How to Cook an Artichoke

So you finally brought the awkward looking vegetable home and now have no clue what to do with it!  That’s very understandable; looks alone deter the majority of consumers.  I had the pleasure of being taught by my grandmother how to cook this yummy vegetable in a very healthy way.  Once they are ready you won’t need some fattening mixture of butter or mayonnaise to make it taste good and you’ll probably want a whole artichoke for yourself!  One thing I’ve noticed about how my Grandmother cooks is that she doesn’t waste anything.  Starting with that mentality, the first step would be to cut the stem off the artichoke so it sits level.  Don’t throw the stem away! Rather finely chop it and mix it with some garlic and extra virgin olive oil and set aside.  Be sure to cut the tips off of every leaf on the artichoke because they have thorns.  Continue cutting till you get to the center where you will find, what my Grandmother calls, the purple pokey stuff.  All of this should be carved out!  Once this is done you are ready for the stem mixture.  Put a little bit of the mixture in every leaf and then the remainder in the center of the artichoke.  Put the artichoke in a pan with a little layer of water at the bottom.  Then generously pour extra virgin olive oil over the artichoke and steam.  Steaming will take a long time!  If you have a pressure cooker the cooking time will go by much faster.  You know the artichoke is ready when you can easily pull a leaf off. 

Enjoy!