On Sunday we had a going-away party for Susan, who is off to New York for a month, and then to Italy for a few months. (Once again, an opportunity for me to develop travel envy.)

We did the party potluck-style, with an Italian theme, naturally. I brought two of my favorite crostini recipes adapted from my favorite Italian cookbook,Trattoria Cooking by Biba Gaggiano.

If you're not familiar with crostini, it's an Italian appetizer featuring thin-sliced toasted bread adorned with delicious sauces.

The spicy tomato sauce (Crostini Piccanti) was moderately successful. I apparently overdid the red wine vinegar a bit. I used the recipe from the book unmodified, so I won't reproduce it here.

The sweet-and-sour onions, however, were a smash. As several people have asked for the recipe, I'm posting it here. Please do buy/consult the book if you enjoy this recipe. The only credit due to me is for very minor modifications and executing it well on Sunday.

Crostini alle Cipolle in Agrodolce

1/3 cup pine nuts (pignoli) 1/4 cup olive oil 2 medium white onions 15 fresh sage leaves 1/4 cup red wine vinegar (sherry vinegar makes an interesting substitute) 1/4 cup sugar 1 tsp unsalted butter Salt and black pepper to taste 15 thin slices toasted Italian bread

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast the pine nuts on a cookie sheet until golden, about 6 minutes. Set aside.

2. Thin-slice the onions perpendicular to the vertical axis, to produce thin discs with concentric rings.

3. Heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the butter and onions. Cook until onions are soft and translucent, stirring occasionally. Approximately 10 minutes.

4. Season with salt and pepper (I use a pinch of sea salt and fresh-ground black pepper). Add the sage leaves, torn or cut into small pieces. Add the vinegar and sugar.

5. Cook an additional 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions have a rich golden color. (By now, the individual rings of onion should have separated and collapsed in the skillet, leaving you with a slurry of distorted onion ringlets)

6. Stir in the toasted pine nuts. Taste, adjust seasoning as necessary.

Cool to room temperature and serve over the toasted bread.

Enjoy!