The Art of Artichoke

The artichoke is one of my most favorite foods. As a food-lover I really can't say that I have just one favorite food, but the way I cook the artichoke is different than the ways that many others cook artichokes. I start by trimming about a half inch of the sharp tips of the leaves at the top and then I trim the stem off the bottom but don't discard and cut the brown piece off the end of the trunk like end. Like any fruit or vegitable it needs to be rinsed throughly with cool water. When rinsing out the top of the green hard leaves you need to remember to do it well because there is a resivour at the bottom which comes in handy to hold the spices you put in later. Fit the artichoke bodies and stems alternating in a big pot so everything can cook evenly. Sprinkle in a tablespoon of basil, a teaspoon of salt, and two teaspoons of garlic over artichokes and follow with flowing extra virgin olive oil (about 1/4 to 1/2 a cup). Adding four cups of water to start with in the pot over the top infuses all the spices together and down into the artichoke put on high heat. The water in the pot needs to stay above an inch, the artichokes to be stired every 20 minutes or so, and the heat adjusted to the water to be simmering well. After about four to six hours of these delicious vegitables are being cooked they are ready to eat. Most people soak their artichokes in butter but this is a healthier way to eat them and once you have had them this way you will never go back.