artichokes

In article <[email hidden]>,

mom0f4boys said:

When I was a kid, once in a while my mom would make artichokes for
supper. They were steamed until soft, with garlic powder shaken into
them. We ate them with just salt, and I loved them. Sometimes I
make them the same way, but I drizzle olive oil into them before
steaming, and I dip the leaves in melted garlic-butter with lemon and
parmesan. Still, the process of eating them is a rushed affair,
trying to get to the heart. And the heart is so small - I always want
more.

I'm not in a hurry. I like the leaves also. There a many different
sizes of artichokes. Perhaps you should look for larger ones. I've
monssters. They cost more, of course.

Quoted message said:

Canned artichoke hearts are NOT the same. They are fine for
artichoke dip, which is yummy, but what I really want is a big
plateful of fresh steamed hearts, all buttered and garlicked.

I've seen demos on tv where the chef cut off all the leaves, leaving
just the hearts, before cooking. Seems like an expensive waste to me.

We steam the artichokes in a little water, with lemon juice and a cut
garlic clove in the water. We serve either with garlic butter or
mayonnaise.

mom0f4boys said...

Quoted message said:

Why are the canned ones not delicious? The marinated ones are
a nice snack, but still very different from fresh. Anyone else love
artichokes? And what do YOU do with them?

I don't believe in artichoke "hearts," the ones with the leaves included.
ICK!

We knew artichoke hearts as the bottoms. The heart of the choke IS the
bottom. That's what we fought over when I was a kid.

Eggs Sardou, in my adult years, was my first departure from ordinary
artichoke leaf and heart butter dipping.

Now-a-days, out-of-season, I buy the cans of artichoke "bottoms" (7-8
count) and include them in my Vegelaya or an egg & artichoke & potato &
STUFF!!! breakfast.

The only prep with the canned "bottoms" is to dice them to size for
whatever dish you're making and rinse the heck out of them under hot water,
then toss them into a pot of boiling salted water to rid them of the citrus
"brine" for five minutes, then add them into your dish.

My job was to snip the leaf top prickers off. Mom wouldn't risk my "Chatty
Cathy" sister pricking her fingers! Better suited for the young BUMS!!! in
the house, obviously.

I could just about talk about artichokes all day. Darn near the only
vegetable I actually liked in my youth.

Maybe add some artichoke bottom bits to chicken enchiladas or in a grilled
cheese sandwich (plus garlic powder) or in an omelette OR as a never-
before-heard-of artichoke guacamole!

And in closing, WHO DOESN'T LIKE ARTICHOKES???

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=52264qv&tag=artichokes&hid=1&s=1

Andy
Ask me about asparagus!

In article <[email hidden]>,

mom0f4boys said:

Anyone else love artichokes? And what do YOU do with them?

Steam them until they're done. Then dip them in
mayonnaise that I've flavored up a bit.

A couple of favorites:

1) Best Foods mayo, lime juice, and dill

2) Best Foods mayo and balsamic vinegar

(I really resist getting other brands of mayo. Kraft
just doesn't do it for me. Best Foods/Hellmans is all
I'll buy if I'm doing the buying. One of these days
I'm going to have to try making my own.)

--
Mike Van Pelt | Wikipedia. The roulette wheel of knowledge.
mvp at calweb.com | --Blair P. Houghton
KE6BVH

Dan Abel <[email hidden]> dropped this news:dabel-97931B.23572927092007
@c-61-68-245-199.per.connect.net.au: in rec.food.cooking

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

mom0f4boys said:

When I was a kid, once in a while my mom would make artichokes for
supper. They were steamed until soft, with garlic powder shaken into
them. We ate them with just salt, and I loved them. Sometimes I
make them the same way, but I drizzle olive oil into them before
steaming, and I dip the leaves in melted garlic-butter with lemon and
parmesan. Still, the process of eating them is a rushed affair,
trying to get to the heart. And the heart is so small - I always want
more.

I'm not in a hurry. I like the leaves also. There a many different
sizes of artichokes. Perhaps you should look for larger ones. I've
monssters. They cost more, of course.

It's the same with us Dan. We love the leaves. I've found enormous
artichokes now and then and they are basically a meal in itself with the
heart being the dessert 😉

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Canned artichoke hearts are NOT the same. They are fine for
artichoke dip, which is yummy, but what I really want is a big
plateful of fresh steamed hearts, all buttered and garlicked.

While I agree I find the canned variety to be very useful in recipes. I
find wasting the whole artichoke to get to the heart for say... artichoke
dip or something similar a lot of work and a waste of the fleshy part of
the leaves.

Quoted message said:

I've seen demos on tv where the chef cut off all the leaves, leaving
just the hearts, before cooking. Seems like an expensive waste to me.

We steam the artichokes in a little water, with lemon juice and a cut
garlic clove in the water. We serve either with garlic butter or
mayonnaise.

I ordinarily serve them with garlic butter. Sometimes I'll stuff the
leaves with seasoned bread crumbs and drizzle a bit of olive oil on them.
I'll bake them for a bit (after steaming until heart is tender) and serve
with the garlic butter.

Michael

--
Children today are tyrants. They contradict their parents, gobble their
food, and tyrannize their teachers.
- Socrates

to email: dog3 at charter dot net

Michael \'Dog3\ said:

I ordinarily serve them with garlic butter. Sometimes I'll stuff the
leaves with seasoned bread crumbs and drizzle a bit of olive oil on them.
I'll bake them for a bit (after steaming until heart is tender) and serve
with the garlic butter.

If you like anchovies, chop a few up and mix them in with the bread
crumbs, along with some grated parm or romano and a bit of lemon
juice. YUM!

Lou

Quoted message said:

(I really resist getting other brands of mayo. Kraft
just doesn't do it for me. Best Foods/Hellmans is all
I'll buy if I'm doing the buying. One of these days
I'm going to have to try making my own.)

You really should try making your own. It's amazingly easy and tastes
great too.

--
Queenie

*** Be the change you wish to see in the world ***

"Dan Abel" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

mom0f4boys said:

When I was a kid, once in a while my mom would make artichokes for
supper. They were steamed until soft, with garlic powder shaken into
them. We ate them with just salt, and I loved them. Sometimes I
make them the same way, but I drizzle olive oil into them before
steaming, and I dip the leaves in melted garlic-butter with lemon and
parmesan. Still, the process of eating them is a rushed affair,
trying to get to the heart. And the heart is so small - I always want
more.

I'm not in a hurry. I like the leaves also. There a many different
sizes of artichokes. Perhaps you should look for larger ones. I've
monssters. They cost more, of course.

Quoted message said:

Canned artichoke hearts are NOT the same. They are fine for
artichoke dip, which is yummy, but what I really want is a big
plateful of fresh steamed hearts, all buttered and garlicked.

I've seen demos on tv where the chef cut off all the leaves, leaving
just the hearts, before cooking. Seems like an expensive waste to me.

We steam the artichokes in a little water, with lemon juice and a cut
garlic clove in the water. We serve either with garlic butter or
mayonnaise.

Are the really big artichokes good? I saw some monster ones at Safeway for
$1.50 each, but was afraid they might not be as nice as the smaller ones.
If they're good though, I'll grab some if they're still available at that
price.

Lynne A
[email hidden]

LynneA said:

Are the really big artichokes good?

There seems to be no relationship between size and quality --
the good and flavorful ones can be any size, and so can the duds.

Steve

"Steve Pope" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

LynneA said:

Are the really big artichokes good?

There seems to be no relationship between size and quality --
the good and flavorful ones can be any size, and so can the duds.

Steve

Ok, thanks. That is a good price for the smaller ones, so it will be well
worth it to grab these instead. Twice as much for the same price=good!

Lynne A
[email hidden]

LynneA said...

Quoted message said:

Are the really big artichokes good? I saw some monster ones at Safeway
for $1.50 each, but was afraid they might not be as nice as the smaller
ones. If they're good though, I'll grab some if they're still available
at that price.

If you're going to make a dish like Eggs Sardou you'll want a big heart that
will fit an English muffin bottom (matching diameter*) and that will easily
hold a large poached egg.

For a heart this size, you'll want to buy a nice fat artichoke!!!

Andy

*I say matching diameter because there's nothing worse than cutting into this
dish and only getting a little bit of artichoke on a large bit of muffin in
each bite.

"Andy" <q> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

LynneA said...

Quoted message said:

Are the really big artichokes good? I saw some monster ones at Safeway
for $1.50 each, but was afraid they might not be as nice as the smaller
ones. If they're good though, I'll grab some if they're still available
at that price.

If you're going to make a dish like Eggs Sardou you'll want a big heart
that
will fit an English muffin bottom (matching diameter*) and that will
easily
hold a large poached egg.

For a heart this size, you'll want to buy a nice fat artichoke!!!

Andy

*I say matching diameter because there's nothing worse than cutting into
this
dish and only getting a little bit of artichoke on a large bit of muffin
in
each bite.

That sounds lovely, Andy. Wish I could have dairy, I never tried Eggs
Sardou when I could :<(( Which begs the question, can one make Hollendaise
or Bechamel sauces with non-dairy milk? And if you can, would it taste like
anything you'd want to eat?? May have to experiment and find out. Couldn't
taste any worse than the fake "cheese" I made tonight!

Lynne A
[email hidden]

In article <[email hidden]>,

LynneA said:

"Dan Abel" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

mom0f4boys said:

When I was a kid, once in a while my mom would make artichokes for
supper. They were steamed until soft, with garlic powder shaken into
them. We ate them with just salt, and I loved them. Sometimes I
make them the same way, but I drizzle olive oil into them before
steaming, and I dip the leaves in melted garlic-butter with lemon and
parmesan. Still, the process of eating them is a rushed affair,
trying to get to the heart. And the heart is so small - I always want
more.

I'm not in a hurry. I like the leaves also. There a many different
sizes of artichokes. Perhaps you should look for larger ones. I've
monssters. They cost more, of course.

Quoted message said:

Canned artichoke hearts are NOT the same. They are fine for
artichoke dip, which is yummy, but what I really want is a big
plateful of fresh steamed hearts, all buttered and garlicked.

I've seen demos on tv where the chef cut off all the leaves, leaving
just the hearts, before cooking. Seems like an expensive waste to me.

We steam the artichokes in a little water, with lemon juice and a cut
garlic clove in the water. We serve either with garlic butter or
mayonnaise.

Are the really big artichokes good? I saw some monster ones at Safeway for
$1.50 each, but was afraid they might not be as nice as the smaller ones.
If they're good though, I'll grab some if they're still available at that
price.

Lynne A
[email hidden]

I always found the large ones to be just fine and dandy, so long as the
heads were tight and the stems were thick, and the leaf tips had not
started to purple a lot.

Picture of an artichoke bloom from one of the gardening binary lists:

http://home.centurytel.net/Katraslink/Artichoke.jpg

They are a giant thistle bloom. :-)

Supposedly, if I harvest the local wild thistles when the buds are still
closed, they are edible if steamed and I've read they taste similar to
the farmed artichokes.

I've not tried them yet.
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down." -- Steve Rothstein

LynneA said...

Quoted message said:

"Andy" <q> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

LynneA said...

Quoted message said:

Are the really big artichokes good? I saw some monster ones at
Safeway for $1.50 each, but was afraid they might not be as nice as
the smaller ones. If they're good though, I'll grab some if they're
still available at that price.

If you're going to make a dish like Eggs Sardou you'll want a big heart
that
will fit an English muffin bottom (matching diameter*) and that will
easily
hold a large poached egg.

For a heart this size, you'll want to buy a nice fat artichoke!!!

Andy

*I say matching diameter because there's nothing worse than cutting
into this
dish and only getting a little bit of artichoke on a large bit of
muffin in
each bite.

That sounds lovely, Andy. Wish I could have dairy, I never tried Eggs
Sardou when I could :<(( Which begs the question, can one make
Hollendaise or Bechamel sauces with non-dairy milk? And if you can,
would it taste like anything you'd want to eat?? May have to experiment
and find out. Couldn't taste any worse than the fake "cheese" I made
tonight!

Lynne,

Here's a Guilt-Free Hollandaise from chef Ming Tsai that is dairy free.

http://www.ming.com/simplyming/showrecipesSeason3/Holandaise.htm

You could substitute shrimp for the poached eggs? Probably taste even more
delicious!

Andy

"Omelet" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

LynneA said:

Are the really big artichokes good? I saw some monster ones at Safeway
for
$1.50 each, but was afraid they might not be as nice as the smaller ones.
If they're good though, I'll grab some if they're still available at that
price.

Lynne A
[email hidden]

I always found the large ones to be just fine and dandy, so long as the
heads were tight and the stems were thick, and the leaf tips had not
started to purple a lot.

Picture of an artichoke bloom from one of the gardening binary lists:

http://home.centurytel.net/Katraslink/Artichoke.jpg

They are a giant thistle bloom. :-)

Supposedly, if I harvest the local wild thistles when the buds are still
closed, they are edible if steamed and I've read they taste similar to
the farmed artichokes.

I've not tried them yet.
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their
foot down." -- Steve Rothstein

Ok, that's two votes, I am SO stopping by Safeway tomorrow! Hope they still
have them for that price, I've seen them as high as $2.00/ea for the small
ones lately.

Lynne A
[email hidden]

"Andy" <q> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

LynneA said...

Quoted message said:

"Andy" <q> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

LynneA said...

> Are the really big artichokes good? I saw some monster ones at
> Safeway for $1.50 each, but was afraid they might not be as nice as
> the smaller ones. If they're good though, I'll grab some if they're
> still available at that price.

If you're going to make a dish like Eggs Sardou you'll want a big heart
that
will fit an English muffin bottom (matching diameter*) and that will
easily
hold a large poached egg.

For a heart this size, you'll want to buy a nice fat artichoke!!!

Andy

*I say matching diameter because there's nothing worse than cutting
into this
dish and only getting a little bit of artichoke on a large bit of
muffin in
each bite.

That sounds lovely, Andy. Wish I could have dairy, I never tried Eggs
Sardou when I could :<(( Which begs the question, can one make
Hollendaise or Bechamel sauces with non-dairy milk? And if you can,
would it taste like anything you'd want to eat?? May have to experiment
and find out. Couldn't taste any worse than the fake "cheese" I made
tonight!

Lynne,

Here's a Guilt-Free Hollandaise from chef Ming Tsai that is dairy free.

http://www.ming.com/simplyming/showrecipesSeason3/Holandaise.htm

You could substitute shrimp for the poached eggs? Probably taste even more
delicious!

Andy

Thanks for the link, Andy, it's worth a try! The eggs are fine, just can't
have any milk products. Although, shrimp sounds totally decadent, may try
it anyway ;>😉)

Lynne A
[email hidden]

In article <[email hidden]>,

LynneA said:

Ok, that's two votes, I am SO stopping by Safeway tomorrow! Hope they still
have them for that price, I've seen them as high as $2.00/ea for the small
ones lately.

Lynne A

Good hunting. :-)

I have to go cat food shopping in the morning so plan to check prices
again. I ate the two I bought last week. Wal-mart had some nice medium
sized ones for $1.00 each.

They also had Haas avocados 4 for $1.00!!!

I've not seen them for that price in years. Limes were 10 for $1.00 and
lemons were 5 for $1.00.

I can't help but wonder if it has anything to do with the new NAFTA
trucking regulations. Not having to transfer loads 100 miles from the
border might be cutting shipping costs for Mexican produce.
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down." -- Steve Rothstein

"LynneA" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

That sounds lovely, Andy. Wish I could have dairy, I never tried Eggs
Sardou when I could :<(( Which begs the question, can one make
Hollendaise or Bechamel sauces with non-dairy milk? And if you can, would
it taste like anything you'd want to eat?? May have to experiment and
find out. Couldn't taste any worse than the fake "cheese" I made tonight!

Lynne A
[email hidden]

Lynne, have you ever made fake cheese from tofu, which is marinated/covered
with miso and let it sit to absorb?

Dee Dee

"Omelet" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

LynneA said:

Ok, that's two votes, I am SO stopping by Safeway tomorrow! Hope they
still
have them for that price, I've seen them as high as $2.00/ea for the
small
ones lately.

Lynne A

Good hunting. :-)

I have to go cat food shopping in the morning so plan to check prices
again. I ate the two I bought last week. Wal-mart had some nice medium
sized ones for $1.00 each.

They also had Haas avocados 4 for $1.00!!!

I've not seen them for that price in years. Limes were 10 for $1.00 and
lemons were 5 for $1.00.

I can't help but wonder if it has anything to do with the new NAFTA
trucking regulations. Not having to transfer loads 100 miles from the
border might be cutting shipping costs for Mexican produce.
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their
foot down." -- Steve Rothstein

I [censored] forgot to stop by there! I was told to be at the
CPR/AED/First Aid class at 8, got there and they said 9, so I did my running
first, and totally spaced out on it. Dammit. Ok, maybe tomorrow!GRRRRR

Lynne A, should really eat the leeks and kale first anyway
[email hidden]

"Dee Dee" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"LynneA" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

That sounds lovely, Andy. Wish I could have dairy, I never tried Eggs
Sardou when I could :<(( Which begs the question, can one make
Hollendaise or Bechamel sauces with non-dairy milk? And if you can,
would it taste like anything you'd want to eat?? May have to experiment
and find out. Couldn't taste any worse than the fake "cheese" I made
tonight!

Lynne A
[email hidden]

Lynne, have you ever made fake cheese from tofu, which is
marinated/covered with miso and let it sit to absorb?

Dee Dee

No, I haven't seen that one, Dee, do you perchance have a recipe for it? If
not, I can get to Googlin'. So far, the best one I've tried has been the
Mostarella recipe from The UnCheese Cookbook. I have GOT to get that book.
None of it tastes like cheese really, but it's got the same umami goin' on,
makes it good anyway. This last try though, was pretty horrid. It mellowed
as it cooled into something passable, but certainly not GOOD.

Lynne A
[email hidden]