Artichoke Dip

Ingredients

2             Artichokes
8 oz         Cream Cheese
1tbs         Chicken Stock
               Milk

Fill a pot with about 1/2 inch (2cm) of water, add a pinch of salt, and bring it to a boil. Cut off the bottom of the artichoke so that it is flat and can stand. Place the artichokes into the water and cover. Depending on the size of the artichokes the time it will take to cook will vary between 15-45 minutes. Once the artichokes are cooked remove them and let them cool. The outer leaves should be discarded. Once you start getting to the inner leaves you will notice some meat at the base of the leaf. Use the back of a knife to scrape the meat from the leaf and set it aside. Continue till you get to the inner leaves that are almost like petals. Peel off the petal like leaves and discard. Now you are left with the base and silky hairs. Use a sharp knife to cut away the hairs, you will cut away some of the heart but that's better then eating one of those hairs. Finally you are left with the base which is finely chopped up.

On low to medium heat melt the cream cheese in a pot. Add the artichoke meat and chicken stock as it starts to melt. You can add milk as necessary to help melt the cheese but be careful not to add to much as you don't want to end up with runny artichoke dip yet you do want to add enough so that when the mixture cools it does not end up as hard as cream cheese. Once the cheese has melted and all the ingredients have been mixed completely spoon the mixture into a serving bowl and let it cool.