When we lived in India, our cooks got a BIG kick out of how I cut an onion. They were giving me a cooking lesson, and stuck me with the tearful task of chopping onions.
You people who wear contacts do have it lucky – you can cut an onion without crying.
Upon returning to the States, a kind friend taught me her simple technique that is fast and effective. I still tear up . . . but sometimes I can be quick enough with my hands -- not giving the onion a chance to team up with the air to make me cry.
To slice an onion, using a sharp knife (I like Cutco) make vertical crosshatching incisions through the onion body, but not down to the cutting board. You don’t want your onion to fall apart.
Your onion should look like a flower waiting to bloom.
With a firm hand, turn your onion onto its side. Slice perpendicular or vertically down towards the cutting board. If done properly you will see tiny little pieces fall before your very cautious eyes.
Hurry! You don’t want to cry!
(Use this cutting technique to make Okra!)
