It is claimed that California's Castroville (near Monterey) is the "Artichoke Capital of the World". So that makes me who's a devout fan very happy. Artichoke is full of anti-oxidants and easy to make a yummy treat even without any culinary skills :).

Clip away the thorny part of the leaves.


2. Cut the top off.


3. In a large pot, put a couple inches of water, a clove of garlic, a slice of lemon, and a bay leaf (this adds wonderful flavor to the artichokes). Insert a steaming basket. Add the artichokes. Cover. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 25 to 45 minutes or until the outer leaves can easily be pulled off. Note: artichokes can also be cooked in a pressure cooker (about 15-20 minutes cooking time). Cooking time depends on how large the artichoke is, the larger, the longer it takes to cook.



Artichokes may be eaten cold or hot, but I think they are much better hot. They are served with a dip, either melted butter or mayonnaise. My favorite dip is mayo with a little bit of balsamic vinegar mixed in.

• Pull off outer petals, one at a time.

• Dip white fleshy end in melted butter or sauce. Tightly grip the other end of the petal. Place in mouth, dip side down, and pull through teeth to remove soft, pulpy, delicious portion of the petal. Discard remaining petal. Continue until all of the petals are removed.

• With a knife or spoon, scrape out and discard the inedible fuzzy part (called the "choke") covering the artichoke heart.

The remaining bottom of the artichoke is the heart. Cut into pieces and dip into sauce to eat.

Baking at midnight has become something of a fetish lately... and here I go again... anybody wants to try my banana bread?

There is something so sensual and therapeutic about baking… that feeling of fluffy flour and the soft melting butter squishing through your fingers is inexplicable… and yes, I got hooked… More than that, the warm and fuzzy feeling that fills up my ribcage when my neighbors can’t stop ranting and raving about my goodies is pretty hard to match. The spirit of giving is rewarding. “Thou Shalt Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself” has a special meaning to me today.

I’m totally babbling… Hope you enjoy the treat!




These bars have shortbread cookie crust (yummy!!) and are quite easy to make:

Crust – Scottish Shortbread
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
3 Tablespoons sugar
½ cub butter

Lemon mixture
2 eggs
¾ cup sugar (I only used ½ cup)
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
3 teaspoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup coconut
Powdered sugar (optional)

- In a mixing bowl stir together the flour and sugar. Then cut in butter till mixture resembles fine crumbs. Form mixture into a ball and knead till smooth. (I drizzled a little bit of 1% milk to moist the dough a little bit – the first batch I made was too dry).

- Pat dough into a ungreased 8x8x2-inch baking pan. Bake in 350º oven for 15 minutes.

- Meanwhile, for lemon mixture, in a mixing bowl beat eggs with an electric mixer till foamy. Add sugar, flour, lemon juice, baking power and salt. Beat on medium speed about 3 minutes or till slightly thickened, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Stir in lemon peel and coconut.

- Pour lemon mixture on top of crust. Bake in the 350º oven for 20 to 25 minutes more or till lightly golden around edges and center to set. Cool in pan on a wire rack. If desired, sift powdered sugar over to. Cut into bars. Make 16 to 24.

A rainy Sunday and a homemade brunch seems a brilliant idea. So, I whipped up a batch of cranberry scones; brewed a large pot of my favorite Colombian coffee; put on some jazz music; and curled up next to the window watching the raindrops idly trickling by... I don’t know about you, but this is just my perfect way to spend a lazy Sunday.




Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Have ready a large ungreased backing sheet. Whisk together thoroughly in a large bowl:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt

Drop in:
6 Tablespoons (3/4 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Cut in the butter with 2 knives or a pastry blender, tossing the pieces with the flour mixture to coat and separate them as you work, until the largest pieces are the size of peas and the rest resemble breadcrumbs. Do not allow the butter to melt or form a paste with the flour.

Stir in ½ cup dried cranberry (currents or raisins) and grated orange zest (optional)

 Add 1/2 cup milk

Mix with a rubber spatula, wooden spoon, or fork just until the dry ingredients are moistened.

Gather the dough into a ball and knead it gently against the sides and bottom of the bowl 5 to 10 times, turning and pressing any loose pieces into the dough each time until they adhere and the bowl is fairly clean.

Transfer to a lightly floured surface and pat the dough into an 8-inch round about ¾ inch thick. Cut into 8 or 12 wedges and place at least ½ inch apart on the baking sheet. Brush the tops with:

2 to 3 teaspoons cream or milk

If desired, sprinkle the tops with:

Cinnamon and sugar

Bake until the tops are golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on a rack or serve warm.

Source: The Joy of Cooking