The hardback version of
The Easiest Cookbook is full
of forgotten surprises for me—in this case a memory of a trip to Italy,
circa 1980.
Today, the Campo dei Fiori ( field of flowers) is one of the
last of the open-air markets in central Rome---supermarkets
now reign supreme. At night, the Campo turns into a night-life haunt.
Three days after a clumsy fall off a cobblestone curb in Naples,
I wrote in my travel journal:
Warm enough for a cappuccino outdoors at a
restaurant on the Piazza Navona. The
trick is to stop on the cobblestones, not slip in between them. Rehearsed and ready for the unabashed,
curious Romans, explaining (cheerily) to all who asked about my foot and some
who didn’t, “Sono caduta a Napoli.”(“I
fell in Naples.”)
At the Campo dei
Fiori, I inspected every baby eggplant, cheese, and prosciutto in sight. I bought some flowers, then stood on one leg
and watched a woman transform artichokes into sculpture. She held the artichoke high, turning it round
and round with one hand while her other hand artfully circled the artichoke in
the opposite direction with a paring knife, an action that removed the
artichoke’s thistly thorns from stem to tip.
Plop—each artichoke dropped into a pan of water. The ready-to-cook chokes are sold to
restaurants.
“Brava,”I
said, and explained in bad but getting-better Italian that I liked very much
Italian carciofi because all was edible. “Mi piace (I like) carciofi
alla Romana (vinegar and oil) e alla Giudea (deep fried).
“Come ha fatto
male il piede?” (“How did you hurt your foot?”)
“Sono cadutta
a Napoli.”
I was rewarded with an understanding nod.
At one o’clock the market disappeared, loaded up
and driven away in pickup trucks.
My tried and true way to prepare and cook artichokes. I
looked over the several recipes in The New Cook’s Cookbook (link) and
the latest in The Gourmet’s Recession Cookbook (link)
Allow 1 artichoke per person. A 4-quart casserole will accommodate 4 medium artichokes.
You will need kitchen scissors.
4 medium artichokes
olive oil
lemon slices
melted butter or vinegar and oil dressing
1.
To prep, wash the artichokes. Use a sharp knife to slice off about ½ inch
off the top of the artichoke. Rub the
cut with lemon to prevent darkening.
Pull off the small, brown leaves around the bottom. Slice off the bottom
of the stem evenly so that artichokes will stand up in the casserole.
2.
With kitchen scissors, cut off the
thorny tips of the leaves.
3.
Drizzle approximately 1 tablespoon
of olive oil over each choke. Place a
lemon slice on the top.
4.
Fill the bottom of the pot with
3-4 inches water. Cover the pot and
steam on low heat for 45 minutes or until a leaf pulls out easily. Size doesn’t seem to matter... even a jumbo
will steam done in 45-50 minutes. Make
sure the water doesn’t boil away. Add
more, if needed.
5.
Serve hot with melted butter and
lemon juice or vinegar and oil dressing.
There are special artichoke plates sectioned off with a place for the artichoke in the center, a "well" for the sauce and another section for used leaves.
HOW TO EAT AN ARTICHOKE
Pull off the leaves one at a time. Dip the meaty base of the leaf into the
sauce, then scrape the meat through your teeth.
Use a knife to cut it away the fuzzy ‘choke’ under which lies the
delectable artichoke bottom.
