WHEN ONION PIQUES THE APPETITE
From shelf to shopping cart
onions are simple hard balls
encased in paper, white, yellow, red.
Once cut, onions reveal thin
layers, slivers of pungent odor
that threaten to suppress
my hunger, roil my stomach as
tears flow out of my eyes.
I’m not a raw onion lover,
I eschew chopped fresh onion
on burgers, salad—anything!
But when I think about my Grandma
and the layers of love she
found in cooking onion with
her pot roast, I find myself
heading to the market for a bag
of yellow ones for pot roast,
red for vegetable salads, white for soup
and so I break down and start to slice.
Onion after onion.
Quickly, I toss my slices in a
pan or skillet, then wash my
hands, wipe my eyes, and
my nose alerts me to the
transformation. For once
heat’s applied, those slivers
exude a scintillating
sweet odor reminding
my tongue how silky
smooth, almost sugary
those thin slivers will taste
when carried by fork with
carrots and pot roast,
how those onions
once heat’s applied
will sate any hunger.
My PHARMACIST FATHER’S SUNDAY BRACIOLE
in honor of my father, Gabriel Dileonardo
I remember your prep before mealtime
ingredients laid out with great care–
precision your watchword for dinnertime
Unlike the chaos of mom’s cooking or mine
you pounded meat strips until thin as air.
I remember your prep before mealtime.
You smacked each beef strip just seven times
measured exactly the filling to spread on there,
precision your watchword for dinnertime.
Your prep reflected your pharmacist’s mind.
You rolled and tied each with care and flare.
I remember your prep before mealtime.
You wore a tie as you cooked—every time.
Your work and mom’s sauce made tasty fare.
I remember your prep before mealtime,
precision your watchword for dinnertime.
Joan Leotta is an author and Story Performer who lives in Calabash, North Carolina, and likes to share encouraging words through Pen and Performance. She writes and tells about food, family, and strong women. She has been Nominated for the Pushcart Prize (twice) and for Best of the Net. Her latest poetry chapbook is Feathers on Stone, available by contacting her on Facebook and at https://mainstreetragbookstore.com/product/feathers-on-stone-joan-leotta/