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How to Prepare (and Eat!) an Artichoke

When I was a principal at South Callaway Schools, my administrative assistant was a sunny and kind woman named Dana who was a California (state) implant to Missouri.  Dana was the perfect antidote to my seriousness and always made sure that school was a fun place to be.

One day, for whatever reason, Dana and I were at school with no one else around.  It could have been before Parent Teacher conferences, or maybe a school concert, but she decided she was going to show me the proper way to make and eat an artichoke.



She brought one to school and somehow cooked the thing and showed me how to eat it.  It Rewas delicious, and since that day, I have tried to make sure I have at least one whole artichoke a year.

I am going to show you how Dana taught me to make an artichoke.

First, snip off the pointy ends of each petal.


Remove most of the woody stem, leaving about an inch.   Cut off the top 1/4 with a serrated knife.  
Rinse the artichoke under cold running water.  Place your aromatics (I use bay leaf, lemon and garlic) in a pot holding 2" of water.  Heat water to boiling, then reduce heat to simmer.


Place your steamer basket in the pot, add your artichoke, cover and cook for 25-45 minutes (it depends on how big and tight the artichoke is) or until one of the petals comes off easily.


Using tongs to place your artichoke on your plate.  Prepare dipping sauce for the artichoke.  I like mayo mixed in with a little balsamic vinegar.  


To eat, pull off one of the petals, dip in the sauce and place the petal in your mouth, dip side down.  Use your teeth to scrape off the small bit of meaty flesh at the bottom of the petal.  Work all away around your artichoke until it looks like this:

This hairy structure is the choke.  I was told not to eat it. So I don't.  I scrape it off with a spoon until I get to this:


This is the heart of the artichoke.  Dip it into the sauce and eat it.  There is about four good bites here.

This is a delicacy and something I look forward to each year.  I remember with fondness many memories of my time at South Callaway, of the dear friends I met and still keep in contact with over the years.  Thank you, Dana, for showing me the true delight of the artichoke.



Would you like to comment?

  1. We love artichokes. I make them in the crockpot sometimes and they turn out beautifull. Some garlic butter sauce and lemon - YUM.

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  2. my mom use to make this for us when we were little, I never acquired a taste for it until much later, now I love it.

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  3. This is actually super helpful, because as much as I love a good artichoke dip, I refuse to make it or eat it in any other form because I just don't know how!

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  4. I can't say for sure that I have ever eaten an artichoke. I know I have had dips with artichoke in them, but as far as actually eating the artichoke, I don't think I have. Now that I know how to prepare it, I will have to try it.

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  5. This is interesting! Growing up in the Philippines, I've never seen and had artichokes so this is pretty new to me.

    Belle | www.OneAwesomeMomma.com

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  6. I haven't had one of these in years, I loved them as a kid. I've totally got to try them again.

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  7. Artichokes intimidate me in the kitchen though I love to eat them. This is helpful in case I decide to try my luck at them.

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  8. I have never made artichoke before!! This looks so good, I may need to try making it!

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  9. Oh thank you for sharing this - I was literally thinking about this the other day in the supermarket. I had a pizza with artichokes in a restaurant the other day and when I saw a bunch I was like ay I could make that. Then realised I had absolutely no clue haha! This is useful! x

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  10. Wow this is awesome. I've never had an artichoke before, ever so I'd never know how to go about preparing or even eating one. This is great! - Jeanine

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  11. This looks so interesting! I've never been a fan of artichokes, but now I want to try this out

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  12. So yum and so fresh! I've not tried this myself, but you make it look easier than I thought it would be. I love veggies like these!

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  13. I used to buy cooked artichokes in college and i lOVED them, but i was never able to replicate them at home. i am so excited you shared this, I am going to try it ASAP!

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  14. This is such a helpful post! My boyfriend loves artichoke so maybe I'll make it for him now :)

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  15. I was introduced to canned artichoke last year but doing this sounds awesome! I will totally have to try this out!

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  16. Ok I admit I love these in food in restaurants and have never even tried to cook one myself. Thanks for the detailed tutorial, now I think I'll try it!

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  17. I enjoy artichoke and spinach dip. I have never had artichoke like this before, not sure that I would like it as much though. But the way you've prepared it makes me want to try it out.

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  18. I have never cooked them before, but you make it look easy! I have had artichoke pizza before and it was so good!

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  19. I have never actually prepared my own artichoke before. So this was super informative and I can now make my own dips!

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  20. Can't say I've ever eaten an artichoke. My mom loves them. If I ever try one, I'll at least know how to prepare them! Thanks!

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  21. Omg now this was beyond helpful!!! I'm a taiyak foodie yet have never made anything with artichokes before because I was too intimidated by them lol

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  22. This is such an interesting post because I had no idea that there was a technique to eating an artichoke. It truly is a lovely vegetable and looks beautiful with any dish.

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  23. I have only eaten a "real" artichoke once, about 10 years ago when we visited Lake Tahoe and our host was able to get fresh ones. I have always wanted to try to prepare one. Pinning this if I can ever get good ones here! (I wish my administrative assistance would prepare this for me one day!)

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