blake wrote on Mon, 30 Mar 2009 15:33:21 GMT:

> On Mon, 30 Mar 2009 12:31:30 GMT, James Silverton wrote:
>>
>> Asparagus at its best should be fresh looking and mostly
>> green. I prefer it pencil-thin and then you just bend the
>> stalk and move along until it snaps easily. If you buy the
>> thick stuff, cut off any brownish parts and use a vegetable
>> peeler to remove the last few inches of skin.
>>
>> I usually cook asparagus by boiling or steaming for 6-8
>> minutes. I also use it in Chinese stir fries after blanching
>> for 2-3 minutes and cutting into 2 inch pieces on the
>> diagonal.

> have you tried using asparagus in stir-fries without blanching
> first? i'm just curious.

It's a case of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". I simply follow the
recipe where it was first suggested. Perhaps, I'll try omitting the
blanching next time, at least if I am using thin asparagus.

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not