The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-06-03
AN ARTICHOKE IDYL.
AN UNFAMILIAR VEGETABLE OVER
WHICH, EPlCuREs RAVE.

Creole Chefs.
just SO years after Columbus discov-
cred America a gastronomio genius in
the south Of France discovered the arti-
choke as a delicious dish of saladic
character. 1t was indeed rather re-
markable find or guess, for the plant
bears O strong resemblance to the this
tie, and up to that date any man who
ate it ran the risk of being classed with
that animal which enjoys thistles and
knows how to bray.
The portion of the artichoke generally
eaten is the underside Of tho head be-
fore the flower unfolds itself, or what In
kitchen parlance is called the artiohoke
bottom. But the lower part of the leaves
that Join this base and contain about
fifth of teaspoonful of edible and cas-
lily digestible substance is equally priced
by the wise. A common way of eating
these bottoms after the head is removed
from the plant and the body has been
we'll boiled, like cabbage, is to pull
off the leaves and then eat the remain
der soused in salt and butter.
But the French and the creoles OF
New Orleans, where the artichoke is
regarded with a kind Of sentimental or
affectionate appetite, frequently gather
the heads when the bottom Is no larger
than a silver dollar and eat the lower
end of the leaves raw, dipping them
daintily in a sauce made Of oil, red pep
per and red wine vinegar or occasional
ly in queer sauce of butter and spice.
Another way the French and their
kindred here have of embalming the
artichoke in the memory Of particular
stomachs is to bake the dried heads, for
which purpose tho second crop or rowen
of artichokes is preferred, in meat pie
with mushrooms. This dish has not yet
made its appearance in New York res
taurants.
Neither has the artichoke patty, an
invention Of the famous Partisan chef,
Trisconi, now living in rich retirement
on his estate near New Orleans, and
cooking only occasionally ON state occa-
sions or for gourmets whose praise de-
lights his poet nature. At dinner given
in 1884 by the New Orleans exposition
management to some editorial visitors,
Trisconi presented some Of these famous
patties, and one editor, whose name is
a household word, remarked that such
a dish could teach man the art to choke
himself to death without grieving, to
which another replied that the art to
Joke in that way was an editorial func-
ton more honored in the breach than in
the observance, and in an awesome hush
the guests went ON solaoing their souls
with patties.
The composition of these culinary
wonders is profound secret, which will
probably die with its Columbus, but
there are many other ways-about 90 in
all-of cooking the artichoke, and some
of these methods carry elaboration to
excess. Let brief description of one
way suffice.
You take about six or eight plants Of
medium size, remove the coarsest leaves,
the cores or cholses, wash and drain care
fully. Then fry the tips in oil. and for
dressing chop up very line hail pound
of fresh pork fat, with the same amount
of butter. Add minced shallots, large
spoonful of chopped parsley, salt, pep
per, nutmeg, a pound Of minced mush-
rooms and a gill of madeira. After thor
ough mixing divide into as many por-
tions as you have artichoke shells and
fill the hollow plants.
Cover these with bands of thick pork
and tie around with strong string. Put
these imprisoned artichokes now into
large saucepan, with more pork, chopped
carrots, onions, parsley, etc. Molsten
with medium stock and white wine and
let boil
Then skin and cook in an oven for an
hour. Drain off the stock and reduce 1t
with espagnole to semiglazed state
sprinkling in just suspicion OF lemon
iuice now and then. Free the articokes
from their cord and bands and serve
them, thinly covered, not drowned, In
their accompanying sauce. The name OF
the dish is artichants entiere la BARI
eoule and is equal to dinner of several
| courses.
By some persons this dainty vegetable
! has been confused with the so called
/ Jerusalem artichoke, which is also eat
ell. though chiefly by cattle. The Jeru'
salem drUlCuOkS Is uOe u VI rO oPSASS -
all. but of kind of wild sunfiowel
! (hence it's Italian name girasole, turn
ing to SUM, with tuberose root thai
resembles potato and tastes very like
delicate turnip when well cooked.
This plant is called in some localities
the Canada potato, in others the Vlr
gilman. 1t was introduced into England
in 1920. and its tops, when cured, wer'
found to be good hay, five or six tons tt
the acre, and it's tuber was fed to cattle
It is not quite as nourishing as the pc
tato, having per cent more water, blu
it is very fair eating in spite OF the pref
udice against it. Once in soil, it
extremely difficult to extirpate, and i
has a curious gift of resisting cold, hav
ing never been known to be killed o
spoiled by freezing.
1t was also introduced i'll souther
Europe at the same time it came t
England, and in some places its drie
fibers are transmitted into cordage an
coarse cloth. 1t got its odd name, Jeru
salem, in English, by corruption of tn
Italian name, girasole, just as tomatoe
got the name of love apples in French
ponmes d'amorcs, by French mistak
of the Italian name pomi di Mort, appl
Of the Moores, that vegetable havin
come to Italy from Morocco traders.
1t is fact worthy of note that art
choke flowers, like rennet, will curdl
milk. st. J.oris Post. Dispatch.