Why do you need an asparagus pot ?

AL said:

I love asparagus and have always laid them sideways in a skillet with about
an inch of boiling water. I've seen several companies selling speciality
asparagus steamer pots (tall, narrow, with a wire insert). Anyone have
experience with them? Do they make asparagus taste better?

With asparagus thick ends submerged directly in the simmering water
asparagus pots tend to cook the spears more uniformly. Ofcourse with
so many other methods for cooking asparagus there realy isn't a need
for those special pots... I can't remember the last time I boiled
asparagus, mostly I grill them, or I nuke them.

Asparagus can be substituted for avocado to make a wonderful low fat
guacomole.

Sheldon

I do the same thing--bring water to boil in a skillet, with salt and
just a dash of sugar, and simmer. When you lift one with tongs, and it
bends just a little, it's done. If you're saving it to use cold, in a
salad, or to eat later, have a bowl of ice-water handy.
I don't think steaming is worth the trouble, or tastes as good.
Nancree

Sheldon said:

I can't remember the last time I boiled
asparagus, mostly I grill them, or I nuke them.

Isn't the plural form, "asparagi"?

Carol, running and hiding

--
Coming at you live, from beautiful Lake Woebegon

Sheldon wrote:
"Asparagus can be substituted for avocado to make a wonderful low fat
guacomole."
---------
Hmmm! I never would have tried that--but I intend to try it soon.
With the Mexican spices, onion, tabasco, etc.???
Nancree

AL said:

I love asparagus and have always laid them sideways in a skillet with about
an inch of boiling water. I've seen several companies selling speciality
asparagus steamer pots (tall, narrow, with a wire insert). Anyone have
experience with them? Do they make asparagus taste better?

Al, it really doesn't make the asparagi (you can come back now carol)
taste any better. I guess it would be for the same reason some folks
put chrome valve covers on their cars. Doesn't do much, but it looks
neato. It's what we call a chrome go faster.

day dreamer@dream .com@ said:

AL said:

I love asparagus and have always laid them sideways in a skillet with about
an inch of boiling water. I've seen several companies selling speciality
asparagus steamer pots (tall, narrow, with a wire insert). Anyone have
experience with them? Do they make asparagus taste better?

Al, it really doesn't make the asparagi (you can come back now carol)
taste any better.

If two people have put a word to print, it's a real word, right? 😉

Carol

--
Coming at you live, from beautiful Lake Woebegon

nancree said:

I don't think steaming is worth the trouble, or tastes as good.

How much trouble is steamed asparagus? I cook it that way most often
and I like it. #2 favorite method is roasted.

On Sun, 19 Jun 2005 23:02:43 -0500, Damsel <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

day dreamer@dream .com@ said:

AL said:

I love asparagus and have always laid them sideways in a skillet with about
an inch of boiling water. I've seen several companies selling speciality
asparagus steamer pots (tall, narrow, with a wire insert). Anyone have
experience with them? Do they make asparagus taste better?

Al, it really doesn't make the asparagi (you can come back now carol)
taste any better.

If two people have put a word to print, it's a real word, right? 😉

Carol

If "yada yada" can be a word, we got it nailed.

sf wrote on 19 Jun 2005 in rec.food.cooking

Quoted message said:

nancree said:

I don't think steaming is worth the trouble, or tastes as good.

How much trouble is steamed asparagus? I cook it that way most often
and I like it. #2 favorite method is roasted.

I always just toss the offending asparagus in oil and salt. then grill
it on a very hot grill. Takes about 2 minutes to cook up a pound or
more that way. And the grill marks make it look real nice if I use some
in salads later.

--
It's not a question of where he grips it!
It's a simple question of weight ratios!

A five ounce bird could not carry a one pound coconut.

Are you suggesting coconuts migrate?

"AL" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I love asparagus and have always laid them sideways in a skillet with

about

Quoted message said:

an inch of boiling water. I've seen several companies selling speciality
asparagus steamer pots (tall, narrow, with a wire insert). Anyone have
experience with them? Do they make asparagus taste better?

The idea is to cook the tips less than the stems. The theory with the tall
pot is that you can boil the stem with the spears standing partly out of the
water so that the tips get only steamed. The wire insert is just so you can
pull them out easily.

If you must serve the spears whole and if you must cook the tips less then I
suppose it is worth it.

I have one but mostly I don't use it as I cut the spears into roughly 3
equal parts. I put the thick end in the boiling water first, a minute
later the middle, 2 minutes later the tips. The important thing is to not
overcook it and to discard the urinous water.

David

Nancree replied:

Quoted message said:

"Asparagus can be substituted for avocado to make a wonderful low fat
guacomole."
---------
Hmmm! I never would have tried that--but I intend to try it soon.
With the Mexican spices, onion, tabasco, etc.???

Yes: There was an episode of FoodNation where an asparagus farmer
demonstrated the technique, pounding the asparagus in a quart-sized mortar.
Once you've made the asparagus into a paste, you add the typical guacamole
seasonings.

That was the funniest part of the show, because Bobby Flay tried to say,
"Nice molcajete." His Spanish pronunciation is HORRIBLE, it reminds me of
those Jack-in-the-Box commercials where Jack is trying to say "chipotle."

Bob

AL spaketh thusly:

Quoted message said:

...I've seen several companies selling speciality asparagus steamer
pots (tall, narrow, with a wire insert). Anyone have experience
with them? Do they make asparagus taste better?

Why do some people need an asparagus pot ?

To validate the sentiments of P.T. Barnum. (but it sounds like
you have a grip on reality.)

--
_________________________________________
If u are gonna say that I said something,
please say what I REALLY said. ($1 Earl)

AL said:

I love asparagus and have always laid them sideways in a skillet with about
an inch of boiling water. I've seen several companies selling speciality
asparagus steamer pots (tall, narrow, with a wire insert). Anyone have
experience with them? Do they make asparagus taste better?

We have one. It looked like a good idea at the time. I have found other uses
for the pot. In theory, t he idea is to stick just the bottoms of the stalks in
the boiling water and the tips are steamed. In reality, the spears flop over
and the stalks stick out through the sides of the basket making them a real
pain in the butt to get out because the basket that you have to stick you hand
into to get out the stuck spears was also in the same steam that cooked them.

"AL" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I love asparagus and have always laid them sideways in a skillet with about
an inch of boiling water. I've seen several companies selling speciality
asparagus steamer pots (tall, narrow, with a wire insert). Anyone have
experience with them? Do they make asparagus taste better?

In theory the stalks are in the water and the tips are not so they do not
cook as fast, resulting in more even cooking.

--
Peter Aitken
Visit my recipe and kitchen myths page at www.pgacon.com/cooking.htm

Monsur Fromage du Pollet said:

sf wrote on 19 Jun 2005 in rec.food.cooking

Quoted message said:

nancree said:

I don't think steaming is worth the trouble, or tastes as good.

How much trouble is steamed asparagus? I cook it that way most often
and I like it. #2 favorite method is roasted.

I always just toss the offending asparagus in oil and salt. then grill
it on a very hot grill. Takes about 2 minutes to cook up a pound or
more that way. And the grill marks make it look real nice if I use some
in salads later.

Now that our new gas bbq is all set up and we've figured out where to
buy propane - which ain't easy around here, I may become as flippant
as you about throwing something "small" on the barbee!

I need to ask this since I'm a novice with these contraptions and
haven't read the book (directions) yet... did you let the grates
preheat for a while with the lid closed? Also, my unit came with
porcelainized grates. How do I clean them? I'm definitely not a
clean-a-holic! I've used the scorch and wire brush technique up to
now.

sf wrote on 20 Jun 2005 in rec.food.cooking

Quoted message said:

I need to ask this since I'm a novice with these contraptions and
haven't read the book (directions) yet... did you let the grates
preheat for a while with the lid closed? Also, my unit came with
porcelainized grates. How do I clean them? I'm definitely not a
clean-a-holic! I've used the scorch and wire brush technique up to
now.

The ceramic griddle will clean nicely by wiping or the scorch
method works too...like a casserole dish, crud doesn't seem to stick as
hard to the ceramic jobs (also they're dishwasher safe).
Even after my son BBQ's on mine (he uses and burns more BBQ sauce than
me) I've never had to put them in the dishwasher. Usually just a quick
wipe get the majority of the crud off.

Yes preheat, it takes but 10-15 minutes. I like to close the lid to
get it to temp faster.

I like to get the grill to temp then carefully wipe the griddle with a
paper towel soaked in canola oil. This seems to help food not stick.

One accessary you might like is a Grill Wok...to cook smallish
veggies/shimp in. It looks like a regular wok but has a mess of holes
in it. Stuff won't fall thru the grate with one of these.

--
It's not a question of where he grips it!
It's a simple question of weight ratios!

A five ounce bird could not carry a one pound coconut.

Are you suggesting coconuts migrate?

Thanks for all the tips and advice, Alan!

``````````````````

Monsur Fromage du Pollet said:

sf wrote on 20 Jun 2005 in rec.food.cooking

Quoted message said:

I need to ask this since I'm a novice with these contraptions and
haven't read the book (directions) yet... did you let the grates
preheat for a while with the lid closed? Also, my unit came with
porcelainized grates. How do I clean them? I'm definitely not a
clean-a-holic! I've used the scorch and wire brush technique up to
now.

The ceramic griddle will clean nicely by wiping or the scorch
method works too...like a casserole dish, crud doesn't seem to stick as
hard to the ceramic jobs (also they're dishwasher safe).
Even after my son BBQ's on mine (he uses and burns more BBQ sauce than
me) I've never had to put them in the dishwasher. Usually just a quick
wipe get the majority of the crud off.

Yes preheat, it takes but 10-15 minutes. I like to close the lid to
get it to temp faster.

I like to get the grill to temp then carefully wipe the griddle with a
paper towel soaked in canola oil. This seems to help food not stick.

One accessary you might like is a Grill Wok...to cook smallish
veggies/shimp in. It looks like a regular wok but has a mess of holes
in it. Stuff won't fall thru the grate with one of these.

AL said:

I love asparagus and have always laid them sideways in a skillet with about
an inch of boiling water. I've seen several companies selling speciality
asparagus steamer pots (tall, narrow, with a wire insert). Anyone have
experience with them? Do they make asparagus taste better?

Speaking of asparagus.......
I grilled it tonight. I had tried it before and left it a little too long so it
got a little over done and was not very good. I gave it another shot tonight.
I snapped of the hard ends and zipped off the little armpits up the side that
trap bits of dirt, brushed it with olive oil. I used my fish grill, one of
those tray type thingies with the holes in that sit on top of the grill. I had
some chicken satay on one side of the burner and did the asparagus on the other
side, rotating it frequently to prevent charring it. It was fantastic.

In article <[email hidden]>, sf

Quoted message said:

I need to ask this since I'm a novice with these contraptions and
haven't read the book (directions) yet... did you let the grates
preheat for a while with the lid closed? Also, my unit came with
porcelainized grates. How do I clean them? I'm definitely not a
clean-a-holic! I've used the scorch and wire brush technique up to
now.

Your book will probably recommend preheating with lid closed and as a
clean up, the scorch and wire brush technique. Mine suggests heating on
high for ten or so minutes after your food comes off. I'm only a
moderate user of my grill, but those porcelanized grates won't stay
pristine very long. I guess a clean-freak could keep them like new,
taking them out to remove the build-up on the under side, but you can
always buy new grates when yours have deteriorated from the high heat.