Featured Recipe

                     STUFFED ARTICHOKES 

ITALIAN COMFORT FOOD !

Many of you will remember these when Nonna made them, they are a labor of love  to make and you don't see people making them that much anymore or because they are intimidated by them..no need for that!!

Here we go.

2 – 4, or how ever many artichokes you plan to cook, depending how many lucky people you wanna serve.. if small do 1 each, if they're nice you can serve 2 people with one but we love them so much and they are so delicious that we eat a whole one apiece!!

3-4 Cups Italian breadcrumbs (If you want to give a modern twist use panko, but I am a traditionalist so I use the Italian,) .. but if I have italian bread I make them myself (Easy), if not, the container one is fine

2 cloves FRESH garlic finely minced, more or less to your taste, DO NOT USE that “stuff” they sell in a jar and call minced garlic...no matter if I'm cooking for 2 or 202, I DO NOT use that. EVER. I absolutely dispise it and do not take shortcuts. It is banned from my kitchen.

1 Lemon

2 good handful of mixed Parmesan and Romano Cheeses or whatever you have, Grana padano, Asiago.. I like the later two.

Fresh ground pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon of oregano, dried

A handful of chopped fresh parsley

A good Extra virgin Olive Oil

1.) Mix the crumbs, minced garlic, chopped parsley, squeeze of ¼ to ½ a lemon-(your taste), cheese, oregano and enough E.V.O.O. to make a dryish pasty mixture

2.) Wash the chokes in cold water and cut the stems off the bottom where it meets the leaves so it will sit flat... and separate the leaves using your fingers and/or a spoon and pack down a little bit of the crumb mixture down into the space between the leaves..(See photo #2)..do as many leaves as you can, inner and outer. Put the stuffed chokes into a deep baking dish and cover bottom with about 1/2” of water. And throw the other half of the lemon in there too, eh, why not? Drizzle some EVOO on top of the stuffed chokes, you could even put a pat or two of butter, whatever you have or like. Put lid on baking dish (If chokes stick up too high, just put foil tightly around the top).

3.) Put in the pre-heated oven 350 degrees covered for 1-1/2 hours (Depends on size of artichokes) until knife stuck into middle meets no resistance and they are soft... {OPTIONAL- you can do it on the top of the stove too, but just keep covered, on LOW heat and make sure they don't burn by adding more water if needed} Try not to open lid or foil too many times cause it is the steam produced that cooks them.....

4.) Some people want to be fancy and cut the tops flat on the leaves then rub them with lemon so they don't turn brown and oxidize ...have you ever had to do this for 75 people? Well. Forggeddabout-it.... totally unnecessary and a total pain …that's all just TV Chef Showboating—Save it for the cameras..

5.) Serve them hot, lukewarm, cold --- whatever. Put a dish for the discarded leaves. You can eat them like that or dip in melted butter, or melted lemon butter (See photo #3). Or maybe even a mayo/dijon based dipping sauce …Whatever YOU like. Thoroughly ENJOY! "Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene!"