case, i was watching that onion special...he said to cut the onion in half, peel off the skin and leave it face down instead of the cut part up...that didn't make any sense to me because eventually, if you're cutting it, the smell is going to come up anyway. the REAL secret that he didn't mention is to use refrigerated onions- when they are room tempurature, they make you cry a lot more.

Actually, I think refridgerated onions would be fine, but you shouldn't store them in the fridge because they get all mushy...we usually stick the onion in the freezer for about an hour before cutting it...it seems to help.

More like 20 minutes. :)

The whole point he was making is that regardless of what you do, the vapour is gonna get you. It's a hazard of working with onions. And for what its worth, I've never found a refrigerated or partially frozen onion to do much in the way of killing the vapours off, though it may help a bit.

Although now that I think about it, freezing an onion might not be the best way to keep it flavourful. Burst cell walls, blah blah blah.

Chocolate is good for our life.

To keep an onion from making you cry, run cold water over it as you peel it and after you cut it in half. And put cold water on the cutting board before slicing it.

I'll give it a try next time. I'm being forced to make french onion soup sometime this week.

Forced? You belong in the kitchen. That's why I married you. Now, go make me some soup. :)

Alton Brown RULES !!!!!! Good eats is on of my FAV. food network shows !!!!
Bobby flay is an ASS !!!
Emril is ok but he doesn't cook verry much NORMAL food .

Onions , and runny eyes .
The best thing i ever found was to let it all hang out at first , then wash your hands and eyes in cold water . I learned this on mess duty in the Marines . Ever had to peel , and process 300lbs of onions ?? NOT FUN !!!

French Onion soup when done correctly is one of the best'est things on this earth !!!!!:D

I always was told that if when you begin to cut an onion notice if you are breathing through your mouth or your nose. If it's your mouth then dont stop breathing through your mouth if nose then keep nose breathing. Haven't tried it so dont know if it works also since I can't cook for shit I probably wont try it. But one thing I can make is one hell of Uncle Ben's rice!

i thought you were supposed to hang a piece of white bread out of your mouth, to absorb the fumes?

The only thing that really works is to pay someone else to do it.

Two words:

Food Processor.

Another two words (and then some):

Food Chopper. (you know, the damn thing as seen on tv? Spring loaded plunger on a dome that you put over the vegetable which offends you and you mash up and down on it ... and what about that amazing thing from the 70s Ronco heyday, that sliced, diced and made julliene fries? Oh, and don't go into the kitchen without a mandolin.)

I like to use freeze dried onions.

I've been meaning to pick up a food chopper. Maybe I'll do that tonight.

And yeah. I didn't know how badly i needed a mandolin until I got one. I love it.

Food, clothing, shelter, and eight stringed instruments, needs don't get any more basic than that. Welcome to club-mando. :)