Steamed Artichokes

I never really had an artichoke - like, in its entirety on my plate - until I met Jared and his family. They opened my eyes to something glorious: steamed artichokes dipped in mayo. Sounds gross? Maybe, but you would be wrong. Here's how you steam an artichoke. One of these days, I'll be more conscientious about posting pictures, but since this is really a blog for myself and anyone is welcome to it, I keep those images in my little head. But I should post pics. I will. Eventually. Really.

Ingredients
Artichokes (one per guest?)
garlic
lemon
water
large pot

Prepare the artichoke. Cut off the steam and the spines on each leaf (that's only that top tip that's prickly). Cut about 1/4 inch off the top of the flower of the artichoke too.

Fill a pot 1-1/2 to 2 inches with water. Squeeze some lemons or include a couple of slices and the garlic. Place artichoke stem down in water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover, and simmer for 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes. You know it's done when the outside leaves come apart easily. Serve whole with mayo on the side or other side or alone. You eat the artichoke from the outside in, by hand, biting the meaty ends of the leaves that were attached to the artichoke. Make sure to remove the "furry" center before eating the artichoke heart. So good. Enjoy!