Asparagus | May 31, 2011
It’s official. I have overdosed. I have eaten asparagus with every possible meal since they first appeared on the scene in April. Coping with the weather can make living in London a little grim and the arrival of the English asparagus to the market does a lot to perk you up. And then this year we had the most spectacular Spring so that was a double and simultaneous bonus. Some people don’t like asparagus because of the way it affects the smell of their pee. I mentioned this at a dinner the other day (I am a rather uncouth dinner guest) and was super surprised that not everyone seemed to notice a change. It turns out, after comprehensive asparagus research and Pascal and my fifth consecutive meal of said vegetable, that only 22% of the population have the gene to smell a difference. I was shocked and then felt sort of special. My father is a recovering asparagus hater due mostly to the fact that he had only eaten it out of a can growing up in Texas in the 50s. So given that, I understand. It was only upon discovering the fresh version, which I am sure he did not think was the same vegetable, that he was converted, pee smell and all. I personally like mine relatively unadorned. I drop them into boiling water until I see the first tinge of green in the water and take them out put them on a plate, a drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and if all goes according to plan some shavings of parmesan. (Pascal prefers a quick marinade of olive oil and a minute on the grill, then again he will grill pretty much anything.) Nothing could make me happier. Although our houseguests cooked us dinner that night which was pretty great too!
