Artichokes - You Might Have Choked Artie....But You Won't Choke Stymie

I fell in love with Artichokes thanks to the Little Rascals.....that's right the Little Rascals. One of my all time favorite scenes is when Stymie tries to eat an Artichoke and through frustration says the famous line, "You may have choked Artie, but you won't choke Stymie."

Artichokes are easy to prepare, and delicious. In honor of Stymie, I am including a simple recipe that hopefully will encourage others to try them.

Ingredients

Artichoke
Lemon Slices or Lemon Juice
Garlic Powder
Lemon Powder
Minced Garlic

Preparation

The tops of Artichokes are spiny. They are usually inedible. You will most likely have to cut 1/4 - 1/2 of inch of the top off the artichoke. This will allow for steaming, and the addition of ingredients within the artichoke.

In a medium pan, fill up the pan with 2 inches of water. Place the artichokes in the pan for steaming. Add between the wedges lemon, garlic, and seasonings.


Next, on a medium high heat, you will steam the artichokes for 45mins to an hour. You will be able to check the artichoke after 45 mins for tenderness.

Eating: The Artichoke has 2 parts to it. You will eat the leaves first by wedging your teeth between the leaves and scraping the fiber from the plant. Once the leaves are completely gone, you take a fork and remove the spiny fibers from the stem. (They will come off very easy) What you will have left is a base, know as the "heart." Many find this to be the treasure of the Artichoke. Very tender, and flavorful, the heart is the best part of the Artichoke.