» 1 egg yolk
» 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Place the flour into the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter and shortening and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With the motor running, add the ice water 1 tablespoon at a time. Process just until the dough forms a ball. (If necessary, add 1 or 2 tablespoons more ice water.)
Place the dough on a floured surface and roll it out to fit a 10-inch deep-dish pie plate. Line the pie plate with the dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Then line the pan with aluminum foil, shiny side down, weight it with beans or pie weights and bake the pie shell in a preheated 425° F. oven for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the pie weights and the aluminum foil. Beat together the egg yolk and Worcestershire sauce and light brush the mixture over the bottom of the piecrust. Bake for another 5 minutes. Cool the crust slightly while preparing the filling. Reduce the oven heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
» 3 tablespoons butter
» 2 large Vidalia onions, sliced
» ½ pound Gruyère cheese
» 2 tablespoons flour
» 2 large tomatoes
» ¾ cup whipping cream
Melt the butter in a large frying pan; add the onions and sauté over medium heat until they turn golden, stirring frequently. This will take about 10 minutes.
Grate the cheese and toss it with the flour.
To assemble the pie, sprinkle a large handful of the cheese mixture over the pie crust. Spread the onions on top. Slice the tomatoes and arrange the slices over the onions. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Beat the eggs with the cream and pour the mixture over the pie. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the pie is firm in the middle. Serves 6.
February 03, 2021 at 06:00AM
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Hilde Lee: Want directions for an onion and tomato pie? Read 'em and weep - The Daily Progress
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Pie
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