Barefoot and Frozen

I have watched the Barefoot Contessa numerous times on the Food Network, and I find most of what she's cookin' looks pretty appetizing. But then I saw her recipe for Coq au Vin — a classic French dish that I adore.

One ingredient she lists is . . . . . frozen onions? First of all, she doesn't specify, but I assume she means pearl onions, which are frequently used in Coq au Vin. But why frozen? It isn't hard to find pearl onions in the produce sections of most grocery stores.

Even if they aren't there and even if someone wants to avoid having to cut and blanche the onions in order to peel them, one could opt for a mixture of diced fresh onions and smaller shallots.

Finally, the photo right above the recipe does nothing to make my mouth water. Looks to me like bland, overly fried pieces of chicken.