Well, I AM a native Californian who loves artichokes but I can also speak as a relatively new Oregonian who observes a whole lot of beautiful artichokes in the stores...so I don't think it's just a California thing....except...now that I think of it...most people who live in Oregon are California transplants!

Goldy, OT...I lived in So. Cal most of my life and travelled to northern Cal a lot and never heard of Grass Valley (did I get that name correct?.) I must say it sounds just wonderful. Sorry I never went there.

I LOVE them -- But last time I looked (last week) they were $3.99 apiece! My kids love them too.
Of course, I am originally a California girl... (Dad used to grow them.)

My mom always steamed them so that's how I do it. Everyone got a little bowl to put the dipping condiment of choice at their place (again, I do it that way now, too) and she ALWAYS had mayo along with melted butter to choose from. I mean, artichokes are so healthy, what's the point of eating them if you can't dip them in something bad ?? ;-)

I have altered it a bit and made fancy, flavored mayos but the tried and true out of the jar is just fine by me. Not something I eat often because DH won't touch them and it's more work than I want to do for myself so I usually reserve them for when we have company.

I'm not from California, but I'll eat artichokes any way you'll cook 'em. I boil them if I can't get the tender young ones. Artichokes and asparagus are my favorite vegetables.

My favorite appetizer is seasoned crab on a fresh artichoke heart dressed with a little hollandaise sauce. If you're going to have a nice little slice of beef tenderloin, why not add it to some carrots, baby onions, mushrooms, artichokes and demi-glace? When feeding vegetarians I stuff artichokes with a rather nice filling of onions, walnuts and pecans. (Fiddly because you have to scoop out the chokes.) It isn't a pizza if it doesn't have artichokes and olives. Too tired to cook? Slice up a boneless, skinless chicken breast and toss it in the skillet with olive oil, capers, either frozen or bottled artichokes and a splash of wine or cognac. Not the best way to eat artichokes, but it beats Dairy Queen!

I am from NY and love artichokes. Of course, I never get the fresh (usually canned) so I don't know if I count.

I love them.

After steaming, I like to dip them in either melted butter with lemon juice or sour cream.

Artichokes are my favorite food. I eat them all different ways, but they are expensive here, too. I was in heaven last summer in California. I think I ate them everyday!

I'm a native NYer and I adore fresh artichokes. I steam them with a dollop of olive oil, sliced lemons and several garlic cloves. Yummy!

Helene

I buy artichoke hearts in big gallon jars preferably packed in oil, but salt and vinegar is OK too. I don't buy fresh ones to cook. They are so expensive here and never look really fresh. They require too much fooling around to prepare - they gotta have dipping sauce.

I'm a Californian now, but grew up in Texas eating steamed artichokes. Here is my current favorite dipping sauce.

1/2 c dijon mustard
1/2 c mayonnaise
1t soy sauce
1t garlic powder
hot pepper sauce to taste
Mix all ingredience together.

Here is one I want to try.
2T vegetable oil
1T curry powder
1c plain yogurt
2t mayonnaise

Heat the vegetable oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the curry powder and cook, stirring occasionally for 2 minutes. Pour the oil and curry into a bowl to cool. When the oil has cooled, whisk in the yogurt and mayonnaise.

Yum!
Lisa

I love spinach and artichoke dip, but haven't ever had steamed or canned articokes eaten with a dipping sauce.

The canned ones are sortof rubbery - do steamed ones have the same texture?

NY - my dad's family always ate them. Mom was from NJ never did. I always thought it was an italian thing. :)

GA here. A lot of people locally eat artichokes, but not fresh ones. You usually see the jarred ones on platters, salads, pizzas, and in dips. When they're available fresh in my area, they're crazy expensive. And even then they never look really fresh. Also, I don't think a lot of people around here really know what to do with a fresh artichoke. They weren't traditionally grown here, so there's just no tradition of cooking or eating them in our regional cuisine.

I stuff them with an Italian breadcrumb mixture and then steam them. We eat them often when they're in season.

Just got back from CA where I was delighted to see the artichokes out in the fields and in peoples kitchen gardens. What a plant! Might be worth moving just to grow those beauties.

My Maryland Mom was not a gourmet cook, but I did grow up eating artichokes steamed and dipped in butter and lemon juice. I keep meaning to try the frozen hearts -- heard they're better than the jarred ones by a long shot.

Happily, my teenager tried the artichoke bread at Arcangeli's in Pescadero and decided she likes artichokes. She went on to order the artichoke ravioli at dinner the next night. (Do you see a theme here involving white flour?) They are usually several bucks a pop here in the east, but maybe I should get some, steam them up and see if she really likes artichokes!

East coast lover of artichokes. Steamed and side dipping sauces. Love it when spring rolls around!

jlwrar - the curry dip sounds great. I make a similar mix to put on veggie or regular burgers. Always a big hit, I'll have to try it as an artichoke dip. I don't cook mine, just mix in a bowl and serve. Anything with curry is a hit in our house.

I love artichokes but rarely buy the fresh ones because they never seem very fresh here. I grew up eating them with Mom dipped in lemon butter as a treat.
I use jarred artichokes in all kinds of things.

I love steamed artichokes and have never been to California. :)

Butter and lemon juice is my dip of preference.

I have never eaten a steamed artichoke as they are not grown here and like someone mentioned, I don't think alot of people in our area (Southeast) know how to cook them. Other than artichoke dip, which I don't like. I did notice some in the produce market a few weeks ago and they were very pretty - I will have to pay attention to how fresh they look and what they cost. Something to try. I'm ashamed to admit I didn't realize they came canned or jars! However, I prefer anything like that fresh if possible.

I'm not a fan of mayo so don't think I would like those types dip. I do, however, love curry!

tina

It seems so odd to think of any food being regional any more. Trader Joe's sells bags of frozen artichoke hearts, which are great roasted or sauteed. But, like all artichokes, everything else you eat at the same time will taste sweeter, which is why it's hard to pair wine with 'chokes. Some farmers' markets in Southern California sell the over-grown ones as cut flowers (big blue thistles on top).

I've never eaten a steamed artichoke and was never sure what part to eat or how.

Putting some thought into this, I believe I've eaten them in foods or maybe dip?

Well, Girl, ya got us talking food again ;^D
Artichokes? Love, love, love them!
I was born and raised in Michigan and ate them there, as marinated artichoke hearts that came in jars. We used them for great appetizers.
As a young adult, I lived outside Ft.Lauderdale and ate them there, fresh and in appetizers.
Here in New Mexico, I love buying them fresh and seaming them. I also use the hearts in many of my main dishes, salads, pastas and appetizers. Last year I started seeing the baby chokes occasionally at Trader Joes, which I buy whenever they have them. So thanks for the thread, as I'm loving all these new recipes!

So, judging by all our responses here, I'd say that gal in the market has no clue what good food is!
Lynn

I grew up eating artichokes (native Californian) my mother always dipped them in mayo, but I developed an intense dislike for mayo around age 10 and switched to butter. For those who have never eaten an artichoke you may need some lessons first, otherwise you might literally choke on the tough fibrous leaves.

I don't care for artichokes, but there's no shortage of them around here. Some people even like to toss a few in with the potatoes and corn at a crawfish boil.

I never had them until I was in CA, and come to think of it haven't had them since. They are ok, but a lot of trouble (steaming, tearing and scraping the leaves with your teeth, avoiding the nasty spiny choke in the middle) for the food value.

On the cool side they make your spit taste sweet.
We used a dipping sauce of half mayonaise/half mustard... that recipe I still use.

I find them a fun social food, like cracking crab legs, they do take time to eat and that's part of the enjoyment when you have good friends about.

tina - if you don't like mayo, substitute sour cream. I've used both and really like it either way. I don't measure, but just mix a good amount of curry into the sour cream or mayo, salt & pepper and little splash of fresh lemon juice. Mix well with a fork and you're good to go. I would imagine you could use plain yogurt, particularly plain Greek yogurt in place of the mayo and it would still be tasty!

My parents fixed them all the time when I was growing up. My Mom is from Minnesota, my Dad from Wisconsin--I grew up in Illinois. So, no, they're not just a California thing.

Not just California. I grew up outside Philadelphia and we had fresh, steamed artichokes. I love them. We always dip the leaves in melted butter/lemon. Like bumblebeez, I see them as fun like steamed crabs and boiled lobsters which we also had. I suspect parents not only enjoyed them, but wanted to be sure we grew up knowing HOW to approach eating these foods. Wow. Wish I had all the above in front of me right now!

Another NY'er/NJ'ite who loves artichokes here!

When I was a kid, mom served them dipped in butter. To make "food fun"`! Now I buy them in jars, it's easier. :0)

Before I was born my parents did live in CA. :0) They may have been influenced.....?

Here in NH big elderly artichokes are five bucks a pop even in season. Like hell! (We don't have Trader Joes here.) I'm not a huge fan anyway - had them a whole bunch of times at culinary school - although like many of other foods I dislike (eggplant, for instance) I'll *cough* choke *smirk* one down if presented with it as a guest I'm certainly not going out of my way to get one. Y'all can have my share.

I wish I could grow artichokes. They just won't do here in western NC. Mom grew up in San Jose CA, and we lived just a few hours north of the area where so many are grown. Needless to say, we had artichokes regularly!

They are hideously expensive in the stores here, and often look like they were dragged across the country behind the truck. Regardless, if they look fresh they just might appear on the dinner table alongside something cheap.