Ready for the ultimate autumn brunch food, courtesy of Little House on the Prairie? It's fried apples & onions. One thing Laura Ingalls Wilder could do is cook the American comfort food of the nineteenth century, and this is it. Besides, it's early November and if your grocer is anything like mine they've got huge stacks of 11 varieties of apples.

Speaking of which: when you fry apples, like you do in this recipe, you do not want soft, sweet apples like Red Delicious or Fuji; they will turn to mush. You want crisp, tart apples like Granny Smith, McIntosh or Braeburn.

Anyway, the recipe:

• 2 to 3 large onions, halved, peeled and sliced, 3-4 cups.
• 3 to 4 apples, peeled and sliced, 2-3 cups
• 3 Tbs butter and/or vegetable oil
• Salt & pepper

Heat a large, deep pan such as a 12" cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil/butter and saute the onions, stirring infrequently, until limp and starting to brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the apple slices and fry for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the apples are limp and starting to caramelize. Season with salt and pepper sufficient to make this a savory dish. Serve.

For an extra-special brunch, top with poached or fried eggs.