Artichokes are a mystery to many American dinner tables. Artichokes are really very healthy for you.  It is a shame more people done embrace them. High levels of fiber, vitamin C, folic acid, and biotin are found in artichokes. They are also a good source of vitamin A, and potassium. Here is an simple example of one way to cook an artichoke.

This vegetable from the thistle family does have thorns just like any other thistle. These are located at the tips of the leaves, so the first thing you want to do is cut off these thorns with a kitchen scissors. You then can cut off the top fourth to third of the small leaves.  There is not much in these leaves to eat so you may as well remove them.

Start some water boiling and salt the water and add a generous slice of lemon to it. Once the water is boiling add the artichokes. Somewhere between a half hour and fifty minutes you can check your artichokes to see if a leaf easily pulls off.  If the leaf does come off easily, your choke is done. Once you can easily remove a leaf you can carefully remove the artichoke and allow to drain.

You can dip your artichokes in a butter, salt, pepper, and lemon dip. What you then do is pull off a leaf you will only be scraping off the bottom part of the leaf that was connected to the artichoke. Dip the flehsy end in the butter dip and place into your mouth.  Lighly close your teeth about half way up the leaf and pull the leaf out. 

Once you have eaten all of the leaves you will come to a fuzzy middle part. You will need to get a spoon and scrape off the fuzz. Don't eat the fuzz. Once the fuzz is removed the "heart" of the artichoke remains. The heart is good to eat. The stem may or may not be to your liking.  This is personal preference. I personally don’t prefer the flavor.

Want a fun date night food?  Artichokes can be it.  Take turns feeding each other. It is well work the time and effort to eat artichokes because of the nutritional value they have.

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