If you are someone who loves to eat a variety of vegetables, but you are not sure of the best ways to cook them, one of the smartest things you can do for yourself is learn the best way to cook asparagus. Not only is this a delicious vegetable that is great in a number of dishes, but it can also be the perfect side dish when prepared just right. Instead of reaching for asparagus in a can, you are going to find that there can be a whole lot more, in terms of flavor vor and nutritional value when you are cooking fresh asparagus. When you are preparing the fresh asparagus, make sure that you wash it thoroughly and then take care to get rid of the tough portion that is located at the bottom, or root portion of the spear. This can be done in two ways, one by simply estimating where the tough end starts and cutting it off and the other by bending the spear as it will break just where the tough portion begins. Once you are done, simply discard the thick, tough end as this can often times be a difficult portion to cook and eat. The wonderful thing about learning the best way to cook asparagus is that there really is no wrong way to do it, and it is just a matter of personal taste. You can boil, steam, saute, or grill asparagus and use a number of different seasonings or sauces to make it just right. The best thing to look for is a perfect texture, which for most people is one that is just between being crisp and tender. Overall, you are going to see that picking out your favorite method for cooking asparagus will give you lots of dishes and side dishes to look forward to.