It wasn't until quite recently that I fully realized just how much of an impact having a French mother has made in my life. Friends from my youth that I've recently reconnected with talk about how coming to my house was 'exotic'. I knew that we ate differently and that other kids didn't travel overseas quite so often, etc. But since French culture is adjacent to and heavily appropriated into 'sophisticated' American culture, it never felt so different to me!
While shopping today, I made an impulse buy so as to have something special for my upcoming birthday:
As the saying goes, if I had a nickel for every person I've introduced the humble artichoke to in my life, I'd be a rich man. I actually ate the whole artichoke at home well before I found out about jars of artichoke hearts or having it as a pizza topping. Irene was just telling the kids about how she'd never had one before she met me (perhaps it was this very tale that planted the idea that manifested in my so-called 'impulse buy'?)
In my French family's lore, there is a tale passed down about watching American soldiers ordering artichokes (by accident?) in a French restaurant and, after deliberating amongst themselves and entertaining the French people watching with their perplexion, they finally decide to cut the entire thing with a knife and fork right down the middle. This punch line would invariable send my French relatives into hearty laughter. As a kid, I laughed along at those uncultured louts. As a young adult I was indignant and judged the French for being so judge-y. Now, I think a people who were conquered and then freed in back-to-back conflicts on their own soil probably have a lot of issues to work out. What I'm saying here is that artichokes are more than just some delicious vegetable to me.
I did a bit of research on the etymology of the word because in my mind the 'choke' part must be because Americans choke on it when they eat it the wrong way, right? But, alas, it is Arabic in origin and no such word play is in the history of the word. I did however, run into this French expression which I either never learned or never properly processed:
Avoir un cœur d'artichaut ("have the heart of an artichoke") means "To be a hopeless romantic"
Well, here I am buying myself some artichokes to share on by birthday with the fam. What does that say about me?
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Mama's Artichokes
(full disclosure, I just make 'em this way, not sure if Mom did it this way exactement or not)
-Weigh down (or wedge in) the artichokes so they are covered in water
-Throw in a garlic clove or two
-Gentle boil for longer than you think you should (leaves should come out with the gentlest tug)
-Serve centered on a plate with a vinaigrette dip on the side
-Eat the leaves one by one, slight dip and then scrape the yumminess at the bottom of the leaf off with your bottom teeth
-Lay the discarded leave in a circle around the artichoke.
-When you run out of leaves, gently brush away the yucky stuff on top of the heart with the side of your knife
-Quarter your heart and eat each piece after dipping
-offer to help your neighbor who is likely struggling
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