Burnt onions? It may be the pan you're using. Thin, flimsy stainless steel pans don't conduct heat well, resulting in hot spots where foods burn and cold spots where they don't cook at all. Better pans have a thick core of highly conductive aluminum or even copper bonded to their bottoms. The best are made completely of conductive metal, except for a stainless steel “jacket,” which is neutral (nonreactive) and won't give food an “off” flavor.