At right is artichoke gratinata, minus the gratinata (i.e. the butter, bread crumbs, and cheese). Tasty, cheap, and easy to make--make sure the marsala isn't too sweet, however.
Well-prepared artichokes are beautiful things, but I hate fixing them from scratch, and the canned & marinated versions sacrifice too much quality for convenience. Recently, however, Giada De Laurentiis & Cookthink recommended frozen artichokes.
So I tried some last Sunday, and they're excellent. The color and texture are as close to fresh as I've seen, and you can't beat the convenience. I wouldn't serve them fresh, but if the dish is very flavorful (see above), or incorporates many different ingredients (pizza, paella), these are a godsend. They're also light, healthy, and an inexpensive meat substitute--perfect for dieters or budgeters.
Brands: I used the Kroger store brand (14 oz). Many recommend Bird's Eye brand (9 oz), for $3.00, or Trader Joe's (12 oz), for $2.00.
