When I think of spring, asparagus comes to mind.  It’s the first thing I start to notice in the fresh markets- I am talking about local asparagus.  We do see asparagus from other countries in the winter but somehow it’s not the same- I guess it’s the mindset- the ones in season just taste better to me. Anyway, to round off the Mother’s Day dinner I decided to make asparagus. I also love the salty taste of pancetta and thought it would go really well with the creamy fresh tasting asparagus. Pancetta is an Italian bacon that is cured with spices and not smoked. It gives dishes an underlying depth of saltiness and nuttiness. I decided to use shallots instead of onions or garlic- I wanted the pancetta taste to come through and not be over powered by anything stronger. Well, the marriage of those flavors was a very successful one!  The asparagus was perfectly cooked and bright green with little red brown specs of pancetta all over.  It was a feast for the eyes as well as the mouth.  Overall the steak, potatoes and asparagus made a fabulous meal- now only if someone would cook it for me again!!!

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