How to Prepare and Eat an Artichoke

Ingredients:
1 artichoke per person
melted butter
lemon juice

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Meanwhile, remove most of the stem and carefully clean the artichoke, removing all dirt or grit. Place in a steamer and steam for about 20 minutes or until or until petal near the center pulls out easily. Meanwhile, combine melted butter and lemon juice to taste. To eat: dip each petal into the lemon-butter. Hold it between your teeth and drag to the remove the soft, pulpy bit at the base. Continue until you reach the middle, then scrape out the fuzzy bits (the choke) and eat the soft heart beneath.

My thoughts:

It amazes me how any one discovered that the artichoke was edible even to the smallest degree. Who thought: if only I steamed this prickly thing and only ate the bottoms of the leaves, it would be a taste sensation? Tasty, but a lot of work!