Picture a young couple having lunch at Plaza Athénée, Paris.

Their first course of seasonal white asparagus arrives. They both smile at the waiter, then once he has departed, they look at each other, look at their plates and the girl shrugs and raises her eyebrows.

The guy picks up his knife and fork and proceeds to cut the heads off the asparagus spears and to eat the stalks. The girl follows his lead.

I feel like going over to their table and scooping the heads onto my own plate.