Artichokes should be very small and young for this dish. Anchovies may be added if you like for extra piquancy.

8 small globe artichokes

1 tbsp lemon juice

Salt and pepper

5 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp wine vinegar

1 tsp chopped fresh parsley

1 tsp chopped fresh chives

Peeled prawns / shrimps

Stuffed olives

1.      Wash the artichokes and cut them into quarters. Scoop out the hairy ‘chokes’. Rub the cut sides of the artichokes with          the lemon juice.

2.      Put the artichokes into boiling salted water with a squeeze of lemon juice and cook for 10 minutes. Drain very well.

3.      Season the artichokes well with salt and pepper and put into a well-buttered thick pan. Toss over low heat for 5 minutes.          Leave until cold, and put into a serving bowl.

4.      Mix the oil, vinegar, herbs and prawns and pour over the artichokes. Garnish with olives and / or anchovies.

·         2 cups (8 ounces) raw blanched almond slivers

·         1/4 teaspoon salt

·         1 teaspoon dried dill

·         1 egg, whisked

·         2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a food processor mix nuts, salt and dried dill until nuts reach desired consistency. For textured crackers, leave nuts in tiny pieces. For smooth crackers, blend until nuts reach a flour-like consistency.

Add egg and oil and pulse just until incorporated.

From here, you can shape the crackers in one of two ways:

For a thin, crunchy cracker flatten the dough between two sheets of parchment paper (sold in the same aisle as plastic wrap and aluminum foil) then use a rolling pin to get the dough as thin as possible. Remove the top sheet of parchment paper and set the other (with the dough on top) on a cookie sheet. Use a knife or pizza wheel to cut cracker shapes.

Or, for a thicker cracker with a rounded shape, wrap the dough in a large piece of parchment paper and shape it into a log about 9 inches long and 1-2 inches tall. Use a knife to slice thin pieces of dough into crackers. If the dough is too soft, put it in the freezer for 10 minutes, then cut.

Bake crackers for 10-12 minutes. Let cool completely before eating.