I agree with the pp about the pressure cooker. They are so easy to make that way. I had the best artichoke at Happy Hour at Chart House in Old Town Alexandria. They have a fried baby artichoke dish that is fantastic. DH liked them so much I have tried to make them but they have never been quite as good.

You can't really eat anything except the end of the leaf, the heart, and the soft part of the stem of large artichokes. It's easier to use canned artichokes in a salad. Alternatively, you could buy the baby artichokes and steam them, but you are still going to have to throw away everything except the leaves closest to the heart