Artichoke Tradition

The other day at the grocerie store artichokes were on sale for $.70!!! Wow! How could I not buy them. Now, I am under the impression there are a lot of people in the world who don't really eat artichokes, but in the family I grew up in, you ate them for your special birthday dinner - that's how much we loved them. We steam them up and dip them in a thickened lemon butter sauce. This was the 3rd time I gave them to my kids and like they say, 3rd times a charm. After the first 2 exposures being less then successful, this last time the boys devoured them with glutney and smiles. Eating an artichoke is more then just filling your body with nutrition, it is an experience. It takes time and knowledge to eat it properly and the whole thing is an event - from the long time it takes to cook them, to the process of eating them, to the major production of cleaning up the carnage. Why does my heart swell in joy seeing my kids enjoy such a treat? It was for more then just the prolonged silence as they slowly got to the heart of the artichoke. That day I passed on a Thompson family legacy - to love artichokes and believe you are special to get to eat one. Welcome boys, to a Thompson tradition.