how to cook asparagus in the microwave
how to cook asparagus in the microwave 

To cook asparagus, microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of water to a microwave-safe dish, cover, and microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes more. (We tested this on asparagus, but it would also work with other vegetables.)

Arrange asparagus in a microwavable dish. Cover with a plastic cover or plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 4 minutes, until bright green and tender. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with seasonings and serve immediately.

Some people want to be entertained with stories of famous people’s great discoveries and exploits. But I prefer things that are more useful.

Take cooking asparagus. It’s simple. You put the asparagus in a microwave, cook it for 2 minutes, take it out, and it’s perfectly cooked.

Here’s the trick. You don’t want the asparagus to be perfectly cooked. You want it to get soft, but not cooked. If you cook it for 2 minutes, it will be too soft. It is tough and chewy. If you cook it for 2 minutes and take it out, it will be tough and chewy. But if you cook it for 2 minutes, take it out, and then cook it for another 2 minutes, it will be just right.

The genius of cooking asparagus is that it only takes 2 minutes to cook it. But it takes 3 minutes to cook it just right.

There’s a similar story in computer programming. In 50 years of computer programming, the geniuses have figured out 2 minutes: how long it takes for a computer to figure out how to do something. But it takes 3 minutes for a computer to figure out how to do something that is better than you could do yourself.