When you cook for just one, it’s easy to get in a gastronomical rut. Having determined I was in one, I purchased Judith Jones’ new book, The Pleasures of Cooking for One. Ms Jones is senior editor and vice president at Alfred A. Knopf. She was the editor for Julia Child’s first cook book and continued as her editor until Julia’s death. After turning down a few pages on cheese, blueberry soup and hollandaise sauce for one, I came across the following observation by Judith. “There is something pleasantly sensual and mindful about eating an artichoke all alone, dunking each leaf in a tart, buttery sauce and scraping off that little bit of flesh, then getting to the bottom and carefully removing the prickly thistles to the heart.” Hmm, that does sound rather sensual! Now what does this have to do with wallcovering, you want to know. Well, I couldn’t help but be reminded of our new artichoke designs. Here are the designs.
And here is the recipe
1 large artichoke-select one with tight leaves
Dipping sauce or Hollandaise
2 tablespoons butter, melted
½ lemon
You can either steam or boil a big choke. Steaming prevents water logging. Heat a big pot of water with a steamer inside of it. Trim off the small outer leaves and cut off the stem close to the base. Place in steamer and cover. After 40 minutes, test for doneness by pulling off a leaf: if it pulls off easily, the base is tender. Drain well. Squeeze as much fresh lemon juice as you like into the melted butter, mix well, and put sauce in a small dipping bowl. As Julia Child would say, “Bon Appetit!”
-Lorre Lei
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