The Elegant Onion: The Art of Allium Cookery

The 150-odd recipes here present the onion and its relativesleeks, scallions, garlic, chives and shallotsin forms that range from mild to fierce. Onion-patch spring soup calls for onions to be cooked until they are slightly caramelized and for leeks, chives and scallions to be addedto provide a springy tang. An onion medley stir-fry is slightly more aggressive, and a roast chicken with sage and onion stuffing is mouth-watering. The chapter on condiments includes sweet-and-spicy onion mustard, bittersweet onion marmelade and Bermuda banana chutney. There's also much allium lore, including poetic allusions and suggestions on how to alleviate onion breath. (October)