Last night I spent hours perusing the grocery store, smelling herbs, tasting grapes, squeezing gourds... and the eternal question loomed... "What to make for dinner??"
The more I tried to force something, some new idea, the more frustrated I became. Everything turned into a huge ordeal which required even more ingredients with new recipes...
You decide pork chops would be nice... but they require apples... and mashed potatoes... and green bean casserole... and... before you know it, you find yourself rocking back and forth in the cereal aisle, eating frozen peas right out of the bag.
You know what I'm talking about. We've all been there.
Somehow, in my frustrated state, I ended up in front of the artichokes. Hmmm... artichoke. Quite an underrated little thistle, wouldn't you say? So underrated that the cashier actually had to look up what it was (which makes me a little sad).
Yet it's history is so rich that it's impossible to ignore.
Did you know Marilyn Monroe was the world's first artichoke queen? Or that in ancient Greece, women weren't allowed to eat them because of their aphrodisiac qualities? Thank goodness times have changed!
After rubbing a roaster chicken with butter, lemon juice, salt and pepper and throwing it in the oven, I turned my attention to that artichoke. Sometimes, the simplest flavors are the best. A quick bath in some salted, boiling water and a fast hollandaise later, we were munching on pure heaven.
Artichokes with Hollandaise
The more I tried to force something, some new idea, the more frustrated I became. Everything turned into a huge ordeal which required even more ingredients with new recipes...
You decide pork chops would be nice... but they require apples... and mashed potatoes... and green bean casserole... and... before you know it, you find yourself rocking back and forth in the cereal aisle, eating frozen peas right out of the bag.
You know what I'm talking about. We've all been there.
Somehow, in my frustrated state, I ended up in front of the artichokes. Hmmm... artichoke. Quite an underrated little thistle, wouldn't you say? So underrated that the cashier actually had to look up what it was (which makes me a little sad).
Yet it's history is so rich that it's impossible to ignore.
Did you know Marilyn Monroe was the world's first artichoke queen? Or that in ancient Greece, women weren't allowed to eat them because of their aphrodisiac qualities? Thank goodness times have changed!
After rubbing a roaster chicken with butter, lemon juice, salt and pepper and throwing it in the oven, I turned my attention to that artichoke. Sometimes, the simplest flavors are the best. A quick bath in some salted, boiling water and a fast hollandaise later, we were munching on pure heaven.
Artichokes with Hollandaise
(one artichoke serves two people)
1. Wash artichoke with cold water. Cut off stem, so artichoke can sit upright without wobbling over. Using kitchen shears, snip off the ends of each leaf.
2. Fill a large pot with water and lightly season with salt. Bring to a boil and drop in the artichoke (or artichokes if you are cooking more than one, just be sure to give them some space). Cook for 35-40 minutes, or until leaves easily pull off and a knife can pierce the bottom. Remove from water and serve hot or cold, based on your preference.
3. Place three egg yolks and 1 tbsp lemon juice in a saucepan. Whisk vigorously until well incorporated and creamy. Add 1/4 cup cold butter (sliced into 1 tbsp size pieces). Turn heat to low (VERY low) and whisk constantly until butter is melted and combined. Add another 1/4 cup cold butter (again, in 1 tbsp size pieces) and continue whisking. When sauce is warm (not hot), remove from heat and serve immediately with artichoke.
(Save leftover hollandaise by covering and refrigerating. Reheat slowly over low heat with a tbsp of water. Serve with asparagus, eggs benedict, salmon, bread cubes or more artichoke!)
1. Wash artichoke with cold water. Cut off stem, so artichoke can sit upright without wobbling over. Using kitchen shears, snip off the ends of each leaf.
2. Fill a large pot with water and lightly season with salt. Bring to a boil and drop in the artichoke (or artichokes if you are cooking more than one, just be sure to give them some space). Cook for 35-40 minutes, or until leaves easily pull off and a knife can pierce the bottom. Remove from water and serve hot or cold, based on your preference.
3. Place three egg yolks and 1 tbsp lemon juice in a saucepan. Whisk vigorously until well incorporated and creamy. Add 1/4 cup cold butter (sliced into 1 tbsp size pieces). Turn heat to low (VERY low) and whisk constantly until butter is melted and combined. Add another 1/4 cup cold butter (again, in 1 tbsp size pieces) and continue whisking. When sauce is warm (not hot), remove from heat and serve immediately with artichoke.
(Save leftover hollandaise by covering and refrigerating. Reheat slowly over low heat with a tbsp of water. Serve with asparagus, eggs benedict, salmon, bread cubes or more artichoke!)
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