I'm so sad for those of you that have never tasted an artichoke.
They are divine! They taste somewhat like asparagus and are lots of fun to eat. The typical way to cook them is to boil them in salted water and serve one to each person. Then, everyone tears the leaves off, dips them in some sort of dip (melted butter, mayo, ranch, etc.) and scrapes the dip and plant flesh off of the leaf between their teeth. The used leaves are tossed in a big, communal bowl. It's a fun family dish!
Another way to eat them is to steam, or boil them and then take all of the leaves off, throw them away and just use the base, or "heart" of the artichoke in various dishes. I'm thinking of using this method to make artichoke ravioli next time.
~ C