How to cook artichokes

Boil artichokes in water to cover by several inches with a tablespoon of olive oil until the bottom of the artichoke is easily penetrated with a paring knife. (Bring the water to a boil before adding the artichokes). Artichokes will darken if cooked in aluminum or exposed to air during cooking, so use a non-aluminum pot and put a plate or kitchen towel on top of the artichokes to keep them submerged.

Also to keep them from darkening, raw artichokes are rubbed with lemon; the oil in the water helps protect them from exposure to oxygen, too. Serve cooked whole artichokes with homemade mayonnaise or vinaigrette. Artichokes are sometimes trimmed of their leaves and choke ( a technique called "turning") and the cooked bottoms served whole - as a container for small vegetables such as peas - or cut into wedges and served on their own as a vegetable. Baby artichokes have a slightly milder flavor than bigger artichokes and they're easier to prepare, because the immature chokes are so small that you don't need to remove them.