The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1894-06-08
AN ARTICHOKE IDYL.
AN UNFAMILIAR VEGETABLE OVER
WHICH EPiCURES RAVE.

The "Jerusaiem" Kind Is Not the True Ar
ticle and Is Used to Fatten Cattle-Mouth
Watering Recipes Used by French and
Creole Chefs.
just So years after Columbus discov-
cred America a gastronomic genius in
the south of France discovered the arti-
choke as a delicious dish of a saladic
character. 1t was indeed a rather re-
markable find or guess, for the plant
bears a 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 the head be-
fore the flower unfolds itself, or what in
kitchen p~arlance is called the artichoke
bottom. But the lower part Of the leaves
that join this base and contain about a
fifth of a 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
well boiled, like a 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 q made of oil, red pep
per and red wine vinegar or occasional
ly in a 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 the second crop or
of artichokes is preferred, in a meat pie
with mushrooms. This dish has not yet
made its appearance in New York res
taurants.
Neither has the artiohoke patty, an
invention of the famous Partisan chef,
Trisconi, now living in rich retirement
on his estate neal New Orleans, and
cooking only occasionally on state occa-
sions or for gourmets whose praise de-
lights his poet nature. At a 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 a nan 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 solacing their souls
with patties.
The composition of these culinary
wonders is q profound secret, which will
probably die with its Columbus, but
there are many other ways-about 20 in
all-of cooking the artichoke, and some
Of these methods carry elaboration to
excess. Let a brief description of one
way suffice.
You take about six OF eight plants of
medium size, remove the coarsest leaves,
trim them off straight on top, cut out
the cores or chokes, wash and drain care
fully. Then fry the tips in oil. and for
dressing chop up very fine half a pound
of fresh pork fat, with the same amount
of butter. Add 3 minced shallots, a large
spoonful of chopped parsley, salt, pep
per, nutmeg, a pound of minced mush-
oom and 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 a
large saucepan, with more pork, chopped
carrots, onions, parsley, etc. Moisten
with medium stock and white wine and
let boil.
Then skin and cook in an over for an
hour. Drain off the stock and reduce it
with espagnole to a semiglazed state,
sprinkling in just a suspicion of lemon
juice now and then. Free the articokes
from their cord and bands and serve
them, thinly covered, not drowned, in
their accompanying The name of
the dish is artichants entiere La bari
| goule 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
en-, though chiefly by cattle. The Jeru-
salem artichoke is not a true species at
all, but Of a kind of wild sun1ower
thence its italian name girasole, turn
ing to SUM, with a tuberose root that
resembles apotato and tastes very like a
delicate turnip when well cooked.
This plant is called in some localities
the Canada potato, in others the Vir-
ginian. 1t was introduced into England
in 1920, and its tops, when cured, were
found to be good hay, five Or six tons to
the acre, and its tuber was fed to cattle.
It is not quite as nourishing as the po-
tato, having 4 per cent more water, but
it is very fair eating in spite of the pref
udice against it. Once in a soil, it is
extremely difficult to extirpate, and it
has a curious gift of resisting cold, hay
ing never been known to be killed or
spoiled by freezing.
1t was also introduced in southern
Europe at the same time it came to
England. and in some nlaces ifs dried