Our upstairs neighbors are traveling, and since we famously can’t cook salmon when they’re home, I decided to make salmon gyro bowls for dinner.

The only catch? I’d have to chop an onion.

Every time I chop an onion, I, like most people, weep like a baby. Tears streaming down my face, trying to look away without cutting off a finger, the whole shebang. So, this time, I tried something new.

I wore glasses and lit a candle. I’d heard about these tactics over the years and finally decided to give them a try. And, lo and behold, my eyes felt completely normal — no tears in sight. I could have cut onions allllll day long.

My friend Michael and I were amazed. (Toby didn’t care.)

How great is that??? And now that I’m a free woman, what are your best onion-forward recipes? I’m thinking: cauliflower and onion gratin, rigatoni with caramelized onions and gorgonzola, and Jenny’s broccoli soup.

P.S. Motherhood poems that make us laugh and cry, and what’s your best kitchen hack?