To prepare the artichokes:

Trim off the bottom inch of the stem. 

Trim off the top inch of the artichoke, cutting through the tough petals and exposing the inner core. 

Use your fingers to pull off the bottom few leaves attached to the stem and base, they are too tough to eat. 

Use a knife or vegetable peeler to peel the skin off of the stem. 

Fill a pot with about 2 inches (5cm) water and put the three artichokes in the pot. 

Bring to a boil, then cover the pot and reduce heat to low. 

Steam for 30 minutes, checking towards the end to make sure there is still water in the pot. If it is about to dry up, add another splash of water. 

To eat the artichokes, pluck off the petals one at a time. Holding them by the tip, dip the base into whatever dip you are using and put into your mouth, still holding the tip. Close your teeth around the petal and pull it out, leaving the tender artichoke meat in your mouth. Discard the spent petal in a bowl for that purpose. The closer you get to the centre as you remove the petals, the more meaty and tender they’ll be.

Once you get to the centre, use a spoon to scrape out all of the hairs below the purple part. This is known as the choke, and can in fact choke you. Discard the hairs, being sure none are left on the artichoke. Now you can eat the entire bottom, which is all tasty artichoke meat.