First of all – the eternal onion-related question – How do you chop an onion without crying? My favourite method is to rinse the onion under running water before I start to cut it up. If it’s a big one I might need to do this more than once. I’ve heard of chewing gum while you do it too. In any case I find that if you don’t position your face directly on top of them while you cut, the fumes won’t get to you.
What is your trick?
Chopping an onion:
Chop lengthwise. You may prefer to remove the outer layers to discard before or after you chop it in half, it doesn’t matter which way you go about it.
As you can see on the right hand ride of the photo, leave about 1.5 cms on one side and cut along the length of the onion several times. Hold it from the intact end to keep the layers in place.
Still holding from the intact end (I have turned it around in the photo) now chop the other way. There you go – diced onion.
Pass the pepper 
Put on a snorkel mask! It’s foolproof! I came to this idea this summer when I came back from the beach and left it lying in the kitchen. Eyes streaming, I turned round, saw it and have kept it as kitchen equipment ever since!
Oh Liz.. that would have made for a very interesting photo for the post !! š
btw.. I think I gave you the wrong email address the other day, however I’ve sent you an email from my private account.
Put it in the freezer for around 10-15 minutes before chopping it. If it is a bit frozen (a bit being the operative word here, hehe!) it slows down the fumes coming out. Don’t ask me the science behind it, but I find it works š
That makes a lot of sense Els – in fact if you notice frozen things don’t have a smell š
I’d have to be the one to write the totally irrelevant comment here, but love the nail varnish!
LOL š
It’s the one I told you about some days ago. Thanks tho š