How long should I steam Artichokes

The answer depends on where you live, and what type you have brought.

In many countries that import chickpeas they heat treat them to kill seed-borne diseases and insects. The heat treatment process makes them more difficult to cook, and soaking times double or triple.

Beans from exporters with phytosanitary certificates can be imported without heat treatment; these are the ones you want to get.

I don't think you can tell which is which by looking at them. At the moment we have some particularly dark, dry, and dead looking beans that soak up beautifully in 8 hours!

Soak non-heat treated beans for 8 to 12 hours, heat treated beans for 24 to 36 hours. Some overly heat treated beans will never fully revive, and you are best to return these to the shop as "faulty".

Soak and cook without salt, unless you are going to mash them. They fall apart more readily if salted.

If you are not mashing them, the secret to great chickpea taste is after soaking and cooking in water, is to lightly fry them with a little olive oil until dark spot appear, keep them or the pan moving so none burn. Then add the sauce, or add them to whatever dish you are preparing.

Clams take about twice to three times as long to cook than mussels. The shells are just so much thicker it takes that long for the heat to get inside. Kinda like trying to cook a 2 inch steak on a grill beside a 1/2 inch steak and expecting them both to be done at the same time.

If you want to have both for a meal then do them in seperate pots and mix after or... pre-cook the clams (not recommended) and add them to the mussels when cooking them, so they'll re-heat (and get rubbery too probably but I know many a restaurant that does this...they have no love for the clam).

Seperate pots is the best way. Enjoy.