Artichokes?!?

[Michele]

Re: Artichokes?!?

So I looked today because you mentioned them and artichokes are $4 each here in NW Louisiana....

Mom gave me the basics...
the stuffing is breadcrumbs sauteed with garlic and olive oil
after you prepare the artichoke, you just cover it with stuffing...packing it in between the leaves

she prepares the artichokes similar to everyone else....cut off the bottom so they sit in a pot, snip the pointy tips and she spends the extra time up front cleaning out the hairy part (I've actually never worked with fresh artichokes so I don't know how that goes exactly)....then she packs them with stuffing, sets them in a pot with about an inch of water (or broth, or some wine), and steams them stovetop for an hour to an hour and a half....(I guess depending on how many and how packed they are) (edited b/c I don't know if she covers the pot or not....I'll ask)

Until I saw the price, your post made me want to make them tonight! Guess I'll have to wait.

Funny story, when Russ and I were first dating he came to my grandparents house for dinner....he was being polite and so he took an artichoke and proceeded to peel the leaves off and pop the whole thing in his mouth....after about 10 min of chewing, my mom leaned over and told him that we usually just scrape off the 'meat' and leave the rest. At that point everyone was staring at him. It was pretty funny. Especially since it was right after he took a big helping of my grandmothers (very bitter) escarole thinking it was garlic spinach like my mom makes!! Poor guy! He said he feels like the guy from My Big Fat Greek Wedding every holiday we spend with my dad's family!

[alison]

Re: Artichokes?!?

Poor guy!!! That is so funny, and you have to add it to your autobiography.

$4?! Wow! And here I am complaining about the prices here.

Man, that sounds good!!! I'm going to tuck your recipe away for next year.

When dh first visited my family, they served him tempura udon (we do it with shrimp, string beans, carrots, sweet potatoes). By the end of dinner, he had soup splatters all over the front of his shirt, because he didn't know how to use chopsticks (he really wanted to learn). Anyway, at the end of dinner, I asked him where he put the shrimp tails (the fresh ones have a sharp, spear-like tail!). He told me that they were really sharp, but that he wanted to eat them to be polite. What we put these guys through, huh?

[Auspicious]

Re: Artichokes?!?

Funny story, when Russ and I were first dating he came to my grandparents house for dinner....he was being polite and so he took an artichoke and proceeded to peel the leaves off and pop the whole thing in his mouth....after about 10 min of chewing, my mom leaned over and told him that we usually just scrape off the 'meat' and leave the rest.

Anyway, at the end of dinner, I asked him where he put the shrimp tails (the fresh ones have a sharp, spear-like tail!). He told me that they were really sharp, but that he wanted to eat them to be polite.

Heh! The first time my husband had edamame, he chewed on the pod forever. (I would have, too, if someone hadn't warned me how it's eaten!)

[alison]

Re: Artichokes?!?

Julie:
Last night I had sushi, and the guy next to me ordered "eda-mommy." "Eda-mamay" already cracks me up, but this one before.

[SuzySunshine]

Re: Artichokes?!?

Ugg - the lack of good produce is DH and I's biggest complaint about coming back to the midwest after being in California. Alison, once you get to PA there is a produce market in the San Antonio Shopping Center that is to DIE for! Its called Milk Pail Market!

When we could get good artichokes we just steam them and then eat them with butter - yum!

[alison]

Re: Artichokes?!?

Cheri, I will make good use of our time in CA to stock up on fruits and veggies.

I can't tell you how many times I have bought an onion, cut it in half, and the whole inside is moldy. There are whole displays of apples and every. single. one. is bruised.