I’ve lived in the US south my entire life — go for salmon croquettes and stretch that canned fish into something extra delicious!

https://sandrakitchen.com/alton-brown-salmon-croquettes/

Not very southern, but I like to make a garlic fake-oli with it: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/213608/garlic-aioli/

I mean, if we took their base, then we’d just have two bases in the middle of a box canyon…

You probably know this since you work in a kitchen, but a buddy recently taught me that the trick for taking the edge off raw onion—e.g. to put on a salad or burger—is to soak the slices in cold water for a few minutes. Keeps the sweetness and flavor, but seriously reduces the sulfuric burn!