Just as a note: Carciofi (artichokes) alla romana differ from those alla giudia that I described earlier. This recipe is usually made with small purple artichokes. They are first stripped of their outermost leaves, the stems trimmed so that just an inch or so remains, the inner beard scooped out, and the cavity stuffed with just a bit of chopped mint, garlic, salt, and pepper. They are then boiled until they are very soft and dressed with olive oil.
