Claire Rescues The Artichoke

The camera rolled. Claire Criscuolo pulled out a ​“misunderstood” artichoke and shared some of her vegetarian cooking secrets in a cooking show series that debuted on Gateway Community College’s TV screen.

Criscuolo, the owner of Claire’s Corner Copia and Basta Trattoria, took the stage Wednesday night at Gateway’s Café Vincenzo on the college’s Church Street campus. She was the first chef to host a cooking presentation as part of Gateway Community College Foundation’s three-part fundraising series, ​“Chefs of Our Kitchen” or ​“C.O.O.K.”

Criscuolo (pictured) taught a dining room filled with nearly 35 people how to properly cut, prepare and eat vegetables they could grow in their own backyards. The first was an artichoke. ​“They’re so misunderstood,” she said.

She stuffed it with chopped breadcrumbs, parsley, and parmesan cheese. ​“That’s the original way. That’s how I like it,” she said.

Criscuolo also encouraged her audience to taste her pickled eggplant, seasoned with vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, salt, oregano, hot pepper flakes and garlic. She described it as a perfect summertime treat.

Anne Impellizeri of New Haven agreed. ​“It was delicious,” she said. ​“So good. This was my first time eating this.”

Elizabeth Tuttle scooped the eggplant from her square white bowl and into a plastic Brawny sandwich bag. She was taking it home to her husband. ​“It was a little spicy for me,” she said. ​“My husband loves spicy food.”

Criscuolo also made ​“insalata mista” or mixed salad and a crepe pasta dish with marinara sauce.

Another featured guest, Shel Swanson, a midwife and ​“urban farmer,” talked to the crowd about the community gardens she has planted in the city.

Swanson said she is lifelong vegetarian. Criscuolo described herself as ​“mostly vegetarian”; she eats a vegan diet two or three times a week.

Future guest chefs will include Adrienne Kane, author of ​“The United States of Pie,” television host Jaques Pépin, Jean Pierre Vuillermet, owner of the Union League Café in New Haven. 

The Gateway Community College Foundation provides students with scholarships, the college with classroom equipment and educators with professional development opportunities.