About
Welcome to Artichoke Heart, where you can read all about my adventures in the world of food. Publishing production manager by day, energetic food explorer by night, I’ll use this blog to write about my cooking experiments and overall interests in food, restaurants, and local neighborhood markets, with some details from my international travels thrown in. I’ll also add a story here and there from my recent food writing classes, just to make sure my hard work gets out into the world somehow. My credentials are simply a passion for food, cooking, and healthy eating, so click around and enjoy! And leave a recipe or two, if you have the time.
Subscribe to the Choke 
Artichoke Heart 
Arlene in Yonkers said,
December 18, 2007 @ 8:34 pm
Hi Christina! Love your site! I enjoyed your adventures in Pizzelle making. I have been making them for years (mostly for Christmas). I used regular Annisette though, I never heard of an oil. Some people even make Chocolate ones. Some years they would come out beautiful, other years- yuk!. I had an older iron for years, I don’t remember why I had to replace it but the newer version was never as good. I think it didn’t have the weight that the old one had and did not get as hot. Glad you are starting your own tradition in Pizzelle making.
I also used to make the rosettes that were made with a form that you dip into hot oil to make those crispy delicious cookies sprinkled with powdered sugar. The Rosettes have long been retired though because the newer irons were never as good as the old ones were and the batter used to stick to the iron and not come off in the oil. Regards to Jim
Christina said,
December 18, 2007 @ 8:51 pm
Hi Arlene! So glad you are enjoying the site! Last year Jim and I made hazelnut pizzelles, but this year we decided to just make the traditional ones. His grandmother makes the rosettes that you decribe in your comment; they are really good, but very labor-intensive. Tell everyone we say hello, and happy holidays!
fivefingerfeast said,
August 13, 2008 @ 9:27 am
I like your blog. I have a great recipe for chocolate zucchini muffins if you want. I have to try those flowers, but the last time I did the flower petals just fell apart. Maybe they weren’t fresh enough?
Anita
Christina said,
August 13, 2008 @ 2:25 pm
Hi fivefingerfeast! thanks for your comment. I am wondering if your zucchini flowers were perhaps a little too old; perhaps that’s why the petals fell off. I think you need to work with them right away. I’ve only made them once, but that’s what it sounds like to me. Thanks for stopping by!
NY Food Museum said,
September 8, 2008 @ 10:01 pm
Hi everyone, just wanted to remind everyone about this years 8th Annual International Pickle Day.
Co-hosted by the NY Food Museum and the Lower East Side Business Improvement District, The Eighth Annual NYC International Pickle Day is a free, fun street festival held on Orchard Street between Broome and Grand Streets in the heart of the old Pickle District of the Lower East Side. On Sunday, September 14th, between 11 am and 4:30 pm, rain or shine, Pickle Day will feature music, cooking and home canning demonstrations, children’s activities, neighborhood walking tours and of course pickle samples! And for the first year Pickle Day is welcoming a full-length production by Shakespeare in the Parking Lot, produced by The Drilling Company.
New York’s pickle menu includes more than just cucumbers! International Pickle Day features pickles from around the world and around the corner; from India to Haiti, from Malaysia to Brooklyn and of course, kosher dills from the Lower East Side. With radishes, tomatoes, okra, cabbage, lettuce, fish, meat, carrots, beans, onions, eggs, limes, mangos, peaches, beets, even a pickled chocolate truffle – Pickle Day serves up a wide range of traditional and improvisational recipes of a multitude of foods preserved in brine! “Pickle Day expresses the true character of the Lower East Side, a melting pot of unique entrepreneurs from a range of
backgrounds, customs and traditions that can be traced to a variety of nations,” explains Roberto Ragone, Director of the Lower East Side Business Improvement District. “International Pickle Day is a great event for locals and visitors alike, it’s a real New York experience.”
Nancy Ralph, NY Food Museum Director relates “Last Year more visitors than ever came to enjoy Pickle Day and celebrate the diverse culinary traditions of New York. This year we’re upgrading our educational exhibition thanks to financial support from Whole Foods Market Inc. We have new pickler participation and new pickle products being launched. We’re also expanding festivities to the Broome and Ludlow Municipal Parking Lot to make room for community groups and more picklers, thanks to generous financial support from Best Buy. This means more fun, more to see and more to learn. And we can’t forget the local businesses who lend us their street for the day – in recognition of their participation we’re offering Museum membership to anyone bringing a receipt for $10 or more for a purchase made at a Lower East Side Shop the day of the festival.”
Free valet bicycle parking will be supplied by Transportation Alternatives, and the festival happens under tents, rain or shine, so pedal on down with the whole family!
FoodBlogs.com said,
July 6, 2009 @ 12:46 pm
Hi Christina,
We just launched FoodBlogs.com, which aggregates food blogs, and your blog is included.
We only display the first few lines of blog posts, so our visitors must click through to your blog if they want to read your posts.
If you find this useful, please register at http://www.FoodBlogs.com. It’s completely free – we only ask that you put our badge on your site.
Please let us know if you have any questions.
Thanks!
Olivia said,
February 28, 2010 @ 1:51 am
Hi Christina
I just stumbled upon your blog and I wanted to let you know how much I adore it! Also coming from a southern Italian culinary upbringing I find a lot of comfort in the food you make and photograph. Your straightforward approach is refreshing and truly highlights how simple food shines. Keep up the great work and honesty you bring to your blogs!
Christina said,
February 28, 2010 @ 9:30 am
Hi Olivia,
Thanks so much for your comment! I really appreciate it, and I am so glad to hear that you enjoy my blog. I hope you’ll continue to visit!
Keith said,
March 20, 2010 @ 12:42 pm
Go Sweet-Lime, GO!