Artichauts Jacques

Preparation Rinse the artichoke under cold water to remove any grit. Cut off the top inch of the cone of leaves with a sharp chef's knife. Rub the cut surface with half a lemon to prevent discoloring. With kitchen scissors, snip off about 1/2 inch from the tips of the remaining broad leaves to remove the prickly needles, and rub with lemon. Finally, cut off the stem even with the base, trimming away any small leaves. Rub the flat base with the half lemon. Pour 2 inches of water into the pot and fit in the steamer basket. Arrange the prepared artichoke in the basket, top side down. Cover tightly and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a slow boil and steam for 35 to 45 minutes. The artichoke is done when the base is easily pierced with a small sharp knife. Remove them from the steamer and rest top side up. Allow to cool. For each serving, gently pull off all the broad outer leaves of cooked, cooled artichoke, keeping bottom intact. Remove the inner core of small leaves and scrape the hairy choke from the bottom. With a small spoon, patiently scrape the edible flesh from the reserved leaves (including the inner core). You will have 2 to 3 tablespoons of flesh from each artichoke. Add tarragon, shallots, and a good drizzle of olive oil. Season with fresh cracked pepper and salt, and mix well with a fork. Pile into the artichoke bottom, and serve surrounded by a leaf of butter lettuce, garnished with a sprig of dill. Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home by Julia Child and Jacques Pepin. Copyright © 1999 by Julia Child and Jacques Pepin. Published by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. Julia Child was born in Pasadena, California. She graduated from Smith College and worked for the OSS during WWII; afterwards she lived in Paris, studied at the Cordon Bleu, and taught cooking with Simone Beck and Louisette Bartholle, with whom she wrote the first volume of Mastering the Art of French Cooking (1961). In 1963 Boston's WGBH launched "The French Chef" television series, which made Julia Child a national celebrity, earning her the Peabody Award in 1965 and an Emmy in 1966; subsequent public television shows were "Julia Child & Company" (1978), "Julia Child & More Company" (1980)—both of which were accompanied by cookbooks—and "Dinner at Julia's" (1983), followed by "Cooking with Master Chefs" (1993), "In Julia's Kitchen with Master Chefs" (1995), and her collaboration with Jacques Pépin, "Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home" (1999). The 40th anniversary edition of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 1 was published in 2001. Jacques Pépin, celebrated host of award-winning cooking shows on National Public Television, master chef, food columnist, cooking teacher, and author of nineteen cookbooks, was born in Bourg-en-Bresse, near Lyon. His first exposure to cooking was as a child in his parents' restaurant, Le Pelican. At thirteen years of age, he began his formal apprenticeship at the distinguished Grand Hotel de L'Europe in his hometown. He subsequently worked in Paris, training under Lucien Diat at the famed Plaza Athenee. From 1956 to 1958, Mr. Pépinwas the personal chef to three French heads of state, including Charles de Gaulle. A former columnist for the New York Times, Mr. Pépin writes a quarterly column for Food & Wine. He also participates regularly in the magazine's prestigious Food & Wine Classic in Aspen and at other culinary festivals and fund-raising events worldwide. In addition, he is a popular guest on such commercial TV programs as The Late Show with David Letterman, The Today Show, and Good Morning America. Mr. Pépin is the recipient of two of the French government's highest honors: he is the Chevalier de L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (1997) and a Chevalier de L'Ordre du Merite Agricole (1992). He is also the Dean of Special Programs at The French Culinary Institute of Wine and Food, a member of the IACP, and is on the board of trustees of The James Beard Foundation. He and his wife, Gloria, live in Madison, Connecticut.

Preparation Rinse the artichoke under cold water to remove any grit. Cut off the top inch of the cone of leaves with a sharp chef's knife. Rub the cut surface with half a lemon to prevent discoloring. With kitchen scissors, snip off about 1/2 inch from the tips of the remaining broad leaves to remove the prickly needles, and rub with lemon. Finally, cut off the stem even with the base, trimming away any small leaves. Rub the flat base with the half lemon. Pour 2 inches of water into the pot and fit in the steamer basket. Arrange the prepared artichoke in the basket, top side down. Cover tightly and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a slow boil and steam for 35 to 45 minutes. The artichoke is done when the base is easily pierced with a small sharp knife. Remove them from the steamer and rest top side up. Allow to cool. For each serving, gently pull off all the broad outer leaves of cooked, cooled artichoke, keeping bottom intact. Remove the inner core of small leaves and scrape the hairy choke from the bottom. With a small spoon, patiently scrape the edible flesh from the reserved leaves (including the inner core). You will have 2 to 3 tablespoons of flesh from each artichoke. Add tarragon, shallots, and a good drizzle of olive oil. Season with fresh cracked pepper and salt, and mix well with a fork. Pile into the artichoke bottom, and serve surrounded by a leaf of butter lettuce, garnished with a sprig of dill. Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home by Julia Child and Jacques Pepin. Copyright © 1999 by Julia Child and Jacques Pepin. Published by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. Julia Child was born in Pasadena, California. She graduated from Smith College and worked for the OSS during WWII; afterwards she lived in Paris, studied at the Cordon Bleu, and taught cooking with Simone Beck and Louisette Bartholle, with whom she wrote the first volume of Mastering the Art of French Cooking (1961). In 1963 Boston's WGBH launched "The French Chef" television series, which made Julia Child a national celebrity, earning her the Peabody Award in 1965 and an Emmy in 1966; subsequent public television shows were "Julia Child & Company" (1978), "Julia Child & More Company" (1980)—both of which were accompanied by cookbooks—and "Dinner at Julia's" (1983), followed by "Cooking with Master Chefs" (1993), "In Julia's Kitchen with Master Chefs" (1995), and her collaboration with Jacques Pépin, "Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home" (1999). The 40th anniversary edition of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 1 was published in 2001. Jacques Pépin, celebrated host of award-winning cooking shows on National Public Television, master chef, food columnist, cooking teacher, and author of nineteen cookbooks, was born in Bourg-en-Bresse, near Lyon. His first exposure to cooking was as a child in his parents' restaurant, Le Pelican. At thirteen years of age, he began his formal apprenticeship at the distinguished Grand Hotel de L'Europe in his hometown. He subsequently worked in Paris, training under Lucien Diat at the famed Plaza Athenee. From 1956 to 1958, Mr. Pépinwas the personal chef to three French heads of state, including Charles de Gaulle. A former columnist for the New York Times, Mr. Pépin writes a quarterly column for Food & Wine. He also participates regularly in the magazine's prestigious Food & Wine Classic in Aspen and at other culinary festivals and fund-raising events worldwide. In addition, he is a popular guest on such commercial TV programs as The Late Show with David Letterman, The Today Show, and Good Morning America. Mr. Pépin is the recipient of two of the French government's highest honors: he is the Chevalier de L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (1997) and a Chevalier de L'Ordre du Merite Agricole (1992). He is also the Dean of Special Programs at The French Culinary Institute of Wine and Food, a member of the IACP, and is on the board of trustees of The James Beard Foundation. He and his wife, Gloria, live in Madison, Connecticut.