Geez, drook

Post #323,825 by jake123 3/31/10 9:54:40 AM Reply	Geez, drook how can you have bad things to say about asparagus?
Post #323,828 by drook 3/31/10 11:16:44 AM 3/31/10 11:17:28 AM Reply	Two ways I've had it raw, or close enough to it that it still had a woody texture. Especially near the bottom where they hadn't trimmed the dry end off far enough up the stalk. And overcooked (maybe canned) where it was mushy and completely flavorless. Unfortunately these two styles make up 99% of all asparagus I've eaten that I didn't make myself. Oh BTW, thanks A/Scott. :-) -- Drew Edited by drook March 31, 2010, 11:17:28 AM EDT Expand All History
Post #323,829 by jake123 3/31/10 11:24:19 AM Reply	Wow Asparagus is pretty much the ne plus ultra of springtime around here... people treating it that way would get smacked about.
Post #324,533 by Ashton 4/12/10 4:34:12 PM Reply	Concur re the beastly typ. 'cooking' of asparagus While my solution may lack panache -- I found that steaming same in a double-boiler thingy, with stalks suitably de-wooded produces a brilliant green, a decent flavor (it is oft fresh-picked next door) and a mush-free but tender result.. with a little bit of crunch. fwiw ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ I could almost see voting for Palin in 2012 on the grounds that this sorry ratfucking excuse for a republic, this savage, smirking, predatory empire deserves her. Bring on the Rapture, motherfuckers! -- via RC
Post #324,534 by drook 4/12/10 4:36:39 PM Reply	How does it compare to blanched? -- Drew
Post #324,603 by Ashton 4/13/10 4:47:55 PM Reply	Thought that was about deactivating enzymes prior to freezing? So while I should.. have done some of that all-along with the fresh-picked things available ... didn't. (No excuses either: this year maybe I shall become Responsible.) Except.. this year there may be little left of the garden next door, due to certain irreconcilable differences arising within that household :-/ Lousy timing, that.. Anyway, unclear if it's a decent ritual for fresh-picked, immediately cooked and served, VS for 'storage'. (Apparently I lack the engrams to have become an authentic cook (let alone chef!) all along, though I have prepared a mean truffles/omelet for certain candle-lit events.) So youse guys are at an echelon I have merely glimpsed from afar. But CLYGM is an inducement to pay more attention, if I get a round tuit. Nicely Done, btw. Wish you every success on current projects -- at very least: a ticket Out of the er, tyranny of bit-munging, which cannot be nearly as much fun, eh? A. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ I could almost see voting for Palin in 2012 on the grounds that this sorry ratfucking excuse for a republic, this savage, smirking, predatory empire deserves her. Bring on the Rapture, motherfuckers! -- via RC
Post #324,573 by Silverlock 4/13/10 8:54:31 AM Reply	Try a third way Use a heavy, lidded casserole dish. Place the spears in a single layer in the dish with 2 tablespoons of water, sprinkle with a heavy dusting of Parmesan cheese and cook at full power in your microwave for around two minutes.* *That time is for "baby" asparagus, the thin spears. For the thicker spears you may have to adjust time cooked up by 30 seconds to a minute. I served this to my folks for Easter dinner along with some panko crusted lamb chops and they loved it. Bright green, firm and flavorful with just a tiny bit of "crunch". I think the single most compelling piece of evidence for global warming is that Fox News viewers think it's a hoax.
Post #323,832 by Andrew Grygus 3/31/10 12:07:18 PM Reply	I say bad things about asparagus too . . . . . if it's overcooked - and it's overcooked in 7 minutes, 5 minutes for the tips. I'm also not fond of it grilled - the flavor is ruined. Here's a shrimp and asparagus recipe I cook often. So far not a single person has said they don't like asparagus after this one. http://www.clovegard...shrimpaspar1.html
Post #323,833 by Another Scott 3/31/10 12:18:25 PM Reply	That looks yummy, too!
Post #323,834 by drook 3/31/10 12:24:40 PM Reply	Damn, that sounds good For oyster sauce, would that be the same as Nam Pla? No wait, that's anchovy. Close enough, or no? For grilled, have you tried it yourself and were disappointed, or had it from other people and it was overdone? I only ask because of my experience with it. Like I said, I've rarely had anyone else's asparagus and liked it, since it's usually under- or over-cooked. I've done it roasted in a convection oven, under the broiler, and on the grill. All three ways just until the tips of the leaves start to brown. All three ways taste nearly identical to me. PS: Asparagus page -- "or a German so what would I know?." Extra period. Also, you list PLU numbers. Are they standardized across all suppliers in the U.S. like barcodes are? -- Drew
Post #323,835 by Andrew Grygus 3/31/10 12:41:01 PM Reply	Not close enough . . . . . but oyster sauce should be available in just about any market that has some Chinese or Philippine stuff. It's one of the most common sauces. It's also used in Vietnam and Thailand for dishes "in the Chinese style". I haven't tried grilling asparagus yet myself, 'cause I haven't been real impressed with it elsewhere. I may give it a try this summer. PLU numbers are uniform across the U.S., but there are some that aren't real precise, such as "green avocado". To avoid excessive rigidity there are numbers assigned to many fruits and vegetables as "retailer assigned", but most used around here are the standard ones because the little oval stickers are applied by the distributors, not the store. Here are links: PLU numbers Alphabetical: http://www.innvista..../plucodes_abc.htm PLU numbers Numeric: http://www.innvista..../plucodes_123.htm
Post #323,836 by drook 3/31/10 12:44:15 PM Reply	Doh! Yeah, I've seen the oval stickers Pretty obvious once you think about it that they're applied by the producer, not the retailer. -- Drew
Post #323,837 by Andrew Grygus 3/31/10 12:49:09 PM Reply	I think it was Molly Ivins who said . . . . . that she took her writing skills very seriously because, "They are the only thing that separates me from a rewarding career applying little oval stickers to individual pieces of perishable fruit".
Post #323,840 by drook 3/31/10 12:57:31 PM Reply	I would guess that's automated If only because you don't have to point a gun at the machines to keep them from running away, like they do with the laborers in Florida. -- Drew

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