Think of asparagus as a flower and treat it accordingly. Ideally, it should be used on the day of harvest or purchase. But if you need to store asparagus for a day or two, trim the bottoms and place in a couple of inches of water in a vase in the refrigerator. When you open the fridge, this makes a soothing sight for sore eyes. If peeling first, wrap the asparagus in damp paper towels, place in a plastic food bag and refrigerate to prevent the exposed flesh from browning.

Just before cooking, wash spears in cool water; drain. Peeling the stalks is not a must, but it does prevent the vegetable from being stringy and also allows it to cook as quickly as the tips. Use a vegetable peeler or a small sharp knife, starting at the base and working up to an inch below the tip, making the cut shallower as the skin becomes thinner. Then, starting at the base and working toward the tip, bend each spear and it will snap naturally, breaking at its toughest point. Discard that tough bottom portion.

Cook as is or cut according to your recipe. For example, if you want small pieces of the asparagus for a stir-fry, or to mix with other vegetables, or to include in a soup, do a roll-cut. Beginning at the bottom of the peeled stalk, make a diagonal cut (as long or short as you like), roll the asparagus a quarter turn, make another diagonal cut, and continue rolling and cutting down the spear until you have several diagonal pieces.