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There’s nothing like the taste and feel of rich, smooth, churned-cream deliciousness.

LEMON-BUTTER ARTICHOKES

Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 20 to 60 minutes | Servings: 4

2 large whole artichokes

1 lemon

1 sprig rosemary

1 teaspoon salt

3⁄4 cup salted butter

1 large egg yolk (optional)

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper

NOTE: One artichoke serves 2 people as an appetizer. If you’ve never eaten a whole artichoke before, think of it like crab legs or edamame — it takes time to get to the good stu . Use leftover dipping sauce on broccoli, asparagus, or fish.

Trim the artichoke stems with a sharp knife, leaving about an inch. Cut an inch off of the leaves at the top and trim the spiky ends of the outer leaves. Rinse in cold water. Place artichokes in a large stockpot; fill with water until the artichokes float. Wash lemon and cut in half between the ends. Slice one half and add to the water along with rosemary sprig and teaspoon of salt. Cover, turn on high, and bring to a boil. Turn heat down a notch and continue boiling. Cook time varies significantly based on the size and age of the artichokes. Boil 20 to 60 minutes, checking every 10 or 15 minutes. They’re done when a knife easily slides through the stem lengthwise and the leaves are easy to pull off.

Using tongs, place artichokes, stem side up, in a strainer to drain and cool until they’re easy to handle. Slice each artichoke in half through the stem and scoop out the clump of fuzzy, satiny threads near the stem (careful: the threads are thin and sharp!), along with the small clump of spiky purple leaves just behind it.

Melt butter and let cool. Blend egg yolk and Dijon with an immersion blender while slowly adding the melted butter until mixture thickens, then mix in 2 tablespoons juice (from the remaining half-lemon), and black pepper. (If desired, you can skip the egg yolk and blender and simply mix remaining ingredients with a spoon.)

To eat, pull off each leaf, dip the end that was attached to the artichoke in the dipping sauce and scrape the tender flesh off with your teeth, discarding the rest of the leaf. Once you’ve made your way through the leaves, eat the remaining soft flesh near the stem.

Per serving: 355 calories, 36 grams fat (22 grams saturated fat), 144 milligrams cholesterol, 399 milligrams sodium, 7 grams total carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 3 grams protein.

BY CATHERINE MURRAY

Prep: 10 minutes | Bake: 25 minutes | Servings: 9

1 cup cornmeal

3⁄4 cup flour

2 teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

11⁄2 cups buttermilk

2 large eggs

1 stick salted butter, softened

3 tablespoons honey

1⁄2+ teaspoon of your favorite hot sauce

Preheat oven to 425 F and grease a square 8 x 8-inch baking dish. In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, melt the 6 tablespoons of butter, then whisk in buttermilk and eggs. Pour wet mixture into dry mixture and mix until well incorporated. Pour into greased dish and bake 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together softened butter, honey, and hot sauce until smooth. Taste for spice level and add more hot sauce if desired, then serve with cornbread. Butter can be kept at room temperature in a covered container for 2 days and added to other dishes like roasted carrots, fried chicken, or grilled corn on the cob. Per serving: 303 calories, 20 grams fat (12 grams saturated fat), 90 milligrams cholesterol, 476 milligrams sodium, 28 grams total carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 5 grams protein.