Asparagus: totally delicious, and wholly mysterious. What can you eat it with? What can you drink with it? What's the deal with all of its weird bodily effects? Read this primer on one of Spring's most veggies, and all shall be revealed. more ›

It's warm, we have a new (portable!) grill, asparagus is in season--this is a no-brainer. We've been eating grilled asparagus three days out of four for the past week. Sorry if you've had to stand next to us at a urinal. more ›

Asparagus, known to many by its alternate monikers; green trees, "No Mom, I'm not going to eat those," a food superhero, and the vegetable that makes your pee smell (eww) will start showing up in local farmers markets so fresh--and so clean--as the harvest gets underway. The Washington Asparagus Commission (yes, we have one of those) says asparagus fields make up over 8,000 acres in the state and can produce 30-50 million pounds worth of those little green trees. For some Friday fun, how many smaller words can you create from "asparagus"? Game on. more ›

In the kitchen, Staples and chef-de-cuisine Daniel Newell stick to elegantly presented classics: halibut, scallops, duck breast, lamb loin, braised short ribs, pork chops. But if the devil is in the details, it's also in the small plates. Delicate white asparagus from Walla Walla, asking for nothing more than a simple steaming, is instead poached (barely! barely!) in a broth of salted white wine, and served with an egg foam (classic sabayon), lemon, and fried (why?) capers. Five stalks for $13 (twice the going price for big, fat spears of white asparagus in Europe), you wonder what they're thinking. more ›

Next week, icon Grill’s Chef Nick Musser (known for his Aroused Americana cooking—and cookbook) is doing a demonstration at Dish it up! in Magnolia. On the menu are signs of spring: grilled asparagus salad, spring pea soup, oven roasted rack of lamb, and white chocolate strawberry cake. We had an opportunity to spring these questions on him: more ›