Like butter

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.

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.

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, blend together 2 of the eggs, butter, lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla. With mixer on low, add yellow cake mix, then increase speed to medium until smooth and thick. Spread batter into the bottom of a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Once empty, use the same bowl to beat cream cheese, remaining 2 eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla for 2 minutes, then mix in the powdered sugar. Pour over the cake batter, smoothing out the top. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until edges are golden brown and middle is slightly jiggly. Cool before dusting with powdered sugar, then slice and serve.

Heat gnocchi according to package directions. Drain well. Meanwhile, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add sage and continue cooking for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until butter has brown flecks and a nutty smell. Quickly set aside and sprinkle nutmeg and salt over top.

Place a large skillet on the hot burner and melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Toss in gnocchi and let brown on one side, flip, and brown on the other side. Add in the sage brown butter and toss to coat. Serve with shaved Parmesan and black pepper to taste.