{"id":68652,"date":"2019-04-12T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-04-12T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/improvisedlife.com\/2019\/04\/12\/alice-b-toklas-asparagus-in-salt-pepper-whipped-cream-a-thing-of-beauty\/"},"modified":"2019-10-29T14:54:40","modified_gmt":"2019-10-29T18:54:40","slug":"alice-b-toklas-asparagus-in-salt-pepper-whipped-cream-a-thing-of-beauty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/improvisedlife.com\/2019\/04\/12\/alice-b-toklas-asparagus-in-salt-pepper-whipped-cream-a-thing-of-beauty\/","title":{"rendered":"Alice B. Toklas’ Asparagus in Salt & Pepper Whipped Cream “A Thing of Beauty”"},"content":{"rendered":"
Although many people know Alice B. Toklas Cookbook<\/a> for its infamous hashish fudge, as a young cook I found the book to be a treasure. Wonderfully written, with evocative detail about Alice B. Toklas’ and Gertrude Stein’s culinary life in France during World War II,\u00a0 I loved reading about a real cook’s experience and found a number of truly great recipes in it. Somehow I missed the recipe for asparagus dressed with salted and peppered whipped cream until I read an adaptation at Food 52<\/a>. They adapted it from Greene on Greens<\/a> by Bert Greene. Now I’ve adapted it further.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n I also went to the source, sure that the way it was written would be way more compelling than Food 52’s recipe (at bottom). Madame Loubet’s Asparagus Tips<\/strong> definitely is: “a gastronomic feast. And a thing of beauty.”<\/p>\n My own approach is a hybrid of the two recipes that uses slightly less butter and cream. The basic gist is so simple that reading through the recipes will inspire your own approach.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sally’s Hybrid Alice B. Toklas Asparagus in Salt and Pepper Whipped Cream<\/strong><\/p>\n Up to 1 hour before cooking the asparagus whip about 1\/2 cup of heavy cream<\/em> to soft peaks, beating in 1\/2 teaspoon salt and about 1\/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper.<\/em> Leave uncovered it in the fridge until ready to use.<\/p>\n Steam about 2 pounds trimmed, peeled asparagus<\/em> in a small amount of water in a big skillet. When they are crisp tender, drain the residual water, return the asparagus to the pan and add 2 to 3 tablespoons each of butter and cream<\/em>. Roll the asparagus around in the mixture, then transfer them to a heated platter. Spoon the whipped cream over the asparagus and serve immediately. Sublime.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Alice B. Toklas’ Asparagus in Salt & Pepper Whipped\u00a0Cream <\/strong>from Food 52 via Greene on Greens<\/p>\n Serves 4 <\/span><\/p>\n About 2 pounds asparagus, trimmed and peeled Preheat the oven to 250\u00ba F. Cook the asparagus in boiling, salted water, or steam, until just tender. Place the drained asparagus in a shallow serving dish, and keep it warm in the oven. (Asparagus may be blanched ahead of time and reheated in a warm oven, if desired.)<\/p>\n In a small saucepan, heat the butter with 1\/4 cup heavy cream over low heat. Stir and pour over the asparagus; return the asparagus to the oven.<\/p>\n Beat the remaining 3\/4 cup cream with the salt and pepper until soft peaks form. Spoon over the hot asparagus. Serve immediately.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In her famous cookbook, Alice B.Toklas called Madame Loubet’s Asparagus Tips “a gastronomic feast. And a thing of beauty.” They are. Here’s how to make them.<\/p>\nRead More<\/a>","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":68653,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_FSMCFIC_featured_image_caption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_nocaption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_hide":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8361,81,88,46,6549,4,8363],"tags":[8749,11926,11927],"yoast_head":"\n…<\/span><\/h1>\n
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\n4 tablespoons unsalted butter
\n1 cup heavy cream
\n1\/2 teaspoon salt
\n1\/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<\/p>\n