If you tried the caramelized onions in the recipe below, you may already be hooked.

If you want to make large quantities of caramelized onions, you can use a slow cooker. It spares you from having to constantly stir the onions. However, the onions don’t get browned as they do in a skillet. You can try browning them in a hot skillet before serving.

Watch how in this video, which combines the caramelized onions with mashed potatoes (so delicious!). While the video doesn’t add salt or pepper to the slow cooker, add some; then taste and adjust the seasonings at the end of cooking.

Caramelized onions rock a burger, sandwich,
eggs and more. Photo courtesy McCormick.com.

Caramelized onions are a great culinary treat that few people enjoy often enough.

You can caramelize any type of onion. Sautéeing slowly brings out rich, sweet onion flavor as the natural sugars in the onions caramelize. Start with standard yellow onions, then try other varieties to see which you prefer (red onions add more color).

FOOD TRIVIA: Standard onions actually have more sugar than the more expensive sweet onion varieties. Sweet onions seem sweeter because they contain fewer acrid sulfur compounds.

Slather caramelized onions on burgers and sandwiches, on pastas and pizzas, as a condiment with egg, fish and meat dishes or as a garnish for soups. Garnish mashed potatoes and rice. Toss them into a green salad or grilled vegetable plate with some goat cheese.

Try a small batch with oil and another batch with butter. Then, vary the types of onions, to see which recipe you prefer. You can vary the recipe by adding sliced mushrooms.

Ingredients

 
Preparation
1. Slice the top off the onion, peel, halve and slice into half rings.
2. Add butter/oil to a large, heavy skillet and turn heat to medium-high until it begins to bubble. If you are using butter, note that it can burn if overheated, so keep an eye on it.
3. Add onions to skillet and stir to coat with fat. Add salt, pepper and optional sugar.
4. Stir constantly until the onions begin to darken and soften, about 5 minutes. Some slices will stick to the bottom of the pan. If you are having difficulty scraping them up as you stir, deglaze the pan with a tablespoon of water, broth, wine or beer. You can deglaze as often as needed
5. Continue stirring until the onions are golden brown, translucent and the texture you desire—from al dente to soft—up to 20 minutes.
6. Remove from stove and add optional splash of balsamic vinegar.

Enjoy them and make another, much larger batch immediately—you’ll definitely want more!

To make large quantities, take a look at this cooking video.

Grandma Hoerner’s Big Slice Applesauce
is the chunkiest you’ll find. Photo by
River Soma | THE NIBBLE.

Well, “chunky” may not be the most accurate word.

Grandma Hoerner’s makes a specialty applesauce called Big Slice, because the applesauce is mostly large slices of apples, just like in a pie—but stewed to softness instead of baked.

Grandma Hoerner was raised on an apple orchard in Kansas, and began making applesauce in the late 1880s. Her grandson, Duane McCoy, began bottling and selling Grandma’s recipe in 1986. And we really like it.

The applesauce is made from all-natural, slow cooked apples. No sugar is added; the products are sweetened with fruit juice. In addition to the original All Natural Big Slice, Grandma Hoerner’s makes several varieties with added fruits or spices:

We tried the original Big Slice applesauce, plus the Apricot and Strawberry versions. Compared to the glamour of the compound flavors, the original flavor was the plain sister. Go for the Cinnamon instead.

We loved Apricot and Strawberry, and look forward to trying the rest of the line. And at $5.50 for a 26-ounce jar, they’re a good value.

The products are available at GrandmaHoerners.com. They can be enjoyed as a side or dessert. Packaged in attractive Mason jars, they make inexpensive small gifts and stocking stuffers.

Thanks, Grandma Hoerner.

Dijon mustard atop mustard seeds. Photo by Saidi Granados | THE NIBBLE.

You may have seen mustard listed as an ingredient in vinagrette.

It adds delicious flavor, but it also serves as an emulsifier, so the dressing doesn’t break back into separate oil and vinegar layers.

You can use prepared Dijon mustard, or–if you like some heat–Coleman’s mustard.

Prepare your vinaigrette in the usual ratio of 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. In addition to the mustard, you can include fresh garlic.

Ingredients

Preparation
1. Whisk together the vinegar, garlic and mustard.
2. Add the olive oil in a slow stream, continuing to whisk.
3. Add seasonings and adjust as necessary.

Check out the different types of mustard in our Mustard Glossary.

Ah, spring. The days are longer, it’s getting warmer and soon spring vegetables will be in the market.

Add some spring touches to your sandwiches:

Tandoori chicken salad sandwich, topped with
pickled onions and cucumbers, from
Fredi Sandwich Bar in New York City. Photo
courtesy Fredi.

It’s easy to make from scratch. Photo
by M. Sheldrake | IST.

Whether you’re planning a duck, goose, ham or turkey for Christmas, make your own delicious cranberry sauce as a side. It’s easy, and tastes so much better than store-bought.

CRANBERRY SAUCE RECIPE

Ingredients

Preparation

1. Wash cranberries under cold water and place in a sauce pan with brown sugar, cinnamon stick, half the orange juice, salt, jalapeño and bourbon.

2. Bring mixture to boil on high heat, then maintain a simmer on low heat. The cranberries should pop and break down.

3. When the orange juice has reduced by half (about 5 minutes), add the second half of the orange juice. If the orange juice reduces too quickly before the cranberries fully break down, you can simply add water, about 2 tablespoons at a time, until the cranberries pop and resemble jam.

4. Strain the mixture through a strainer, to separate the skins and stems. Push the mixture through with the back of a spoon.

5. Place back in pan, stir and taste. If the sauce is still acidic, add honey 1 tablespoon at a time. You may not need all the honey.

6. Add a few drops of lemon juice to brighten up the cranberry sauce.

7. It’s ready to serve!

Add blueberries to your cranberry relish.
Recipe and photo courtesy Chilean Fresh
Fruit Association.

It isn’t blueberry season—at least not in the U.S. But fresh blueberries from Chile are available. Not at low summer prices, mind you. But those who love their blueberries year-round need not go without.

One reason to buy fresh blueberries now is to make this easy and delicious Blueberry Cranberry Relish, delicious with Christmas turkey and ham.

FRESH BLUEBERRY & CRANBERRY RELISH RECIPE
This recipe is best made a day or two in advance to let flavors blend. It makes 12 quarter-cup servings.

Ingredients

Preparation
1. Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
2. Cook until the sugar dissolves and the berries soften, for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and chill.

Nutrients per serving: calories 76, fat 0, cholesterol 0, sodium 0, dietary fiber 0, protein 0.

Serving Suggestions

Also see our recipe for Cranberry Relish With Port.

While you’re at it, make a Frozen Cranberry Margarita, Cranberry Mojito or Crantini (cranberry martini).

Add some spark to your cranberry sauce with a bit of Port.

This tip is from Sable & Rosenfeld, who gave us the roast turkey recipe below. You can purchase their Port Cranberry Sauce online.

You can use your favorite cranberry sauce recipe, or this classic cranberry-orange relish that can be made several days in advance. Another tip: Cranberry sauce can be frozen and defrosted to enjoy with any meat or poultry dish.

CRANBERRY SAUCE WITH PORT RECIPE

Ingredients

Cranberry-orange relish, finely pulsed.
Photo by S.F. Foodphoto | IST.

Preparation
1. Wash cranberries under cold running water. Soak overnight in Ruby Port with cinnamon stick.
2. To begin making the sauce, drain the cranberries—but don’t toss the Port. It can be used in another recipe or sauce (or you can drink it!).
3. Slice orange into eighths; remove any seeds.
4. Place half of the cranberries and half of the oranges in a food processor. Pulse until evenly chopped.
5. Transfer to a bowl and repeat with the other half of the cranberries and oranges.
6. Add sugar to taste. We typically reduce the sugar, so add one cup to begin with; chill and adjust sugar if necessary. Cranberry sauce should be tart-and-sweet, not overly sweet.

Serves 10.

Make a beautiful potato salad with Yukon
Gold and Purple Peruvian potatoes. Photo ©
Svetlana Kolpakova | Dreamstime.

You can add instant excitement to most recipes that use mayonnaise by switching regular mayo for wasabi mayonnaise. The Japanese condiment pairs easily with American foods.

We’re now addicted to wasabi mayonnaise potato salad, wasabi coleslaw, wasabi deviled eggs and wasabi spread on sandwiches and burgers.

If you can’t find wasabi mayonnaise, you can order it online. Our favorite is Green Dragon Lemonaise from The Ojai Cook (read our review).

We also found Spectrum brand Wasabi Style Mayonnaise at Whole Foods Market. It’s USDA-certified organic, OU kosher and uses cage-free eggs. We applaud all that; but we’ll return to The Ojai Cook’s Green Dragon Lemonaise, which has a richer, eggier mayonnaise flavor. Both are available at Amazon.com.

If you’re not a wasabi fan but still like a bit of spice, look for chipotle mayonnaise.

Unlike mustard, pickles and other condiments that are essentially the same as at the time of their invention, mayonnaise evolved into something quite different.

The “original” mayonnaise was a sauce served at a banquet following the 1756 Battle of Mahón, a city on the island of Minorca in the Mediterranean. The new recipe was named “sauce Mahónnaise” by the chef, in honor of the French victory.

Over the years, the sauce underwent an evolution. The mayonnaise we know was developed by the great French chef Marie-Antoine Carême, founder of the concept of haute cuisine. If not for Carême, the sandwich spread and binder for the tuna salad and potato salad that we love might not exist.

The brilliant Carême also developed the “mother sauce” system of French cuisine; mille-feuille pastry used to make napoleon pastry; éclairs; meringue cookies; and charlottes, among other contributions.

Can’t live without mayo? Give thanks to
Marie-Antoine Carême. Photo by © Robyn Mac | Fotolia.