Artichokes 101

Artichokes are so delicious, but can be a little scary if you have never tried to cook one. The simplest preparation is to steam them and serve them with a sauce, melted butter or mayo for dipping. Below I take you through the steps so you can see for yourself how easy it is! I forgot to take pictures of how to get to the heart (the best part!), but I will explain as best I can. Don't forget the heart, seriously might be the main reason to even make them at all.

Step 1. Using a very sharp knife, cut the stem off along with the bottom row of leaves.

Step 2. Turn the artichoke around and cut off the top inch of the artichoke.

Step 3. Using a pair of kitchen shears, snip off the tops of each leaf.

Step 4. Rub the entire artichoke with a halved lemon so it does not turn brown.

Step 5. Steam for 45 minutes to 1 hour until leaves are tender and can be pulled from the artichoke easily.

And voila! You have perfect artichokes to serve with anything you desire. Fish, steaks, chicken, anything. I like to serve artichokes with a dipping sauce (combine 5 tablespoons light mayo, 1 tablespoons grainy mustard or Dijon, 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice, minced shallot, salt, pepper and a few dashes of Tabasco to taste).

Now once you have pulled each one of those lovely leaves off and eaten the tender ends, it is time to get to the heart. Pull off any remaining leaves and those heavy purple leaves. What you are left with is the choke (looks like a bunch of little hairs), you can use a spoon or small knife to scrape the little fibers away from the tender "meat" of the artichoke. Check the bottom of the artichoke and if the bottom is at all tough, slice the very bottom off. Cut the heart in pieces and devour.

Yum, I want these again right now just writing about it!

Enjoy!

xoxo

Erin