Sometimes life is just against you

This weekend I'd planned to do two things: volunteer for three days at the Arts for All Book Fair and attend Abby and Adam's Alternate Thanksgiving Party (where everyone brings a dish that their family wouldn't eat). Unfortunately, a nasty stomach virus wiped out all my plans entirely. Fail.

Sadly for me (but happily for Zack), I'd already made the dish I'd planned to bring to the party. He wasn't going to be able to attend because of work, so the silver lining of all this is that he got to eat the food I made. He seemed happy about that part at least (but sadder about me moaning in pain/falling asleep for 45 minute bouts all day).

Sweet Potato Sourdough Stuffing

4-5 pounds of sweet potatoes (I still have like 10 pounds left. My CSA went sweet potato crazy)
1 onion
3 cloves of garlic
half a bunch of sage
half a pound of bacon
olive oil
salt
pepper
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk or cream
2 cups chicken stock (or more if you want your stuffing super moist)

Peel and cube the sweet potatoes. Put on a baking sheet (covered with foil to make the clean up easier), cover with olive oil, and sprinkle on some salt and pepper to taste. Roast in the oven at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes, or until tender (my oven is all wonky, so monitor these closely - my times may not be right).


Fry up some bacon. If you like it crispy, make it crispy. If you like it less crispy, that's up to you. Drain it on some paper towels until you're ready for it.


Add some olive oil to the bacon drippings in the pan. Mmmm, bacon fat. Chop the onion, garlic and sage to the pan and saute until soft (about 5 minutes). Add a pinch of salt and pepper if you feel so inclined.


Tear up a loaf of sourdough bread. I love the tangy contrast that the sourdough gives to the sweet potatoes. You could take the crust off if you want, but I like it.


Combine everything in a baking dish. Beat the eggs and milk in a separate bowl and pour over the stuffing. Pour the chicken broth over as well. Bake for 25 minutes at 400 degrees or until the top is crispy but the middle is still kind of gooey. You don't want your stuffing to dry out.


I love any savory sweet potato dish. I often find sweet potatoes too sugary, but the onion and bacon really bring out some darker notes that are awesome. This is a great nontraditional stuffing (or dressing, if you want to get technical about it) that would be welcome on my Thanksgiving table anytime (but not my parents. They're anti-bacon).

Happy Hannukah!

Are you tired of the same old thing? Bored with regular latkes? Well, then hop on over to the sweet potato aisle of the supermarket and jazz things up a bit. I have made some absolutely delicious latkes made with not plain old russet potatoes but beautiful orange-y sweet potatoes. My world will never be the same.

Now, with latkes, I never know how many potatoes equal 1 pound, so the ratio tends to get messy. But latkes are fried potatoes that you put sour cream on! They're going to taste good. Don't stress.

Sweet Potato Latkes

1 pound sweet potatoes (I used many many more than this)
1 onion - at least (if you like more onions, add more. If you like less, add less)
1/3 cup flour
1 tsp salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
vegetable oil (or canola if you want to be heart healthy) for frying.

Peel your potatoes and skin your onion. Grate your potatoes! Grate your onion! If you have a food processor, this will be super easy and if you don't, well it will take a little longer. Use a box grater. People have done it for thousands of years and you can too!

Mix all the ingredients together (except the oil) and you've got your latke batter!


Heat your oil over moderately high heat (you want it hot, but not smoking). Drop about 1/4 cup of batter down. That's one latke. Do that a few more times - I wouldn't do more than 3 or 4 at a time or your pan will get overcrowded and the pancakes won't brown (which is lame). When they get brown on one side (give it a couple minutes and then cheat and check by lifting one up with a spatula), flip it to the other side. Let that side get brown and then remove it from the heat and lay it on paper towels so that the excess oil drains off.


You can keep them warm in the oven or just eat them right away! Serve with sour cream and applesauce. You can make your own applesauce if you have a food mill. I'll get to it on another post.

More pie!

My house is being overrun with sweet potatoes. I get them every week in my CSA and I never know what to do with them. Finally, after weeks of pile up, I had enough. We had company coming! I decided to make a pie.

I found a sweet potato pie recipe in an old recipe of Gourmet that looked easy enough. I made some adaptations due to food allergies of my guests and the constrictions of my refrigerator. I think it made it even better.

Sweet Potato Pie with a Gingersnap crust (click here for the original recipe)

Crust:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus additional for buttering pie plate
Flour for dusting
1 cup finely crushed gingersnap cookies (5 ounces; 20 2-inch cookies)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt

Filling:
2 lb sweet potatoes (I used 5)
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
3 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cream
1/4 cup non fat milk
1 tablespoon whiskey (I used Maker's Mark)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour pie plate, so that nothing sticks later.

Toss together all crust ingredients in a bowl with a fork until crumbs are moistened, then press evenly over bottom and up side of pie plate. Bake crust 6 minutes, then cool on a rack.


Increase oven temperature to 400°F.

Prick each sweet potato once with a fork. Roast for one hour, or until tender. Halve potatoes lengthwise and cool. Don't they look pretty?


I could have just eaten them plain at this point. They were really good.

This next part is tricky, so I'm copying it straight from the magazine:
While potatoes cool, cook sugar in a dry 8-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until sugar melts into a deep golden caramel. Remove from heat. Carefully pour water down side of skillet (mixture will bubble and steam vigorously), then return to heat and simmer, stirring, until hardened caramel is completely dissolved. Remove from heat.

It sounds harder than it is. I'm usually freaked out by caramel making, but it was pretty easy.


Honestly, you could probably skip this step and just add some sugar to the filling mixture....

When potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel and add the flesh to the bowl of a food processor or a regular bowl and mash them with a potato masher/fork. Blend in the food processor until smooth (or just mash), then add eggs, cinnamon, and salt and mix until smooth. Add milk/cream, caramel, whiskey, and vanilla, and blend until combined well.

Pour filling into crust!


Bake at 375 for 40-50 minutes and then cool on a rack for an hour. It will continue to set while it cools, so don't be too put off if the center is still jiggly (but it can't be soupy. That wouldn't work).

Serve warm.


It's good pie! Everyone liked it. Zack said he likes it more than pumpkin pie, which I thought it was nice. Cadence liked it too.


Cutest baby ever. Plus she likes my cooking (as do her parents).