"artichoke dip" news and stories

I was grocery shopping yesterday, and I couldn't get my eyes off of cute mini artichokes from California. Ah, the gorgeous produce from California! I bought these artichokes and stuffed them with a marjoram stuffing. I'm a fan of the entire artichoke - the leaves and the heart.

Artichoke hearts taste delicious plain or thrown into a salad. They can also make the perfect braised chicken dish. In Italy, artichoke hearts are mixed with olive oil and transformed into an exquisite spread that's often applied to pizza. Besides stuffing the flower, you can also deep fry it. Or, you can simply go for steamed artichokes with an aioli dip.

Not only are artichokes eaten, but they are also used in drinks. In Vietnam, they're made into an herbal tea. And, in Italy the Italian bitter apéritif liqueur Cynar has artichoke as its primary flavor.

Below are 8 different artichoke recipes:

1. Chicken with Artichoke Hearts
2. Cream of Artichoke Soup
3. Artichoke Dip
4. Arugula and Baby Artichoke Salad
5. Fried Artichokes
6. Artichoke and Smoked Tuna Tart
7. Steamed Artichokes with Herb-Caper Mayonnaise
8. Falsone's Roasted Artichoke-Stuffed Artichokes

What are your favorite artichoke dishes?

 

Artichokes have been a favorite food for over 2000 years, first appearing as a popular aphrodisiac in Ancient Greece and Rome. They grew natively around Italy, but by the year 800, they were being cultivated in Spain and gradually spread to other areas of Europe. Today, nearly all commercial artichokes grown in the US come from California, where they are harvested year-round. There are more than 50 varieties of artichokes, but only a few are commercially grown. The ones in the United States are likely to be round and green Globe artichokes, but some varieties have brown or purple leaves. The small artichokes sold as "baby artichokes" are not a variety of their own, but merely an immature version of larger artichokes.

My beloved San Francisco Forty-Niners aren't playing in upcoming the Super Bowl (and they've sucked since the 90's) so really, I have no interest in it. But, boy do I love football food. In my opinion the snacks should be easy and adundant. Here's a  delicious dip that you can whack together in minutes. Make sure you get out and throw around the pigskin after eating this—it's rich.

Easy Artichoke Dip

You can make it fancier, but why?

1 12 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped (not the marinated kind)
1 cup mayonnaise
4-6 ounces of parmesan cheese (or a mixture of parmesan and romano)

Mix ingredients together. Bake a 350º for 35 minutes. Serve hot with crackers or toasted baguette slices.

Keep an eye out over the next two weeks for more party food ideas from me. I take my football munchies very seriously.

[photo: jenyu]