1,592 easy and fully explained recipes, with +66K photos and 77 videos

Artichoke stalks

When preparing artichokes for cooking, you may well already know that we often need to remove the first round of leaves, if they are tatty or dirty, as well as the inedible stalk. The operative word here is “remove” , rather than “cut off”.

55 K 4.3/5 (24 reviews)

Last modified on: October 25^th 2016

For this post Comments Lasts posts Follow

For this post: Comment Follow Ask me a question Send to a friend

To show you better what I mean, here is what not to do:

Cutting artichoke stalk

Why? Well, it's because the artichoke stalk contains tough fibres that run up into the heart. These don't cook well (if at all) and are very unpleasant to eat. Cutting the stalk off with a knife, like in the photo, leaves the fibres in the heart intact.

Here's how to do it: do not cut the stalk, but break it off, as shown here:

Broken artichoke stalk

Hold the artichoke firmly on the edge of a table with one hand, then bend the stalk sharply with the other hand until it breaks off, bringing with it most of the fibres I mentioned earlier. It is worth noting that this is much easier to do when the artichoke is really fresh. Once the stalk starts to soften, it will bend without breaking properly.

To sum up: When preparing an artichoke for cooking, do not cut the stalk, but break it off instead.

Important: it is quite different for the small purple artichokes, which can be eaten with their stalk (and everything else).

Lasts posts

With vinegar?

When you buy a jar of pickles labeled “in vinegar,” you’re looking for their tangy, crunchy flavor to go with cold cuts, sandwiches, or salads. You expect to find small gherkins preserved in vinegar, with salt and herbs, but is that really the case?
July 15^th 20261,2734.8

Congratulate the chef

You've just finished a meal that you really enjoyed. The server approaches with the usual question: “How was it?” And then, as a natural reflex, you simply reply, “Yes, it was very good.” However, when the meal was truly outstanding, this brief exchange deserves a little more. .
July 7^th 2026892 25

Cut twice as fast

When you need to cut something long into small pieces, for example chopped chives or the stem of a spring onion, there's a simple gesture that doubles your cutting speed. Let's see how.
May 21^th 20262,2175

The other use for bowl scraper

Your kitchen or bakery utensils may include a horn (left) or a pastry cutter (right). These practical utensils are normally used to scoop the contents of a bowl or salad bowl - the horn - or to cut dough - the pastry cutter. But they also have another, very practical use - let's see what it is.
May 9^th 20262,0293

The strange foam of potatoes in milk

As you may have already noticed, when you cook potatoes in milk, especially in small pieces (slices or cubes) for a gratin for example, a surprisingly abundant white foam forms on the surface. Where does it come from?
April 26^th 20262,3815

See all posts Random post RSS feeds

The beautiful story of the croissants

As you may have already noticed, cooking, baking and pastry-making are full of stories or legends, usually very romantic, about this or that product or recipe. This is often the case for named recipes, for example tarte tatin, peach melba, paris-brest and many others, but it also applies to very...
October 10^th 201822 K5

One should cover a pan while heating?

You've probably heard it before: "Cover your pan, it'll boil faster", but is it true? Let's find out.
February 27^th 201533 K 13.4

Coarsely chopped herbs

Although we are in the middle of winter as I write these lines, you should not hesitate to make salads at this time, it is actually quite simple, rather fast, and so pleasant. A while ago, I already told you that a salad is a salad, but a salad with herbs is immediately something much better:...
January 9^th 202116 K4.9

Drawing a pattern in pastry

Often in the kitchen, in pastry-making, or in baking, we need to trace a pattern on a pastry. It's just a question of aesthetics but it has its effect after baking on a galette, pithiviers, pâté en croute (terrine in a pie crust), etc.
May 23^th 201938 K4.1

Baking cakes

Where we see that to put a cake in the oven, once the dough is finished and in its mould, there is no hurry and that the cold is your friend.
June 28^th 201947 K4.1