I looooooove artichokes. I love them best boiled (30-40 mins depending on their size), and eat them by dipping the leaves into light mayo, or melted butter with garlic salt, until I finally get to the heart and get that artichoke flavor! Yum.

One thing about living in New York is that I don't find them that often, or if I do, they're usually tiny and cost $5 each, which is ridiculous. I still remember visiting my grandma in California and there would be a huge cardboard box filled with giant artichokes at Safeway, each costing $1.50! I once considered moving back to Cali just so I could eat artichokes as often as I wanted. Kidding...kind of! 

Anyway, there are obviously several ways to eat an artichoke, but I found this balsamic aioli recipe (pictured above) and will have to try that next! Plus, there are instructions on how to steam your artichoke in the same post, if you are inclined to do so. If you're too lazy to make your own dip but want something more exciting than light mayo/melted butter, I found a Trader Joe's Garlic Aioli Mustard in the fridge (my sister bought it, obviously), and mixed it with some light mayo so it blended together and offered up a hint of spiciness and other flavors. Delish!

For those living in NYC, I found artichokes at the Whole Foods on 7th Ave for $2.49/ea. Obviously, I got two. 

Images via Tastefully Julie