How to prepare artichokes for cooking

     Trimming artichokes is a lot less complicated than it might seem just from reading the instructions.

     * Hold the artichoke in your left hand with the tip facing toward you and the stem facing away.

     * Slowly turn the artichoke while making an abbreviated sawing motion with a sharp paring knife to cut through the tough outer leaves. (It’s easier to control if you use the base of the knife rather than the tip.)

     * When you can discern the natural cone shape of the artichoke, adjust the knife to follow it. Keep trimming until you’ve cut away enough of the tough leaves so you can see only light green at the base.

     * Cut away the top half-inch or so of the tip of the artichoke and place the artichoke in acidulated water (water to which vinegar or lemon or lime juice has been added) to keep the cut surfaces from discoloring.

     * With the paring knife, trim away the end of the stem, then peel the stem and base, working your way around the artichoke in several strokes, going from the stem end to where the base meets the leaves. When you’re done, there should be no dark green tough spots left, only pale green and ivory.

     * If you’re using baby artichokes, leave the chokes whole. If you’re using medium artichokes, quarter the chokes. The easiest way to do this is to set the artichoke on the cutting board so it is upside down, resting on the cut surface of the tip. Cut it in half vertically, then in half again.

     * Check the choke. With most, there will probably be nothing but a little fuzz, and you can just put the quarters in the lemon water and go on to the next artichoke. For larger artichokes, there will be what looks like very fine hair. Cut just below that to the very base of the leaves and it just will pop off, leaving a clean heart below.