Six Years of Favorite Asparagus Recipes

At last! Asparagus season is here -- first with fat bunches from the grocery store, soon enough with thin spears that erupt from the earth almost overnight. Here are my favorite asparagus recipes, collected over six years now.

FIRST, A FEW ASPARAGUS (AHEM) TIPS
Asparagus is a member of the lily family!
Fat spears of asparagus are best for roasting. Save the skinny spears of asparagus for salads, quick sautées, steaming.
During the season, an Asparagus Steamer comes in handy. It cooks the asparagus standing up, the thick bottoms are closest to the heat and cook a little more, the tender tips are at the top and cook just to perfection.
Asparagus, especially home-grown asparagus, needs a really good cleaning, otherwise, the asparagus can be gritty. Soak the spears in cool water, then rinse under running water.
Spears of asparagus have a natural breaking point. Just hold a spear in both hands, gently bend the spear near the bottom, working your way up until it snaps naturally. Below the breaking point, the asparagus can be more woody and fibrous.
Yes, many asparagus eaters will notice an odor in their urine almost immediately after eating. No worries, it's natural and will go away. But it doesn't happen to everyone -- and not everyone is able to detect the odor!
White asparagus is common in Europe -- it's grown underground!
Early-season asparagus is noticeably sweeter than late-season asparagus. To compensate, try soaking late-season asparagus in sugar water (4 teaspoons sugar per cup of water) before cooking. This tip comes from the wonderful On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee.
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