Roasted yams, a recipe from the cookbook “Gjelina,” written by Travis Lett.
BY ROSALIE HARRINGTON
Want some sweet news about sweet potatoes? You don’t have to wait for Thanksgiving to serve them. They are always delicious, whether served with marshmallows or in a more refined form. You also don’t have to wait for summer to use those cute martini glasses. Desserts like ice cream and pudding look divine in those joyous shapes, especially if you don’t like Martinis. I have so much fun in thrift shops seeking out the unusual that I can pair with the unexpected. This is the power of a great pairing.
I’ve been cooking a variety of sweet potato treatments of late, mostly because they make my 7-year-old grandson Nick very happy. This week, I made a sweet potato custard, just like what you would make for a pie filling, but I didn’t bother putting it in a crust. Instead, I took out some whimsical martini glasses, with flamingoes molded on their stems, and served the custard in those glittering vessels.
So much cooking of sweet potatoes got me curious about how they differ from yams. According to some research I did online, we generally don’t eat yams, and what we think of as yams are generally sweet potatoes. The explanation goes that when the orange-colored sweet potatoes were introduced in the states many years ago, the importers called them yams to differentiate them from the white or purple ones.
I buy organic sweet potatoes because I’ve been convinced that all root vegetables, because they grow in the soil, are susceptible to absorbing all sorts of bad things. So, these justify buying organic more than other vegetables. I give them a good scrubbing, as they can be very rough and scaly. Vegetable brushes are good for this.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
First, wash the potatoes without peeling them, scrub them and dry them. Then, remove any bruised parts and cut them into one-inch pieces. Place the pieces cut side down on a pizza pan. Brush them with a little olive oil or melted butter or a combination. Bake in a preheated oven at about 400, turn them with a spatula after 15 minutes and bake until you can pierce them easily with a fork. Nicky likes them with a sprinkle of brown sugar, naturally. Make more than you need because you can use them to make the following custard.
Sweet Potato Custard
Peel the skin off your extra roasted sweet potatoes, (a delicious reward for the chef, by the way). Place about the equivalent of two medium sized slices that you have already baked in the bowl of a food processor. Add three quarters of a cup of brown sugar, a tsp. vanilla and an egg and 2 egg yolks and 3/4 cup of heavy cream and pulse to combine. You can add a little cinnamon if you like. Be careful not to over-pulse, as you don’t want to bring out the gluten and make your potatoes gooey. When you have a nice smooth consistency, pour the mixture into a buttered dish that is oven proof. The thrift shops are great for picking up the old Pyrex dishes that are perfect for this application.
Place the dish in a pan with about an inch and a half of water. Careful not to spill the water and place in a preheated 325 oven for about 40 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean. I enjoy the “pudding” or whatever you want to call it, warm with a little whipped cream and topped with those delicious Spanish Marcona almonds that all the chefs seem to be using these days. They are shorter, softer, rounder and sweeter than regular almonds. They provide a nice buttery crunch.
There are so many sweet potato dishes that are wonderful. I often make my latkes, (potato pancakes) with sweet potatoes for variety, and they also make a wonderful gnocchi. Combine them with a little reduced cream and Parmesan cheese, and you’ll be amazed by the flavor. The opportunities are endless.
I am at the stage in life where I think about how my kids will handle all my “stuff” after I’m gone. Todd is a minimalist. He will be happy with cleared out spaces. I can just hear the conversations. “Mom bought so many books, but did she have to buy such heavy ones?”
Every once in a while I come across a book that is irresistible, but almost never do I find one on my shelves that I want to get rid of. I knew I would fall in love with one author when I read his tribute to his mom, in memoriam. “A constant source of positivity and encouragement, she drove 90 minutes to the closest farmers market in western New Jersey.” The cookbook, a new one called “Gjelina,” for the author’s restaurant, has stunning photographs, elevating ordinary foods (like sweet potatoes) into something special. It is globally inspired from a one of a kind place, Venice Beach, Calif. Travis Lett, the author, is passionate about inspiring us about his craft and with a sense of humor. A book worthy of your bookshelves even if it is quite heavy.
Todd was doing business stuff on a trip to Los Angeles a few years ago, so I walked from Santa Monica, where we were staying to Venice Beach, and it was a sight to behold. The juxtapositions of beautiful people with toned bodies, of every color, exercising, surfing and coexisting with homeless people, folk singers and druggies who all appeared to be getting along pretty well — nurtured, perhaps, by a community of people who care. The galleries, the people watching and my lunch, which I took on the beach as I couldn’t get enough of the people, was memorable. I spent the rest of the afternoon doing what I love … thrifting, exploring up and down the funky streets and a few hours at the David Hockney Gallery where I bought his book and spent another hour on the beach fantasizing about painting like him. The restaurant Gjelina, and the accompanying cookbook, have the eclectic feeling of Venice Beach infused into the food.
Here’s a recipe from the cookbook Gjelina for Roasted Yams with Honey, Espelette and Lime Yogurt.
Roasted Yams with Honey, Espelette and Lime Yogurt
Preheat the oven to 425.
— In a small bowl combine a half cup of yogurt with the juice of two limes and a tbsp. of olive oil, season with salt and pepper and set aside.
— Cut two medium to large yams into eight wedges, about one inch in diameter.
— In a medium bowl toss the yams with 2 tbsp. honey, ½ tbsp. Espelette pepper, if not available, crushed red pepper flakes will do, and 2 Tbsp. olive oil.
— Season with salt and pepper and marinate for 10 minutes, tossing once or twice to coat.
— Transfer the yams to a rimmed shallow baking dish and roast until they are nicely caramelized around the edges and soft when pierced with a knife at the thickest part, 25 to 35 minutes.
— Transfer to a serving platter and drizzle yogurt over all, and garnish with 2 green onions sliced thin on the bias.
— Season with flaky salt. Serve warm.
