THE ART OF ARTICHOKING

Artichokes have always intrigued me. The first time I saw them were in the summer of 2008 at the Venice Farmer's Market in Los Angeles.. And boy! They looked wholesome! The first ones took me by complete surprise.. I always thought of these as tender buds and subtly flavored, with soft silken curled petals, reminiscent of a flower, with a heart in the middle, but they turned out to be these giant thistle buds something like a green fleshy pine cone with thorns –I wondered what heart would be contained inside these thorny pine cones, and at the end of the quest what surprise lay.. My curiosity grew and I wanted to introduce this Californian favorite to my taste buds..


As my luck would have, my friend, Nanette invited us over for a dinner last night, and I jumped at the invitation. I was excited about the rendezvous with artichokes. And while on the dinner table, we played the game, follow the leader, for none of us knew the art of artichoking.. Nanette announced, " Eating artichokes is marvelous, it is zen like—leaf by leaf, peel away the layers, dipping the base of the leaf in melted lemon butter, bringing to your lips, and lightly scraping the flesh away with your teeth, as each leaf nearer the center grows more tender. Best of all, when you reach the middle and scoop out the prickly choke you're left with one big piece of tender "heart," which is your prize after the long patient wait, and the best part to eat." As we followed our host's words, and her gracious movements, and reached the tender soft heart of the artichoke, dipped it in the melted butter and tasted, we knew why this was every Californian's favorite.
During the rest of the meal, Nanette and Bruce told us more about Artichokes. In fact, Castroville, in California (located just off Highway 1 along the coast of Monterey Bay) is known as the Artichoke Capital of the World. And they also told us about how to tell healthy artichokes.
"Fresh artichokes always squeak when gently squeezed. They should be dark green, round, and firm with tightly closed leaves. Summer and fall selections will be more conical, and their leaves will be somewhat flared. To ensure a meaty artichoke, choose one that feels particularly heavy for its size. The bottom of the stem should be free of holes, which are a sign of worms. Artichokes that look woody are the not so healthy one, and have lived their life. A healthy artichoke's stem should be as thick as the bud itself."
An intriguing effect of eating artichoke, I heard later, is that they leave a sweet taste in your mouth that make the subsequent flavors on the platter somewhat different.. No wonder that mom's chole tasted somewhat like the pasta !! Artichokes also have an aphrodisiac reputation, and their alter ego at the bar comes in the form of Cynar..

Thanks Nanette , Bruce for the lovely experience….

Ah ! Burano

Napoleon called it “The Best Drawing Room in Europe”. Little doubt does it leave why Venice attracts hordes of holiday makers at any time of the year. In fact, Venetians like to walk the streets and squares in the evenings just to watch the tourists. While for a tourist, Venice is all about Gondolas, sunsets, changing lights, Harry’s bar, maze of canals, small bridges, blow glass of Murano, glass beads, the Venetian masks, the vaporetto and the pigeons…Truly a folding picture postcard of itself. It’s all for the eyes. Built on water, it is an endless succession of reflections and echoes, a mirror image. For an Art connoisseur the same Venice is about Titian, Tentoretto, Canaletto, Guardi, Jacopo Bellini and even the invention of easel painting.

Tucked away, however, from Venice is a cheerful, bright, small island called Burano. A ferry ride from Fondamento Nuove takes you to this colorful pretty characteristic fishing village. It is truly an artist’s paradise. It is a revelation, a muse...The first glimpse at the streets lined with brightly painted houses is like an explosion in a paint’s factory!! Unlike the grim Art history of Venice, Burano is just a fishing village. Where as Venice is an eternal present, Burano is a nineteenth century setting. You step off the vaporetto into an old fashioned opera of colors.

Each home in the street is painted a different color from pastels to bright so the fishermen can spot their house from far away in the sea.

As you walk along the streets on Burano, you can see black shawled old women sitting in the sun, making lace. Bead stringing is another specialty and a pass time with Old Burano wives, and one can catch a glimpse of women stringing beads in their open kitchens.

The first sight that meets is the whole town’s laundry blowing in the breeze – a Welcome Banner!!! Burano is cheerful because so much happens outdoors here, in the sunlight. There seem to be no secrets!!