Artichokes and Old Friends

What a wonderful Sunday! All my friends are getting married or having babies right now, which is definitely telling me spring is on the way. It also gave me the chance to catch up with Maria, one of my dearest friends from college, who could rival the sun in lighting up the world.

Brooklyn can't decide if it wants to be winter or spring, and the afternoon brought a schizophrenic frozen rain after days of snow. I'm gearing up for spring with a little help from the steamed artichokes I had for dinner tonight.

If you know how to boil water, you can do this.

Trim the stem of the artichokes, steam them until the base is tender (about 15-20 minutes), and voila! Spring forward.

Some of the photos are out of sequence due to my continuing technology struggles. Oy vey. Bear with me.

Melted butter is the perfect accompaniment for dipping your artichoke leaves. Butter is my dip of choice, but some like mayonnaise, aioli, or vinaigrette.

Don't worry if some of the outer leaves get seared. A steamer is best, but if you don't have one, leave an inch of water at the bottom of a pot, cover, and check frequently if you need to add more.

You can trim off the tops if you like. I left them alone because I thought they were so pretty.

I love getting down to the heart of the matter. (Sorry, I'm a sucker for puns.)

College pals have the biggest hearts of all.