Artichaut

Artichokes, to be eaten, must be understood. Each has a heart (or bottom), a choke, a cone, a stem, and petals. At the base of each petal is a tiny kernel of meat. To get this nugget off, pull the base of the cooked petal between the teeth and strip it out. Discard the petal and break off another petal, dunk, and eat. Once all the petals have been removed, one is confronted with a cone of tissue-like purplish petals that look good enough to eat, but one normally does not. The base is tender, but the tip is a thorn. This inverted cone lifts off to reveal a cushion of down which is not edible. This is the choke. With a teaspoon, scoop it from the firm meaty base which is the edible artichoke bottom. Once the choke is removed, cut the bottom into wedges and eat. The elegance of artichokes is unrivaled.