Most folks boil 'em. I steam mine. I actually steam mine in the microwave. Here's how:
Cut the stem even with the "crown" (the part you would think is the "base") and then use a sharp, serrated knife to saw off the other end of the 'choke, about down to the second row of leaves closest to the base / crown. You are cutting off the thorny pointed ends. This makes it flat and shows all the ends of the leaves inside.
Place four nice large 'chokes, cut in the above manner, stem side down, in a glass dish for which you have a cover. Sprinkle garlic powder on the flat, cut leaf side and then squeeze some lemon juice over them. Add about half a cup of water into the dish and cover it.
Microwave on high for 16 minutes, then let the dish sit for another 10 minutes, still covered.
Melt some butter in small dish - you will pull the individual leaves off and dip the end which had been connected to the 'choke into the butter. Then you put that buttered end into your mouth, holding the other (cut) end and close your teeth over it. Pull the leaf out with your teeth closed, so you scrape the fleshy, buttered part off. You put the leaf into your mouth with the "inside" of the leaf against your bottom teeth.
Some folks use mayonnaise instead of melted butter.
When you get down to the part of the inner 'choke where the leaves are very thin, you can bite through them and eat the whole softer end, opposite the bit with the thorn on it. Pull the last few leaves off as one unit, and just dip the collection of leaves into your butter or mayonnaise. The softer part where all the leaves were connected is the crown, and that too can be eaten; I cut the crown in quarters and dip the "meaty" part into the melted butter.
I LOVE artichokes!