Artichokes: That's Carciofi, or: Mamme e Figlioli

Artichokes, the immature flowers of a member of the thistle family, are one of the nicest things about winter in Central Italy; they appear with the leaden skies of December and accompany us through the beginning of spring, in April. They come in a tremendous variety of shapes and colors, from tiny delicate ones well suited for being eaten raw in pinzimonio, to purplish green medium-sized ones suitable for sautéing, making spaghetti sauce, and whatnot, to what Tuscans call Mamme: large (4 inch or more in diameter) round ones that often have baby artichokes attached to their stems (hence the name), and are perfect for stuffing.

No matter which variety you select, you have to do so with care, because a fuzzy choke is a tremendous disappointment. Like a good orange, a good artichoke will feel firm and solid when you pick it up. It shouldn't give if you squeeze it gently, nor should it feel light. If it does, it probably has air (and fuzz) in its heart. Pass it by. Once you have selected your artichokes and gotten them home, stand them in a vase with water until you're ready to use them (they are flowers, after all). If need be you can keep them like this for a day or two, but they tend to toughen with time.

What to do with them? Once when I was in the US many years ago a friend cooked a dinner that began with artichokes and a dipping sauce; we picked off the leaves, dipped them, and ate just the pulp while leaving the fibrous parts behind until we reached the tender inner section, which we ate all of. This is not the Italian way.

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Photo © Kyle Phillips.