With artichokes on sale for 98 cents each (better than the rabbit we bought the other week!), I just had to pick a few up. For some reason, I only grabbed two thinking I would make an appetizer or a side-dish with them. Well, let me tell you, this slight adaptation of a Mario Batali artichoke recipe can actually be eaten as a main if you buy large ones. The husband was still a bit hungry afterwards (our artichokes were on the small side) and our breath smelled like delicious garlic until about noon the next day, but this is a recipe I will make over and over and over again. So easy and simple and, if you’re a garlic-lover, you’ll never stuff your artichoke with breadcrumbs again. I also recommend cooking them in halves because not only is it easier to remove that damn choke, but I think the presentation is beautiful and it’s really easy to eat. Next time I’m going to chop up some capers and throw them into the mix. I’d serve with a piece of a baguette so you can “choop” up all that lovely garlic-parsley infused oil! Also, make sure you plan your cooking based on the fact that you must boil the artichokes for a good amount of time before you oven-roast them. Ok? Now, bring on the spring with this lovely artichoke recipe!

PARSLEY, GARLIC AND PARMIGIANO-STUFFED ARTICHOKES
(Recipe is for 2 artichokes, adapted from Mario Batali recipe)

Ingredients:

• 2 artichokes (the bigger the better)
• 1 lemon
• 5-6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 bunch of parsley, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup of parmigiano reggiano
• about 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• salt
• pepper
• dash of peperoncino (optional)

What to do:

1. Boil some water.
2. Remove the outer layers of the artichoke. Trim the rest of the artichoke leaves but cutting off the sharp edges with a knife.
3. When water comes to a boil, slice your lemon in half and squeeze the lemon juice into the water along with the lemon halves. Place your whole artichokes in the water and boil for 20 minutes.
4. After it’s done boiling, remove from water, drain and allow to cool a bit. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
5. Prep your garlic, parsley and cheese (along with the optional peperoncino) and mix in a bowl with the olive oil and some salt and pepper. These dry ingredients will be moistened with extra olive oil on top to drizzle the chokes with during cooking.
6. Cut your cooled artichokes in half and with a paring knife, or other small knife, cut out the hairy and sharp ‘choke’ from both halves. Look at pictures at left of the artichoke with and without the choke.
7. Put artichokes in a baking dish and “stuff” your artichokes in between the leaves with the garlic/parsley/cheese mixture and make sure to spoon some in the well of the sliced artichoke. Add any reserved olive oil that’s left to the pan.
8. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes until the artichoke is soft in the middle with browned edges. Spoon on some of the extra olive oil from the bottom of your baking pan onto your cooked artichokes.

***Thanks to Ellie at Weeknight Gourmet for trying this recipe tonight. She was a trooper by ‘winging it’ when I didn’t put how much olive oil was necessary. Great job, Ellie and thanks for giving me the head’s up that I needed to add to the recipe!
CHECK OUT SOME OTHER POSTS YOU MAY ENJOY:

• Does Hollywood HATE Food?
• The REAL Cocido of Spain
• Cabrales Cheese: It’s a Bit of an Animal
• Remaking a Tuscan Restaurant Meal (From Florence)
• AVGOLEMONO SOUP (Greek Lemon-Egg Chicken Soup w/ Orzo)
• PASTA (BUCATINI) WITH PISTACHIO SAUCE
• PASTA WITH TUNA (Pasta Con Tonno)
• GNOCCHI WITH BREADCRUMB, BROWN BUTTER AND SAGE

My question to you, dear readers, is what do you think about Babbo being named #1? I have eaten there once and I still remember the meal I had – amazing Ostrich ravioli. You know you’ve hit a great place when, years later, you still remember your food. Have you had a memorable meal at Babbo or anywhere – if so, where was it and what was it?

I’ll leave you with a quote by the lovely Italian Stalion fire-crotch that he gave months ago when word was out about him leaving/being asked to leave the Fool Network (his wit and frankness bring a smile to my face ever time I read this):

“They don’t need me. They have decided they are mass market and they are going after the Wal-Mart crowd, [this was...] a smart business decision. So they don’t need someone who uses polysyllabic words from other languages.” -Mario Batali

So, again, what are some of your most memorable meals?

You go, Sara! Can’t wait to watch you again. We know you’ll be better off with this move.

CHECK OUT SOME OTHER POSTS YOU MAY ENJOY:

• NOOOOO! Could it Be? (Mario Gets Fired?)
• Rachel Ray – Maybe Hate is a Strong Word?
• The Wrong Message from a Former Prophet (Delia Smith Jumps Ship)
• Does Hollywood HATE Food?
• The REAL Cocido of Spain
• Diversity Finally Comes to The Food Network

All I can say is that it’s a sad, sad day for me (and I’m sure once I deliver the news to Jonny, he’ll make us put on the red wigs, white aprons, prosthetic stomachs and orange crocks we like to don every few weeks – that’s a joke, kids) and I’m definitely sure that Mario will be better off without that sell-out of a network. Maybe PBS will replace that lame Everyday Food show with a new Mario show? Maybe Mario’s XL gut will knock out over-zealous and overly-nice Andrew Zimmern’s XL gut and his Bizzare Foods will be no longer!

A girl can dream. We heart you, Mario.