I grew up eating artichokes. Here are a few tips.
2 artichokes
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Trip the tops of the artichokes. Peel off any small leaves around the stem. Trim stem, leaving 1/1/2 inches. With a small knife, trim outside layer of the stem. Steam artichokes over medium heat, covered about 20 minutes, or until large fork can pierce easily. Mix together mayo and lemon. Eat a few leaves at a time, scraping just the white ends with your teeth and dipping into mayo. When you get to the bottom, remove remaining young leaves and carve around the edges to remove the hairy 'choke' part. Eat heart and stem! Serves 2.