Try this cooking thread
- Thread starter MWH1967
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Creeper
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I love artichokes and my Italian mother made the best artichokes ever. Now I make them all the time. In fact, I just found good ones in the grocery store this morning. Usually they are old and starting to brown with curled up leaves. But the ones I bought this morning were just right, green and tightly packed leaves.
I have some tips to improve this woman's recipe. First, don't cut off some much of the artichoke above the step. That is where the heart is located and that is the best part once they a cooked. I cut the stem where it just meets the heart just to make it flat enough to sit or stand.
Another tip: save the stems or part of them. I will sometimes cook the stems first to soften them up. Then I will dice them and add the dice stems to the stuffing.
I also use Italian flavored bread crumbs I buy at the store. But they can be a bit salty so ease up on the salt if you add more.
Instead of cutting the inner part of the artichoke with scissors, I put the artichokes in a pot upside down. I add water to the pot so about 3/4 of the artichokes are covered in water. Another tip: first pour about 2 or 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to the pot and two cloves are garlic smashed. The olive oil will capture the flavor and the garlic and artichokes as they cook and it will infuse this flavor into the artichokes and the stuffing. Boil the artichokes for about 15 minutes then take them out, turn them right side up on a cutting board and use a small spoon to extract the inner leaves which can been spiny. and the choke, which is the hairy part in the middle. After cleaning them out then stuff them. . Then put them back in the same pot stuffed side up. again bring the water level back up to about 3/4 of the height of the artichokes and simmer them on the stove until the hearts are tender. (use the same water with the garlic and oil).
For the stuffing, I dice some onion and caramelize it in olive oil before adding in a couple of cloves of garlic. I add the breadcrumbs to the onion and oil. I like to toast the bread crumbs just a bit. I add the cheese in (I use Romano which is sharper then parmigiana, but saltier too) after the bread crumbs are toasted and off the flame. I do not let the cheese melt just yet. It is t he cheese that finishes the stuffing.
Artichokes are a treat out here on the East coast. They can be very expensive, as much a $3 each, certain times of the year.
Creeper
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I love Andrea Bocelli's voice. While you cook a nice Italian dinner, have a glass of red whine and play this song.