Vampires Beware

and those of you in brandy new relationships, too. I wouldn't want to be responsible for turning that new hottie you've been seeing away from you and the dragon breath you'll have after eating this. However, single gals? Married folks who could care less? Dive right in.

It's Garlic Lover's week at IHCC, which makes me very happy. I put garlic in almost everything I make, much like my grandmother, who has cooked with garlic in her pots for so many years that even the chocolates she prepares for Christmas have a hint of garlic flavor. This week I decided to combine two of Mark's dishes for a truly stanky appetizer delight.

Grilled Garlic Artichokes with Spicy Garlic Aioli
adapted from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian
Ingredients:
For artichokes: 
1 medium artichoke
2-3 Tbls. olive oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 lemon

For aioli:
1 egg yolk
2 tsp. dijon
1 cup olive oil
salt and pepper
1 Tbls. lemon juice
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. Garlic chili sauce (optional, and watch it, this stuff is HOT!)

Preparation:
Prepare your artichoke by cutting off the stem and trimming off all of the barbs (those sharp little points at the tip of each leaf) with kitchen shears. Pull of any dark leaves.

Set in a steamer (or just boil in water), salt generously, and squeeze lemon over the top. Allow to steam for ten minutes, or until a fork inserted in the base of the artichoke goes in easily. Remove artichoke and shock in an ice bath until cool.

Slice artichoke in half lengthwise. Remove the choke. The easiest way to do this is to run a small sharp knife under the heart (that fleshy white part beneath all of the threads) in a U shape, then stick your fingers in and pull the whole thing up and out. You want to remove all of the threads and purple bits.

Whisk garlic into a few tablespoons of olive oil. Brush over both sides of artichokes. Grill on high heat until tender and slightly charred, about 5 minutes per side.

Prepare the aioli while the artichoke grills. Put yolk and dijon in a food processor or small bowl. While whisking or running the machine, add oil in a thin stream. Once emulsified, add garlic, salt and pepper to taste, chili sauce if using, and lemon juice.

The aioli is perfect for dipping, but is also great in place of tartar sauce with fish, or as a sandwich spread.

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