I love traveling. Whether I’m headed to a small town in the Midwest or a bustling market in Taiwan, my heart always races a bit as I board the plane just thinking about all the amazing new food adventures waiting for me. Touching down this week in Manhattan, one of my favorite cities on the planet, was no different. 

New York City is full of hidden gems. Strolling down the street, you feel like an explorer on a mission to discover your newest favorite eatery. On Sunday afternoon, I came across Antique Garage in SoHo, a sweet little spot that was just perfect for some hummus and raspberry and blackberry vodka lemonade. The next night, after stopping by the Today Show and photographing the cover of my upcoming cookbook What’s for Dinner?, a group of us grabbed a table at the window and some fantastic fried olives at Balaboosta. My favorite discovery this trip, however, was actually a re-discovery. The first time I’d been to Torrisi in Little Italy, I was blown away. So I was nervous that this tiny 25-seat restaurant wouldn’t live up to my memory. It didn’t—it was better.

In a city jam-packed with dining options, Torrisi stands out as a true original. The intimate dining room has plain tiled walls and a chalkboard listing the nightly seven-course tasting menu. Tables are pressed up against each other and waiters look like they’re doing yoga as they stretch to reach each diner. But the laid back room and super simple menu descriptions (Duck Rillette Maraschino, Linguine and Clams) hide a little secret: the food at this little Italian-American eatery is out of this world. Plate after plate looks good and tastes amazing. Under-promise and over-deliver is definitely the code Torrisi lives by.

It was a great trip, full of fabulous food, but I’m happy to be heading home to my family in Los Angeles today. After all, they make my heart race, too.

For a chef, onions are right up there with salt on the essential ingredient scale. With their pungent flavor and nose-tingling aroma, onions form the foundation in so many dishes all around the world.

Onions have been around for some 5,000 years. Ancient Egyptians worshipped the bulb, believing it’s round shape and rings represented eternity. In Greece, athletes ate them by the chariot-load to balance the blood and Roman Gladiators took sponge baths of onion juice to firm up their muscles. Turns out they weren’t far off. Onions have been found in studies to boost our bone density and cardiovascular system and even protect you against some kinds of cancer. Not bad for a pantry staple.

Onions are part of the Allium family that includes chives, leeks, garlic and scallions. While there are tons of varieties of onions, they all fit into two basic categories: green or dry.

Green onions are harvested when the tops are still green and before a large bulb has been formed. While now available all year round, green onions were once just seedlings that were picked in the spring in order to thin out the onion fields. Both the green and white parts can be eaten as they have a mild flavor that works beautiful in salads or as finishing touch on cooked dishes.

Dry onions are mature onions with a juicy flesh and paper-like skin that’s red, brown, yellow or white in color. Dry onions come in a variety of different shapes, sizes, and most importantly, flavors. Choosing the best one for your dish largely depends on how prominent you want the onion-essence to be. In spring and summer, dry onions will have a lighter color and thinner skin and tend to be juicier, sweeter and milder. The same varieties in fall and winter will develop a thicker, darker skin and take on a more robust flavor. The cool-weather onions have less water, which actually means they keep longer.

When choosing dry onions, look for bulbs that are heavy for their size with dry papery skins. Avoid any with moistness or soft spots, which can indicate the onion has started to rot. Store in a cool, dry place. They can last up to 2 months. Cut onions should be wrapped well and kept in the fridge. Use within 4 days.

Spanish onions

The most common onion in the US, Spanish onions are large and round with a thin brown skin. The flesh is yellow or white with a mild and tender flesh that browns beautifully when sautéed.

Red (or Italian) onions

Easy to spot by their almost purplish red skin, red onions are mild and slightly sweet with a strikingly colored flesh that looks gorgeous in salads.

Globe onions

Available with yellow, white or red skins, globe onions are heavy-hitters. With a flavor ranging from pungent to straight-out strong, use these onions in recipes that show off the bulb’s flavor, such as French onion soup. Like Spanish onions, the light colored varieties brown nicely when cooked.

White onions

Used widely in Latin American cooking, the pale and thin-skinned white onions are large in size with a mildly tangy flavor.

Pearl onions

These tiny white onions are roughly the size of a marble and have a sweet, delicate flavor. They’re beautiful creamed, roasted or glazed with a little balsamic vinegar. You’ll often see these types pickled and served as a condiment or garnish on cocktails.

Vidalia onions

Even people who don’t usually like onions often like Vidalia onions. Like other sweet onions, such as Bermuda, Walla Walla and Maui onions, Vidalia are super sweet and juicy. They pair amazingly with pungent blue cheeses and balance spice rubbed meats beautifully.

Celebrate onions with a satisfying Classic French Onion Soup.