Sweet and Sour Onions

I like this best with shallots, which are prettier and tastier than boiling onions. Some people add raisins (about ¼ cup, from the beginning), which does not turn me on. Others garnish with toasted pine nuts, a nice but unnecessary touch.

Other vegetables you can prepare this way: almost any member of the onion family, including leeks, scallions, and any kind of onion—if the onions are large, peel and quarter them, then insert a toothpick into each quarter to hold it together during