Crema di Carciofi Ester

In the Jewish Italian kitchen the repertoire of dishes made with artichokes is particularly large. When I asked a woman at the ghetto market why this was the case she said, “Well, artichokes are bitter, and that’s part of our heritage.” This artichoke soup is named after Esther, Queen of Persia, and is served at Purim, a joyful holiday that commemorates her triumph over the evil minister Haman and her rescue of the Jews. While it is traditionally thickened with a besciamella, you can