While you're frying up some eggs and bacon, we're cooking up something else: a way to celebrate today's food holiday.

Any way you peel it, June 22 is National Onion Rings Day!

Happy Fry-day! Second in popularity only to their fried potato cousins, onion rings are a staple on almost every bar menu. This simple pleasure is a crowd favorite - and for good reason.

A fantastic onion ring is rooted in technique: Start out with a good onion, one that’s fairly large. The type of onion you use depends on your taste. For a sweeter taste, try a Vidalia onion; for something more traditional, a white or yellow onion will do. Be careful if you use a knife to get the outer skin off, you don’t want to cut into layers you hope to turn into rings.

Once you’ve cut the onion into rings and separated them, options really start to open up. Before being battered, some people call for a double dip while some people call for a buttermilk soak. Try different recipes out for yourself, just remember to season your flour and let the battered onions rest. This will help the coating stick to the onion and not separate the minute you take a bite. Also, season your rings as soon as they come out of the fryer, that’s when they’re most receptive to flavor.

For a slightly different variation, try shoestring, or tobacco, onions. The technique is similar to regular onion rings, but the onions are cut in much thinner strips. They’re called tobacco onions because once they’re fried they resemble shredded tobacco. Shallots work especially well for this preparation.