Tactical Asparagus

Lest you think that the only thing on our plates at Grass Valley was beef, take a gander at the grilled asparagus Jeff prepared and served with a balsamic reduction.

I had never made a balsamic reduction before so when Jeff asked me to oversee his while he was tending the steaks on Guy's ginormous gas grill (it doubles as an aircraft carrier in time of war), I was initially a little anxious.

Turns out I needn't have been - all you do is gently boil balsamic vinegar until the bubbles become large and shiny and the vinegar thickens a bit.

Poured over the asparagus, the tangy vinegar, made sweeter by the reducing, complemented the bright, earthy asparagus perfectly. This enormous platter of green was all but gone by the time dinner was over.

I think it was a clever ruse to keep us from finishing our steaks - how could we resist? Having made that rash bet, Jeff needed to ensure that he could keep his honor without having to make good on the promise to eat the Manhattan phone book. Feed 'em lots of lovely asparagus and a side of pesto tortellini and you'll win your bet for sure.