Food is Cynful: Baked Artichokes

About the Cyn

As I have added more and more recipe's to this blog I've realized that these are such sweet tender memories for me. Just as a photograph or childhood story will bring back memories, food floods me with tons of remembrances of happy times in the past! From family dinners and times with friends to Grandma making toast in the frying pan, food has brought about a way to record my family history. Food has always been and remains a huge part of our gatherings and I feel so very blessed to be able to share my memories and such terrific recipe's with my family and anyone out there who has a few minutes to spare. It is my hope that someday my children and grandchildren will prepare these recipe's and know they were special to someone!

Cynful Explanations

Al dente – An Italian expression applied in all western kitchens to pasta cooked just until enough resistance is left in it to be felt “by the tooth.” Fresh pasta can never by cooked al dente as it is too soft. The expression is also applied to vegetables that have been cooked crisp by steaming, boiling, or stir-frying.
Baste – To moisten food during cooking with pan drippings, sauce, or other liquid. Basting prevents foods from drying out.
Bias-cut - To slice food at a steep angle increasing the surface area, makes a thinner cut easier and looks better.
Butterfly- To split a food (such as shrimp) down the center, cutting almost but not completely through. The two halves are then opened flat to resemble a butterfly shape.
Caramelize – The flavor of many foods, including vegetables, meats, and seafood, is often enhanced by a gentle browning that caramelizes natural sugars and other compounds and intensifies their flavor. Meats for stews, for example, are usually browned to caramelize juices that if not caramelized are much less flavorful. Chopped vegetables, especially aromatic ones such as carrots and onions, are often caramelized—sometimes with cubes of meat—in a small amount of fat before liquid is added to enhance the flavor of soups, stews, and sauces.
Dice – To cut into cubes (unlike chopping, which cuts foods into irregular pieces).
Dredge – To coat a food with flour, any finely crumbled ingredient, or, in pastry, with fine sugar.
Egg wash – A mixture of egg or egg white, oil, and water brushed over floured items, which are then deep-fried or pan-fried in clarified butter or oil.
Fold – To incorporate an egg-white foam into an egg yolk foam or a flour batter without deflating it so that it retains its full leavening power.
Julienne – To cut into long thin matchstick size strips.
Marinade – A mixture of ingredients used to flavor and moisten foods. May be liquid of dry. Liquid marinades are usually acidic based and dry marinades are usually salt based.
Mince – To chop very fine.
Piping - To force a food (typically frosting or whipped cream) through a pastry tip to use as a decoration or garnish, or to shape dough, such as that for éclairs.
Poach – To cook completely submerged in barely simmering liquid.
Puree – To work or strain foods until they are completely smooth.
Ramekin – A small, ovenproof dish, usually ceramic.
Render - To melt animal fat over low heat so that it separates from any connective pieces of tissue, which, during rendering, turn brown and crisp.
Resting – Roasted meats should not be served straight out of the over, but should be allowed to rest in a warm place for 20 to 30 minutes, loosely covered with aluminum foil. (The foil keeps the meat warm; loose wrapping ensures that the outside of the meat doesn’t steam and lose its crispness.) Resting allows the meat to relax so the juices become redistributed in the meat and aren’t squeezed out onto the platter during carving.
Sauté – To cook over high heat in a small amount of fat in a sauté pan or skillet.
Scald – To heat milk just below the boiling point. Or, to immerse a vegetable or fruit in boiling water in order to remove its skin easily.
Sear – To brown the surface of pieces of meats and or fish by submitting them to intense initial heat.
Simmer – To maintain the temperature of a liquid just below boiling.
Steam – To cook in steam by suspending foods over (not in) boiling water, in a covered pot or steamer.
Stew – A cooking method nearly identical to braising but generally involving smaller pieces of meat, and hence a shorter cooking time. Also, the dish prepared by using this method of preparation.
Stir-fry – Chinese technique of cooking think slivers of meat, shellfish, and vegetables in hot oil.
Sweat – To cook foods over gentle heat, usually covered or partly covered, until they release their moisture. Vegetables, meats, and seafood are often sweated when making soups, stews, and sauces so that the foods release their juices into the pan and surrounding liquid. Sweating is the opposite of sautéing.
Tempura – A Japanese method of cooking vegetables and shellfish. They are coated with a light cornstarch batter and deep-fried.
Wok – A round-bottomed pan, usually made of rolled steel, used for virtually all Chinese cooking methods.
Zest – The thin, brightly colored outer part of the rind of citrus fruits. The oils make it ideal for use as a flavoring. Remove the zest with a grater, citrus zester, or vegetable peeler. Be careful to remove only the colored layer, not the bitter-white pith beneath it.

It's time to open the flood gates to Memory Lane!

I always knew when summer rolled around or was just around the corner because Mom and Dad would come home from the market with artichokes! Being from a large family meant sharing your artichoke with a sibling and typically because I was one of the younger kids I always felt like I got the raw deal. I couldn't eat as fast so I didn't get as many leaves and I always felt like I got the smaller piece of the heart which we all know is the best part! Artichokes are very often an expensive item in a large family and so they were saved for special occasions or only bought once or twice during the season which meant they were special. Oh, how I love artichokes! They are my A, number one, top of the list, go straight to go and collect 200 dollars, favorite veggie! The smell of the steam pouring out of the large stock pot on the stove meant it was time to help Mom in the kitchen with whatever task she needed because you were so thankful they bought this extra special present for dinner that you were willing to do anything asked! In our house it was always served with melted butter to dip in but I've learned that it is also served with mayo (YUCK) or baked. Now mind you, my favorite way will always be butter but seeing as how I'm trying to feed a family healthy foods I wanted a new way to try out this most delectable, glorious flower! I've heard of baking it and always scoffed because that is NOT how you eat an artichoke but again letting go of a little bit of tradition isn't so bad, so I looked up recipe's. Now my problem is that I don't like what I find and so I change it. Such is the case here. This is my version of Baked Artichokes and I hope you like what you find!!! My family sure did! Here's what I came up with...

3 Large Artichokes
1/2 cup Lemon Juice (or the juice of one lemon)
3 Tbsp dry basil
4 Tbsp Parmesan cheese
1 heaping Tbsp chopped garlic
1-2 Tbsp Pepper
1/2 cup Vegetable Stock

Start by cutting your lemon in half. Once the inside of the artichoke is exposed it browns but if you rub it with lemon is stays nice. Clean your artichoke by cutting away the little sharp edges with kitchen shears and cut the stem off near the bottom leaves. Rinse the flower well with cold water. Set aside upside down and work on the next one. Then cut your artichoke in half from the tip of the flower to the stem. Core out, with the edge of a large spoon, the choke (which is the hairy looking portion) and the thinner leaves until you have a hollowed out center. Remember that there are several layers of leaves that are yummy eats so don't cut out too many! Often the center will be purple and you can rest easy taking the purple portions out! It would be a good idea to now rub your hollowed out flower with the lemon. Set that aside and repeat until finished with all halves. Juice your lemon in a medium size bowl and mix together the lemon juice, basil, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and pepper. This should form a thick grainy paste. At this point you want to taste your paste and decipher whether it needs more of anything. If it's too thin you can add more basil and Parmesan to help thicken it up. Pour your broth in a casserole dish big enough to fit all your halves in. Time to get messy!!! I tried this with a spoon at first and found my hands worked better. Scoop up a dollop of your mixture and spread it all over the artichoke half then place it center down into the casserole dish. Do this with each of your halves. Be generous with your mixture, getting down between the leaves and in the hollowed inside as well. When all halves are in the dish and covered with the lovely mixture, cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 1-1 1/2 hours. Notice I didn't have you turn your oven on before hand. This is something that can warm up with your oven. No sense in wasting energy when you don't need to! When an hour has passed pull the foil off carefully and test the bottom with a knife. If it is soft like a baked potato then you are good. If not put it back in and check it every 15 minutes or so. There's no need to have a dip to accompany! Let the artichokes rest for a few moments while you set the table and then it's time to start scraping leaves!!! Enjoy!

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Baked Artichokes

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