ArcaMax

The Smells of the City...

Some people ask me how I can live in the city. They ask me, “Doesn’t it smell?”

I don’t know what they experienced in cities that makes them think all major cities smell. Maybe they were in New York City during a garbage strike. I’ll admit that’s an odiferous experience!

I lived in Appleton, Wisconsin as a child. Lovely city, don’t get me wrong, but on certain days that place smells. It smells like paper mills; less now than it used to when I was a child, but sometimes, when I return to visit, that old smell comes back. When you live there, you are so used to the smell you don’t notice it. I notice it now, and if Chicago smelled like that, I’d understand what people are asking me.

In my old neighborhood in Chicago, every once in awhile on the day the garbage men were due, and if it was a hot, summer day, yep, you could smell the garbage. Okay, I’ll admit that. And sometimes when you walk over a subway grate you get a faint whiff of something the smells like sewage. That I’ll give you too.

In contrast, I actually love the smells of my neighborhood. To start off, we have the cleanest alley I’ve ever seen. The old adage “You could eat off that floor,” almost applies to our alley. I’ve seen a guy that works at the building behind us come out and hose down the alley. I’ve seen him sweeping up the tiniest bits in the alley. I love that guy. Our alley doesn’t smell one bit.

When the pest control man came, he told me there has never been a report of a rodent in our alley. Not sure if that’s a reflection of the cleanliness, or if the raccoons and opossum I’ve seen evidence of, are doing such a good job of patrolling the alley, that no self-respecting rodent would get “caught dead” here. (No pun intended.) Garbage never smells in our alley. It’s pristine.

That example is a lack of smell, but there are smells in my neighborhood.

I’m really thrilled with the smells in my neighborhood. Case in point. Have you ever wondered where the bread comes from in the bread basket they give you at the restaurant? Much of that bread for the Chicago area, and beyond, comes from a bread factory just two blocks from my house. How lucky can I get? I have a bread factory in my neighborhood!

They tell you if you want to sell your house, and sell it fast, have the smell of freshly baked bread wafting through your house when the tour is taking place. Everyone loves the smell of fresh bread. This bread factory is so smart they have huge exhaust fans that pour right down on the sidewalk that runs along the side of the building. Standing and waiting for the bus near that exhaust fan can be an experience in nirvana. The bread smells so good!

And what tops the smell of fresh bread?

You guessed it. Warm chocolate.

How lucky can I get!?

Just a few blocks farther down is a huge chocolate factory. The place covers an entire city block! Every afternoon around 3PM the smell of melting chocolate oozes out of that building through some of the same kind of exhaust fans. I’ve seen women walking near the factory point their noses skyward; just to get a bigger sniff.

I’ll admit it. I’m a bit of a Pavlov’s dog myself. My favorite grocery store just happens to be located catty-corner from the chocolate factory. On a few PMS-laden occasions, I’ve gotten out of my car, taken a big breath and headed straight for the bakery located inside the grocery store. My mind has been racing. There has to be chocolate cake in here somewhere! Give it to me! I have to have it for dessert tonight!

The blissful smells of my neighborhood. I wouldn’t trade them for anything. The end.

Now, you’re probably dreaming of bread or chocolate and you’re going to think I’m crazy when I lay a recipe on you for onions. Plain and simple onions. But if you are an onion aficionado, and watching your diet these onions will be of interest. Read on.

Roasted Onion Strings(Really, Healthy Onion Strings!)
When you roast Vidalia onions they bring up a really nice, sweetness. When you’re on a diet, traditional onion strings are out of the question; unless they are like these. Close your eyes while you eat them and you might not even notice that the breading is gone.
A one ingredient side dish or starter that’s a real treat. (For me, sprays and seasoning don’t count as ingredients).

Serves 2 and can be doubled. If you double this, use a large cookie sheet to spread out the rings.

1 large Vidalia onion
Olive oil spray
Sea salt is optional

Preheat oven at 400 degrees. If you have a convection oven, use the convection setting.

Peel and slice the Vidalia onion into thin rings. I use my mandolin slicer and put it on level 2 or 3. That makes thin rings. If you are doing them by hand, just try to have them be about 1/8” thick. A few thicker ones are okay.

Separate the slices into the individual rings. Spray a 9 by 13 oven proof pan with a light coat of olive oil spray. Scatter the onion ring slices across the surface. Don’t worry that they are over lapping each other. Space underneath is good for getting the crispiness you want. If you want them salty, grate sea salt on top before they go into the oven. The salt will penetrate and roast into the rings.

Roast the onions in the middle of the oven for approximately 25 to 35 minutes. (The lower end time is for convection ovens). You will watch them toward the end. You want some deep brown edges and even a bit of blackening is okay. The darker they are, the crispier and sweeter they are; almost like an onion-potato-chip-ring. Some of the onions will still be moist and stringy. Those are the ones that most remind you of the inside of regular onion strings. The crispy bits give you a nice crunch sensation and the darker, deeper flavor.

My husband thought I was a bit off my rocker the first time he saw me make these; that is until he put a few in his mouth. His eyes lit up and for the next few days he asked for “those onion strings” about every other meal.

Feel free to dip them in ketchup or barbecue sauce if you must. That will blow the diet though, and plain is just fine-tasting.

Enjoy!
Cheers,
Zola