HOW TO PREPARE AN ARTICHOKE
Preparing an artichoke is a sort of mystery for some people because you don't really know which parts should be trimmed away and which parts are edible. Not to mention the slight confusion that may arise when one sees how much of the artichoke is really thrown away. Here is then a simple guide to artichoke preparation.
One simple rule to keep in mind is to discern between the edible and unedible parts. How? By colors! The edible parts are inside the artichoke and are colored white or yellowish. The unedible parts are green. Also the hairy stuff inside the artichoke is not eaten so it has to be removed. With that in mind take the artichoke and do the following:
Start tearing off the leaves one by one until you reach the edible yellow part of the artichoke (1st picture).
Then cut off the bases of the leaves that you have torn off, just so you have a nice yellow part left, as on 2nd picture (it may still resemble the leave base but it's nevertheless edible, as long as there is nothing green left).
Now you cut off the upper purple part of the artichoke (3rd picture9, preferably with the scissors (some people actually eat it anyway, so it's up to you - I think it's too tough). Now the hairy inner core, the choke, will be visible.
Remove these hairs with a spoon. You may need to cleanse the inside of the artichoke several times to get rid of all the small buds (4th picture). You need to work fairly quickly during all these steps since the artichoke will become oxidized and discolored. Once it's trimmed to perfection, rub it with some lemon juice to prevent the oxidation.