A recipe for cosy evenings, eating with your hands and soft music
If you ask me, artichokes are as Italian as Michelangelo. This vegetable perfectly captures the Italian cuisine at it's heart: let the ingredients speak and bring joy to the table.
Artichokes are more than just a vegetable. They taste wonderful, but look at them… they’re beautiful. Leave one on your counter and suddenly your kitchen feels brighter.
This recipe is an easy one, but special enough for dinner and simple enough to make as a snack. Tasteful, elegant and entertaining, it could easily become your new favourite treat.
What I used
✦ 4 artichokes
✦ One lemon
✦ Bit of pepper
✦ One bay leaf and some fresh rosemary
✦ Small teaspoon of salt
✦ One garlic clove
✦ Optional: drop of olive Oil (EVOO) and a slice of toasted bread
The Italian artichoke season starts in December with smaller, deep-purple varieties (moretto or violetto). Use whatever type is available at your store, the recipe doesn’t change.
How I made it
✦ I placed the artichokes in a large pan, sliced the lemon, and arranged the slices around the artichokes.
✦ I filled the pan with water and added the salt, pepper and garlic clove. I made sure the artichokes were fully submerged.
✦ I added the bay leaf and rosemary, then brought everything to a boil.
✦ From there, it all came down to patience and senses. My artichokes cooked for around 35 minutes, but every artichoke has its own personality. The timing depends on size, so trust your senses, you’ll know they’re done when the stem feels soft.
✦ I served the artichokes on a plate in the middle of the table. Eating artichokes becomes an experience: you pick off the leaves and scrape off the soft flesh with your teeth. Maybe even dip it into your favourite dip. And once you reach the core, enjoy the heart with a little olive oil and a slice of warm toasted bread.
Why artichokes deserves a spot in your kitchen
There’s beauty in the minimalism of an artichoke. It doesn’t ask for much, but it gives a lot.
Health-wise: artichokes are packed with antioxidants, vitamin C and plenty of fiber. A small vegetable with a surprisingly powerful effect on your digestion, overall gut health and liver function.
Taste-wise: their flavour is soft yet earthy and slightly sweet. Maybe even a hint of nuttiness. They’re incredibly versatile: delicious on their own, simply paired with good olive oil but also perfect for risottos. You can enjoy them throughout winter and early spring.
Life-wise: an artichoke is, in the end, an edible flower. So it brings a touch of beauty into your kitchen. Seasonal and simple. Preparing and eating it invites you to slow down, use your hands and savour the moment. It turns an ordinary day into a small ritual.
Feel free to do it your way
We all learn cooking in our own way. From our mothers, our grandfathers, a holiday abroad or an accident at home. These moments shape your taste, and your taste shapes your style. But neither is fixed; they move with the rhythm of your life.
So a meal is never just a meal. It’s a memory.
A here-and-now moment. Your moment.
Don’t treat recipes (mine or anyone else’s) as strict rules. Think of them as gentle directions, little suggestions along the way. And it’s entirely yours. So play with food. Dance in your kitchen. Trust your senses. Because nobody tastes what you taste.
And if it doesn’t turn out perfect? Congratulations, you’ve just cooked like a human being.
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