I love asparagus. I love even more that it's actually proper etiquette to eat it with your fingers. One of the things that I never mastered,  was how to properly cook asparagus. That is, until I met Chef Jim with the Mount Dora Historic Inn.

You see, before learning these little tricks he gave me below, my asparagus would come out soggy, limp and stringy. Not the firm, crisp, veggie taste I was used to experiencing in a restaurant. Alas ... here's the secret ...

FIRST ... it's all in how you cut it. Snapping a single asparagus will show you where the "woody" and "stringy" part starts. After you snap one, use that as your guide for cutting the rest of the bunch.

SECOND ... boil the asparagus in a shallow pan (not a big ole deep pot like I used to use) and then prepare an ice bath to stop it from cooking. I know, this sounded a little strange to me too. And the goal is NOT to make it cold, it is to flash stop the cooking process so it doesn't end up a mushy pale green vegetable.

And in the end, you've got perfectly cooked asparagus!  Now, add it to your stuffed omelet!