From The Core of an Onion, which was published in November by Bloomsbury.

James Beard once wrote, “I can easily make a whole meal of onion sandwiches, for to me they are one of the greatest treats I know.” According to legend, Beard built his name on an onion sandwich. Bill Rhode was famous for hors d’oeuvre recipes, one of which was finely sliced onion on a piece of brioche. Most great food writers lifted recipes from others, and so Beard, until then a little-known caterer, got a great deal of attention when he published his onion-­sandwich recipe, which…