McGee on Asparagus

Speaking of, here's The Curious Cook:

I got much more reliably tender results simply by cutting the spears evenly to between 6 and 7 inches from the tip. But this can leave almost half of the stalk behind. So I tried slicing all but the very bottoms into millimeter-thin rounds. Fibers cut that short are barely noticeable. The rounds are ringed in green and crunchy when raw. I munch on them while cooking and scatter the rest around the cooked spears for contrast. They also cook in seconds in a hot soup or stir-fry.

Not a bad idea. I've got some asparagus in the fridge getting fibrous as we speak... I may have to try this.