Italian Stuffed Artichokes

In Hammond, Louisiana we have many people of Italian descent. They share their recipes which they have adapted from the old country. I share one of my favorites that my mother learned from one our neighbors Mrs. Fresina. I made some today -- prep time maybe 10 minutes. The cooking takes about 45 minutes.

4 whole artichokes
1 cup italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup parmesan cheese finely grated
1/2 cup romano cheese finely grated
Olive oil
one half lemon

Using a sharp knife, cut off the stem at the base. This will make a flat surface so your artichoke will sit upright. Next you will cut off the top pointed part of the artichoke. Using the sharp knife, lie the artichoke on its side and cut about 1 inch of the top off -- removing most of the pointed tips. This will remove most of the prickly points on the artichoke. Next, you want the artichoke to open up or bloom. Turn it bottom side up and hit the base with the palm of your hand. This will cause it to open up and give lots of room to stuff the artichoke.

In a large bowl, mix the bread crumbs and two cheeses. Then place an artichoke in the bowl and fill it with the crumbs and cheese. Stuff it as full as you can. If you run out of mixture, make more. (this may happen if your chokes are large).

Place the stuffed chokes in an eight quart pot with a lid. Put about one inch of water in the bottom of the pot to steam the chokes. Drizzle olive oil and lemon juice over the stuffed chokes. Bring water to boil, reduce heat to medium low, and cook with lid on for about 45 minutes or until the leaves pull off easily.

Serve with marinara for dipping.