Chapter 1

Asparagus Season

Every spring, my best friend and I return to the same restaurant in Amsterdam for one very special dish: Dutch white asparagus.

I grew up in the south of the Netherlands, where white asparagus is a true seasonal delicacy. Every spring we celebrate the season with a traditional Dutch meal, a good glass of wine, and a table by the canal. It's one of those simple traditions I look forward to every year, because asparagus tastes best when nature says it's time.