Fettuccine and Asparagus

This basic recipe comes from Martha Stewart Living, May 2004.  I have made this recipe several times.  The last time I made it, I followed the recipe in terms of preparing the asparagus.  The recipe calls for blanching the asparagus then peeling it.  Peeling it was very difficult because the asparagus tends to be a bit slippery.  
I prefer my original preparation for 1 lb Asparagus rinsed, tips removed, and stems peeled to create strands.  Blanch the tips and strands for about 1 minute in boiling water until bright green.  Remove from water and place in an ice bath. 
In large pot, boil 6 quarts of water.  Once it boils, add 2 Tbl Salt and cook 1 lb Fettuccine until al dente.  Before draining pasta, remove 1 cup of pasta water.  While pasta is cooking, finely chop 2 Large Shallots.  Zest and Juice 1 Lemon.  Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add 1 Tbl Olive Oil.  Add shallots and cook until translucent.  Add 3/4 Cup Heavy Cream,  1/4 Cup reserved Pasta Water, and Asparagus Ribbons.  Bring to a boil.  Add cooked fettuccine, tossing until heated thoroughly.  If the sauce seems too thick or pasta seems dry, add additional pasta water.  Stir in Lemon Juice and Zest.  Season with Cracked Pepper and Kosher Salt.  Plate and top with generously with Shaved Parmesan Cheese.  Serve at once!!

Wedge Salad

What could be simpler and more cost effective than a wedge salad?  It's amazing that you can pay from $6 upwards to $8 for lettuce that costs about $1.25 a head.  I decided to make my own this week as the weather is getting rather hot. Certainly you can add to the cost with Crispy Shallots, Fragrant Toasted Nuts, and Crumbled Bacon but I used what I had plus my entree already called for shallots.
When ready to prep, whack the stem of the lettuce on the counter to break it away from the head and discard.  Remove any outside leaves that are either dirty or torn.  Rinse under cold water from where the stem was.  Empty the water and shake to remove excess water.   Place on a towel lined plate, stem hole down, and place in very cold refrigerator so it can drain.  This will ensure the lettuce is extra cold but not frozen.  (NOTE: one head will make 4 salads.)  I have mentioned before we have a man-frig, stocked with beverages, and it is on its coldest setting so I placed the lettuce in there for about 6 hours.  Also, chill the plates you plan to use for serving.
Dice Tomato removing the seeds first.  I actually cut grape tomatoes into 8ths and the seeds were so small, I didn't bother deseeding.  If I were using Roma's, I would've removed all the seeds and only diced the outer meat.  Finely chop Black Olives.  Crumble good quality Blue Cheese, I used Gorgonzola.  
Using a serrated knife, cut lettuce into 4 wedges.  Place on chilled plates so you can see all of the layers of the leaves of the 2 sides.  Top with good quality Blue Cheese Dressing, Crumbled Blue Cheese, Diced Tomatoes and Diced Black Olives.  Serve at one.