Photo: Cristina Ferrare

Although exact figures are hard to come by, we are fairly certain that at least 92 percent of people who try making artichokes either get pricked, sliced or so frustrated they give up. Best-selling author and television host (most recently you saw her on OWN), Cristina Ferrare has been on the receiving end of more than a few mean-spirited thistles, yet now that they're in season, she can't resist. She's come up with a multitude of ways to prepare artichokes, from grilling them and putting them in a salad, to marinating them and tossing them with pasta, to boiling them for a summer dish known simply as Artichokes with a Cucumber Vinaigrette.