Artichokes are members of the thistle family, which can make them a bit prickly and unapproachable—but they're really good for you, and tasty too. Since they're in season right now, this video from the folks at Panna shows you the fast, easy way to clean and prep them for cooking.
The video tells the tale here, but you really just pull off the tough, fibrous exterior leaves, slide off the stem and trim off the top of the artichoke heart, and then trim off the tough portions of the stem section you pulled off—from there, you're good to go. Cooking it from there is up to you, and you can prep them in dozens of ways (Panna suggests this braised artichoke recipe)—but even just steamed artichokes make a delicious and healthy addition to a meal.
Of course, if you don't want to go through all this trouble, you could just peel away some of the exterior leaves, trim it a bit, and then steam it in some water, point-side down until the tops are soft, but this method gives you a bit more versatility. Press play the video to see how it's done.
How to Clean an Artichoke | Panna (YouTube)