Looking for a new way to use Texas 1015s or your favorite sweet onion? Try this Texas Sweet Onion Pie, which uses the onions that were named for the day on which they are planted, 1015 or Oct. 15.

“Cooking the onions in a pie – a throwback to the days of quiche – brings out their gentle flavor and makes a perfect lunch or brunch dish,” writes Caroline Stuart in “The Food of Texas: Authentic Recipes from the Lone Star State.” “The pie freezes well, so make two and keep one for another day.”

Texas Sweet Onion Pie

3 tablespoons butter
4 cups thinly sliced Texas 1015s or other sweet onion
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons flour
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese, grated
3 eggs
1 (9-inch) deep-dish pie shell, unbaked

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a sauté pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until tender, about 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile, put the milk and salt in a saucepan over medium heat to scaled, then set aside to cool.

In a bowl, stir together the flour and the chili powder, then add the cheese and toss to mix.

In another bowl, whisk the eggs until blended, then stir them into the scalded milk. Add the cheese mixture and mix well.

Drain any liquid from the sautéed onions and spoon the sautéd slices into the pie shell. Pour the egg and cheese mixture over the onions to fill the pie shell. Bake until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a rack. Serve warm.

Makes 8 servings.

Source: “The Food of Texas: Authentic Recipes from the Lone Star State” by Caroline Stuart

Serve this alongside prime rib, turkey or a pork roast with dinner.

Creamed Onions

3 pounds small yellow onions (larger than pearl onions)
2 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons flour
1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
1/4 cup dry sherry
Salt, to taste
White pepper, to taste
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Trim the ends of the onions and peel. Place the onions in a saucepan and add the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer 10 minutes, or until just tender. Strain, reserving the stock, and set the onions aside. Return the stock to the pan and bring to a simmer.

In a small frying pan, melt the butter and add the flour. Cook together to make a roux. Do not brown. Add the roux to the hot stock and whisk until smooth and thickened. Stir in the cream and sherry and simmer 2 minutes more. Add salt and white pepper to taste, the nutmeg and parsley. Combine the cream sauce with the onions and place in a small round ovenproof casserole. Bake in an oven preheated to 375 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes until hot and bubbly. Brown the top under the broiler, if you wish.

Makes 6 servings.

From “The Frugal Gourmet Celebrates Christmas” by Jeff Smith

(photo: Nicholas N. Mistry)

I blame Walt Disney for the general reluctance that the American public has shown towards  rabbit.  Cooking and eating it, not watching funny bunnies with cereal or Elmer Fudd.  I mean, did you see Thumper and think, “Hey, fricasseed rabbit sounds good tonight”?

I do think that way.  I pass herds of goats, see ducks flying north or south, and even look at the cows on the range thinking, “Many meals.”  My wife laughs, but I am a carnivore through and through.  So frogs, peacocks, feral hogs, or rabbits are things I see and my thoughts drift to recipes.  I will share one with you right now.

Rabbit Curry

In many local groceries and meat markets there is fresh or frozen rabbit.  It is just cut up pieces of the critter, cleaned, ready to cook.  This recipe is a fricassée, or a braised/stewed dish. So the meat will simmer in a little liquid for long enough to tenderize it and allow the seasoning to infuse it.  This will take about two hours to prepare, but it is all simple stuff.

3-4 pounds of rabbit, thawed, rinsed, dried with paper towels
1/4 cup dry curry mix (mild or hot, your choice)
2 teaspoons ground coriander seeds
1 teaspoon ground cumin seeds
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup vegetable oil (corn, peanut, or canola)
1 large onion, chopped
4 large cloves garlic, minced
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 cup vegetable stock (or 1 teaspoon vegetable stock concentrate with 1 cup water)
1 cup white wine (avoid oaky whites like Chardonnay)
1 (15-ounce) can coconut milk/cream
2 (15-ounce) cans garbanzo beans, drained
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat a large skillet or Dutch oven on the stove and add oil.  Heat to medium-hot.

As it heats, place dried rabbit in a bowl that large enough to toss the pieces without making a mess.  Mix curry powder, coriander, and cumin.  Sprinkle half of it on the rabbit and toss to coat.  Add flour to the bowl and toss to coat.

Then use tongs to place the rabbit pieces into the skillet to brown.  When all is placed in the skillet, dump leftover flour and seasonings in the bowl into the skillet.  Turn pieces as needed to brown on all sides.  When all pieces are browned, remove from skillet and set aside.

While the rabbit is browning, prep your onion, garlic, and celery.  Have your tomatoes, coconut milk, wine, vegetable stock, and remaining seasonings handy.

When the rabbit is removed from the skillet, add the onions, garlic, and celery.  Stir well and let cook until onions start to become translucent. Then add vegetable stock, wine, coconut milk, and stir well, removing any bits stuck on the bottom of the skillet.  Then add garbanzos and tomatoes.  Stir in and cover skillet, reduce heat to maintain a low simmer for one hour.

Check seasonings and adjust as needed.  Taste a garbanzo bean.  If it does not just melt into a rich goodness on your tongue, recover the skillet and simmer for another 30 minutes.

This is well accompanied by rice and serves 6.  Reheats and freezes well.

From Cecil Flentge

Many of the people we spoke with after preview screenings of “Julie & Julia” had one thing on their minds: boeuf bourguignon. The hearty beef stew is a centerpiece of one of the movie’s more appetizing food scenes.

Jessica Young was so inspired by the movie that she went out in search of her own copy of “Mastering the Art of French Cooking. “I’m obsessed,” she says. “Since the movie I have been lucky enough to find a 14^th printing of her first cookbook in Half Price Books (I love that it is used …) and I made beef bourguignon, which I have to say is very delicious!”

COCO Chocolate Lounge and Bistro, 18402 U.S. 281 N., Suite 114, is serving the dish tonight, Aug. 7, as a special.

But if you would rather try it at home, like Julie Powell and Jessica Young, here is Julia Child’s original recipe, lightly adapted  from “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” and complete with her comments:

Boeuf Bourguignon
Boeuf a la Bourguignonne
[Beef Stew in Red Wine, with Bacon, Onions, and Mushrooms]

As is the case with most famous dishes, there are more ways than one to arrive at a good boeuf bourguignon. Carefully done, and perfectly flavored, it is certainly one of the most delicious beef dishes concocted by man, and can well be the main course for a buffet dinner. Fortunately, you can prepare it completely ahead, even a day in advance, and it only gains in flavor when reheated.

Vegetable and wine suggestions: Boiled potatoes are traditionally served with this dish. Buttered noodles or steamed rice may be substituted. If you also wish a green vegetable, buttered peas would be your best choice. Serve with the beef a fairly full-bodied, young red wine, such as Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone, Bordeaux-St. Émilion or Burgundy.

For 6 people.

• A 6-ounce chunk of bacon

Remove rind, and cut bacon into lardoons (sticks, ¼-inch thick and 1 1/2-inches long). Simmer rind and bacon for 10 minutes in 1 ½ quarts of water. Drain and dry.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

• A 9- to 10-inch fireproof casserole 3 inches deep
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or cooking oil
• A slotted spoon

Sauté the bacon in the oil over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon. Set casserole aside. Reheat until fat is almost smoking before you sauté the beef.

• 3 pounds lean stewing beef cut into 2-inch cubes

Dry the beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Sauté it, a few pieces at a time, in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the bacon.

• 1 sliced carrot
• 1 sliced onion

In the same fat, brown the vegetables. Pour out the sautéing fat.

• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons flour

Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with the salt and pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of pre-heated oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return to oven for 4 minutes more. (This browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust.) Remove casserole, and turn oven down to 325 degrees.

• 3 cups of a full-bodied young red wine, such as one of those suggested for serving, or a Chianti
• 2 to 3 cups brown beef stock or canned beef bouillon
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 cloves mashed garlic
• ½ teaspoon thyme
• A crumbled bay leaf
• The blanched bacon rind

Stir in the wine and enough stock or bouillon so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs and bacon rind. Bring to simmer on top of the stove. Then cover the casserole and set in lower third of pre-heated oven. Regulate heat so liquid simmers very slowly for 2 ½ to 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

• 18 to 24 small white onions, brown-braised in stock.
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup beef stock
• salt & fresh ground pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig thyme
• 2 sprigs parsley

• 1 pound fresh mushrooms, quartered
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms.

Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet and add the onions to the skillet. Sauté over medium heat for about ten minutes, rolling the onions about so they brown as evenly as possible, without breaking apart. Pour in the stock, season to taste, add the herbs, and cover. Simmer over low heat for about 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape and the liquid has mostly evaporated. Remove the herbs and set the onions aside.

For the mushrooms, heat the butter and oil over high heat in a large skillet. As soon as the foam begins to subside add the mushrooms and toss and shake the pan for about five minutes. As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat. Set the mushrooms aside until needed.

When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan. Wash out the casserole and return the beef and bacon to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms over the meat.

Skim the fat off the sauce. Simmer sauce for a minute or two, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 ½ cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons of stock or canned bouillon. Taste carefully for seasoning. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables. (Recipe may be completed in advance to this point.)

• Parsley sprigs

For immediate serving: Cover the casserole and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times. Serve in its casserole, or arrange the stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles, or rice and decorated with parsley.

For later serving: When cold, cover and refrigerate. About 15 to 20 minutes before serving, bring to the simmer, cover and simmer very slowly for 10 minutes, occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce.

From knopfdoubleday.com and www.RecipeZaar.com.

This book is not a collection of Chicken Fried Steak or Poke Salad With Ham Hocks recipes. The title refers to different countries, not “out in the country.” In that pursuit, this is a great sampler of recipes from different cultures and climes. The book can give you a peek into styles of cooking you may want to explore in greater detail. There are French, Italian, German, and Spanish recipes. But there are also recipes from Lebanon, Romania, Peru, Venezuela, Japan, Iran, Israel, China, and Poland.

Take a journey from your kitchen to places you always wanted to visit. Once you get to know what they eat in Tunisia, maybe you will relate more to that country. Try this recipe; it may be your first ‘culinary travel ticket.’

Braised Beef with Rice and Olives (Marketzeit)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound stewing beef cut into 1-inch cubes
2 onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
4 ounces raw (uncooked) long-grain rice
1 cup beef broth
2 cups canned tomatoes
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 cup pitted green olives, sliced
1 cup chopped parsley

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or enameled casserole. Add the beef cubes and sauté evenly over moderately high heat until barely browned, about ten minutes.

Stirring constantly, add the onions, garlic, and rice and cook for a minute or two. Reduce heat and stir in beef broth and tomatoes.  Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for one hour.  Add the sliced olives and continue simmering until meat is tender, about 30 minutes.

Serve in the casserole, garnished with chopped parsley. (Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 1 1/2 hours)

Make 4 servings.

From “Larousse Treasury of Country Cooking”

Mustard powder gives the dressing of Jason Dady’s potato salad an extra kick.

Two Bros. BBQ Market Potato Salad

1 1/2 pounds red potatoes
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/8 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons Coleman’s Mustard Powder
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced red onion
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

In large stockpot, cover potatoes with cold water, season the water with 2 tablespoons of kosher salt and bring to a simmer.  Be careful not to boil.

Once at a simmer, cook potatoes until soft.  Cook until a knife can skewer all the way through the potato.  It is essential not to overcook the potato.

Once done, remove from water immediately and allow to cool at room temperature.

Once the potatoes are cool, using your hands, break potatoes into bite size pieces in a large mixing bowl.

Add the mayonnaise first.  Toss the potatoes into the mayonnaise and mix well. Once mayonnaise is well incorporated, add the Dijon mustard and Coleman’s mustard powder.  Mix thoroughly. Once mustard is added and mixed in, fold in the onion and celery. Adjust seasoning as needed with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper.

The potato salad is ready to serve.  It can be served immediately, or chilled and held for up to three days.

From Jason Dady and Two Bros. BBQ Market

Dorothy’s Potato Salad from Casbeer’s is an old-fashioned treat with mustard and mayonnaise.

Dorothy’s Potato Salad

8 large russet potatoes cut into 1-inch dice
4 ribs celery, diced
1 cup diced dill pickles
1 large onion
1 4-ounce jar minced pimentos
1 cup French’s yellow mustard (no substitution!)
1 (32-ounce) jar mayonnaise, any brand
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Cook potatoes in 4 quarts water until very tender. Drain and cool (they do not need to be cold, just easy to handle.)  Stir in, one ingredient at a time, celery, pickles, onion, pimentos, mustard, mayonnaise, salt and pepper. This will cause the potatoes to become creamy, resembling very lumpy mashed potatoes.

Makes 16-20 servings.

Source: Steve Silbas

Serve Pickled Red Onions with cochinita pibil, pulled pork or your favorite sandwich to give it a little extra tang. You can find it at Guajillo’s at Blanco Road and Loop 410.

1 pound red onions (about 2 medium or 1 large), thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups white vinegar
1/2 cup sugar, or less to taste
1/2 cinnamon stick
5 cloves
1 bay leaf
1 star anise
Dash red pepper flakes

Optional extra spices: fresh ginger slices, allspice berries, oregano, garlic, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, coriander seeds