How to cook onions: Why recipe writers lie and lie about how long they take to caramelize.Activating this button will toggle the display of additional contentSlate homepageOpen menuClose menuActivating this button will toggle the display of additional contentSlate homepage*Submit searchEnter queryActivating this button will toggle the display of additional contentThe Slate Group logo

Browning onions is a matter of patience. My own patience ran out earlier this year while leafing through the New York Times food section. There, in the...