Recipe - Cooking Artichokes

None

Choose nice firm artichokes that are not turning brown or looking dry. (I
like to serve one artichoke per person.) Cut off the stems even with the
bottom of the artichokes. Cut about an inch off of the top of the
artichokesstraight across the tops of the leaves. Using a pot that's large
enough to accomodate the chokes in a single layer, arrange artichokes in
bottom of pot. Add water to a depth of 1 to 2 inches. Bring water to a boil
and turn down heat so that the water remains at a low simmer. Cover pot and
cook for 45 minutes. Check occasionally to be sure the water is not boiling
away, and add more if necessary. The test for doneness is to pull out a
leaf. If it comes away from the artichoke easily, it's done. Serve on a
plate with a small bowl of dipping sauce. To eat artichokes, pull off
individual leaves, dip in sauce, and scrape leaf between teeth to remove
the soft pulp near the bottom of the leaf. The remainder of the leaf is
discarded. As you get near the center, the leaves become tenderer and a
greater portion of each leaf is edible. When you are near the center,
remove any remaining leaves, and you'll see a fuzzy thing called a choke.
This is not edible. Scrape it off with a knife or spoon and discard. Under
the choke is the heart which many think is the best part of an artichoke
(though I kind of like the leaves better myself). The heart is completely
edible. Cut it up and dip the pieces in the sauce.

Information provided by Deborah Kirwan. Converted to MM by Donna Webster
Donna@webster.demon.co.uk Submitted By DONNA@WEBSTER.DEMON.CO.UK On TUE, 31
OCT 1995 151630 GMT

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini