The Best Artichokes

The best artichokes ever? Saying a lot isn't it? But, I had them last night.

Yes, mother nature had something to do with it. Large, globe shape. Tight, firm leaves. Heavy in my hand, really just beautiful. Mr. Smoothy had brought them home from the local, and they sat overnight in the refrigerator drawer waiting. Calling to me.

Mr. Smoothy suggested a simple baked potato for dinner. But a craving set in. Besides, those picture-perfect globes would not be quite so bruise-free after another night in my veggie drawer.

A 45 minute steam bath followed by a grilling on the outside produced an artichoke that was sublime. Perfectly tender leaves and heart, smoky taste from the grill, bathed in olive oil and coarse sea salt, sprinkled with chopped parsley. Rifling through the close-to-bare refrigerator produced a dipping sauce with enough gusto to hold it's own combined with the grilled chokes.

And what's that little number in the other bowl you ask? It's a chickpea/sundried tomato/mozzarella salad and you already know how to make that.

Grilled Artichokes

2 large globe artichokes

lemon

olive oil

coarse sea salt

Trim artichokes: Cut stem end, pull off tough bottom leaves, trim bottom with knife. Cut top 1/5 of artichoke off. With scissors, trim each remaining leaf. Rub with lemon.

In steamer set over water, steam artichokes, stem end down til middle leaves are softened, move easily and can be pulled from choke. Be sure artichoke bottom (or heart) is also tender. Remove from heat, let cool until you can handle, then slice in half vertically.

Preheat grill, or grill pan, which is what I used. Rub artichokes with your best olive oil, being sure to get inbetween the leaves as well. Salt. Grill, outsides only. since the artichokes have already been cooked, you are looking for additional taste only, so grill until desired. Sprinkle with parley. Serve with sauce.

Empty Refrigerator Artichoke Dipping Sauce Olives, pitted, coarsely chopped (any color, I had both green and black; Nicoise and Kalamata)

salted capers, rinsed, coarsely chopped

thyme, parsley

minced garlic

lemon juice

mayonnaise

Using the amount you favor, I prefer a chunky almost dip-like condiment, mix ingredients together and try to let it sit for a hour or so to blend before using.

Shrimp Spread

The result? Actually very tasty. Of course I felt I needed to update the recipe ever so slightly. The original had salt and cayenne pepper as the only seasonings. A little Essence mix from Emeril and a squeeze of lemon juice gave a welcoming modern nod. I also saved the shrimp shells and make a quick flavored stock in which to cook the shrimp. You don't have to do this, but it did add more depth. With a few minor changes to the recipe, I also felt perhaps a minor change in the name as well - Shrimp Spread.

The photos here show the spread in a crock. I don't have a fancy Tupperware mold, and I'm not sure I'd use it if I did. You can mold it in a simple bowl or cup and dip quickly in hot water until released.

Serve with crackers and/or crudite. My old family cook book also endorses freezing the mixture; remove from freezer and place in refrigerator on day before serving.

Shrimp Spread - makes approximately 4 cups

2 lbs. shrimp, with shells

1 tsp. liquid crab boil

1 tsp. salt

1 can condensed tomato soup

9 oz (3 3oz pkgs) cream cheese

1 1/2 tbsp. unflavored gelatin

3/4 cup celery, minced

1/2 cup onion, minced

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tsp. Essence

juice from 1/2 lemon, or to taste

1. Peel shrimp and set aside. Place shells, liquid crab boil, and 2 quarts water into a 4 quart pot. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 10 minutes (the crab boil can emit pretty powerful fumes, so cover the pot here). Keeping the liquid, strain out the shells, return stock to pot, add salt and return to boil. Cook shrimp for approx. 3 minutes, depending on size, or until pink. Drain, set aside to cool slightly. Either pulse shrimp in food processor, or chop by hand - depending on how you'd like the texture of the spread to be.
2. Put 1/4 cup cool water into a small, microwaveable bowl. Pour gelatin over and mix briefly. Set aside.
3. In a small 1-2 quart pot over medium-low heat, mix together soup and cream cheese, stirring until well combined and cream cheese is completely melted. Transfer to a large bowl.
4. Microwave gelatin on high for approx. 2 minutes, or until mixture comes to a boil. Carefully add to soup mixture in bowl, and stir well to combine. Add shrimp, celery, onion, mayonnaise, Essence, s & p and lemon juice to taste.
5. Spoon into chosen receptacle, cover and press with plastic wrap, refrigerate until firm. I put my spread into a terrine, a couple of crocks and a cup or two - they were firm in 3 hours. If you use only one mold/container, prepare to have your spread spend the night in the fridge.

Alternatives:

• Say you only have peeled, devained shrimp from the market because they were on sale. These usually still have the tails on. Peel the tails and use them as if you had the full shell and continue from there.
• No shells at all? You should still allow your water to be flavored for 10 minutes with the crab boil and salt before cooking the shrimp.
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper can be used in place of the crab boil.
• For a major lift, use a fresh goat cheese log instead of the cream cheese. Substitute ounce for ounce.
• Really, any combination of vegetables can be used, just make sure they are finely minced. Try to keep away from anything that might weep.
• If you haven't got any Essence in the cupboard and don't feel like making any, a pinch and a dash of garlic powder, onion powder and paprika would be great.

A question

A friend emailed me for suggestions on a New Orleans style hors d'oeuvre to serve at our next book club meeting. We had just finished 'A Confederacy of Dunces' by John Kennedy Toole and loved it, hence the menu selection. It got me thinking of course. Once upon a time I called the Big Easy my home, between the ages of 13-18, and surely I should be able to quickly come up with several mouth-watering representations. Well, sure. There's oysters Rockefeller, steamed shrimp with remoulade, any type of gumbo, oysters on the half-shell....I could go on and on but I think I'd begin to sound like Bubba from 'Forest Gump' listing all the things one can do with seafood. Those are the typical things you'd see on a menu. But, I wondered aloud, what did mom serve at all those parties she and dad were putting on? What was that concoction she was always taking over to other people's houses in a fancy Tupperware container? What about Shrimp Mold? No, not shrimp left to grow green fuzz in the refrigerator for a month. Mold as in what you form it in. You know, gelatin? Sounds very 1950's doesn't it? Well, I hauled out the old family cookbook to see exactly what one puts into something so glamorously called Shrimp Mold, and here is what it told me: condensed tomato soup and cream cheese. Hmmm. I remember it being very tasty. Was that just my 16 year old taste buds talking? Can it stand up to my significantly older, more well rounded ones? Off to the kitchen....