Vegan Cooking Tips with Ann Gentry

Ann Gentry is a chef, restaurateur, food educator and visionary. She opened Real Food Daily in Los Angeles 1993, a totally vegan and organic restaurant that has since spawned another in West Hollywood. Please visit Real Food Daily to find out more about this truly unique restaurant and to learn more about Ann Gentry.

Question:

How can I peel and cut an onion without tearing up? If I start tearing, what's the quickest way to get it to stop?

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Answer:

I've heard several wives tales:
Hold a match between your teeth.
With your knife indent the onion at it's root, to let air in.
Get the onion wet first.

My advice is to use a very sharp knife. This will allow you to cut the onion swiftly without crushing it. It is when you crush down on the onion with a dull blade that releases the pungent juices that make you tear up.

Remember to always wait to peel and cut an onion when you are ready to use it. Onions lose their flavor very quickly. Always peel the onion dry, don't get it wet.

To dice an onion: Onion is first sliced as 1/4 inch pieces, leaving root end uncut (the root end keeps the onion together). Then dice across in 1/4-inch slices to medium dice. Then the root end can be diced. To slice an onion or make half-moon shapes. Onion is peeled and sliced root to tip in thin slices.

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