Goat cheese souffle and artichokes

I learned how to cook souffle from my friend Alice. Actually, Alice taught me that I shouldn't be afraid of souffle, because it is a lot more forgiving that it sounds, and it is delicious.  A dollop of butter and a few tablespoons of flour, a scant cup of milk to make a bechamel, a handful of cheese and a few eggs, and you are set.

 
I learned how to cook artichokes from my husband, whose mother used to serve them when he was a kid. Artichokes are the ultimate "involvement" food, demanding that the diner pick and dip, working down to the prized heart, buried beneath layers and layers of leaves and the forbidding "choke." We especially enjoyed my husband's ritual retelling of his famous artichoke joke, as we nibbled on leaves and savored rich spoonfuls of cheesy souffle.