>  ML> I ate all the asparagus, which thankfully had been
>  ML> cooked long enough so as to have lost its smelliness.
> What! Cooked a long time? No! I hate overcooked asparagus. To me

Everything in its context. Mine was looking forward 
to several hours in a metal tube, under the influence 
of Lasix. The prospect of stinking up the lav for
the other 19 passengers was not a pretty one.

> it is best blanched 1-3 minutes tops, then shocked in ice water.
> After that it can be served cold with a vinaigrette or reheated
> briefly in a saute pan with garlic butter. Thick stalks can be nice
> blanched, shocked and then quickly grilled.

I like it stir-fried in a mixture of oil and butter
and splashed with a small amount of soy sauce. Blanched
and eaten almost raw is nice. Raw right from the ground
is kind of nice - you can even nibble the overripe fronds.
Roasted in a hot oven until almost crisp, Parmesan shavings 
added toward the end, that's surprisingly nice. These were 
like that but minus the cheese.

> Also don't discard the tough woody bottom stem ends as most recipes
> suggest. Boil them gently for 30-40 minutes in just enough water to
> cover, puree everything in a blender, return everything to the pot and
> cook another 10 minutes, Then sieve the results and break up as much
> woody fibre as you can pressing down on the sieve with a rubber
> spatula. Discard only the mess that stays behind after you've
> pressed out all the liquid you can. Make soup from the sieved broth.

That's a good tip, if you like pee soup. Semi-just 
kidding; I've been known to make and eat asparagus
soup of various kinds. And enjoy the malodorous
excretory effects.

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.01

      Title: X's Spinach Salad
 Categories: Salads
      Yield: 4 servings

-----------------------------------SALAD-----------------------------------
      2    Bunches spinach, washed,            2    Tomatoes, cut into
wedges
           Drained, stems removed              4    Strips bacon, crumbled
      1    Onion, thinly sliced                1 cn Asparagus spears
      2    Eggs, hard cooked, chopped

----------------------------------DRESSING----------------------------------
    1/2 c  Sugar                             1/2 c  Vinegar
      1 c  Safflower oil                       1 ts Whole celery seeds
      1 ts Mustard                             1 tb Grated onion
      1 ts Salt

  Prepare dressing first: blend together sugar, oil, mustard and salt.  Add
  vinegar, celery seeds and grated onion; shake or beat well.  Chill.

  Mix together all salad ingredients, except asparagus spears.  Pour
chilled
  dressing over all and toss until well coated.  Arrange asparagus spears
on
  top.  Chill well before serving.  It is best the next day.

  Source: X, who is in hiding

-----
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