Quick! What's the ONE vegetable your kitchen is never without?

If you're like me, onions were your answer. I love them in all forms. I love "hot" white onions chopped fine and put on a bowl of steaming chili. I love red ones sliced in salad. I love green onions in my stir-frys and on top of baked potatoes.

But, most of all, I love sweet yellow onions. My favorites are the Texas 1015s, a product of genetic tinkering at Texas A&M University. Every year, I'd hang out at Central Market waiting for the massive, melon-sized 1015s to become available. I baked them, fried them, sauteed them, ate them raw and added them to everything short of ice cream.

Now, before you folks in Georgia get all bent, I like Vidalias, too. I've eaten Vidalias, Walla Wallas, Colorado onions and even some sweet imports from Peru that challenged any domestic ones.

One night, when I was getting ready to make my pan-seared ribeyes, I decided some sauteed onions would go nicely on top of the steaks. I had just put the onions in the skillet over medium-high heat when my upstairs neighbor knocked on my door, needing help moving a couch in her apartment. I turned the burner to low just to keep things cooking and headed upstairs for what I thought would be the work of a couple of minutes.

Almost 20 minutes later, I came back to the kitchen after having manhandled the largest sofa in the universe, an entertainment center and a coffee table that weighed as much as a water buffalo expecting to find ruined onions. To my delight, they weren't ruined at all. Rather, they had attained a deep brown color and had a sweetness that knocked my socks off. Quite by accident, I had discovered the miracle known as caramelization, wherein onions are cooked slowly to bring out their natural sugars and turn them into something almost sweet enough to be dessert.

If you want to make your own caramelized onions, start with four or five yellow onions of your choice sliced thinly. In a heavy skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of a neutral oil such as canola over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute for just a couple of minutes, until you see some browning. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are a deep brown and smell sweet. It will take anywhere from 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the onions and your stove's heat.

These onions go great on and in just about anything. Add them to your soup or spaghetti sauce. Put them on hamburgers with some swiss cheese to make a superb patty melt. Make cheesesteaks with them. Eat them straight out of the skillet. Pack them in a sandwich bag and snack on them while you drive. (OK, maybe that last is a bit much.)

Once you taste them, you will start pulling leftovers out of the fridge and putting caramelized onions on them, just experimenting. Trust me.

New York Bold

Scott Keyes wrote to tell me about New York Bold Onions, a hybrid which is, as the name would imply, available primarily in the New York state area. He was positively rhapsodic about the flavor, and sent me two small bags to put through the Mongo Test Kitchen experience.

To say I was impressed is putting it mildly. As the name would imply, these are bold onions. Eaten raw, they've got the bite of a great white onion. However, when caramelized, they take on an entirely different character. They're every bit as sweet as any sweet yellow I've ever tasted, and hold together very well after prolonged cooking. Some onions break apart, leaving you with a sweet onion mush that may taste good, but is decidedly unappetizing in appearance.

If you live in the Northeast, check with your local produce guru about New York Bolds. They're expanding their distribution area, and have recently moved into Pennsylvania.

The folks at New York Bold were kind enough to share with us their recipe for Bubbling Bold Onion Dip. This can be made with other yellow onions.

Bubbling Bold Onion Dip

2 tablespoons olive oil
5 New York Bold Onions, peeled and sliced thinly along the longitudinal lines
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup chopped walnuts
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon hot sauce or to taste

Preheat oven to 375° F.

Pour oil into a large sauté pan. Add onions and cook over medium-high heat until onions start to brown on the bottom, stirring occasionally. When onions are evenly browned, sprinkle with salt, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and continue cooking until onions are a deep honey brown. If necessary, add up to 1/3 cup water and scrape brown caramelized bits from bottom of pan so they don’t burn. It will take 20 to 25 minutes to release the sugar in the onions and deepen the flavor.

Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl. When onions are done, allow to cool slightly, then stir into cheese mixture. Spoon into a greased 2-quart baking dish and bake 25 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips or crackers.

Makes about 4 cups

Got a question? Comment? Topic you'd like to see covered? Drop me a line, anytime! Large cash grants and professions of undying love are also accepted.

Previous Stories:

• Oct. 8, 2004: Edible Discoveries
• Oct. 1, 2004: Ice Cream Travelogue
• Sep. 24, 2004: Geaux Fish
• Sep. 17, 2004:In Praise Of Ice Cream
• Sep. 10, 2004: Building Your Storm Pantry
• Sep. 3, 2004: The Great Foodie Test
• Aug. 27, 2004: Leftover Surprise!
• Aug. 20, 2004: The True Greats
• Aug. 13, 2004: Introduction To Greek Food
• Aug. 6, 2004: Books For Cooks