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Let me dispel some culinary confusion. Yams and sweet potatoes are not the same thing. Yams are native to Africa and Asia. Sweet potatoes are grown in North and South America. More importantly, anyone in my family could boil yams, but only my grandma could prepare sweet potatoes.
My family ate yams year round as a side dish to any normal dinner, but sweet potatoes, those were a treat, prepared only for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. The yams often resulted in a plate of leftovers but when Grandma made sweet potatoes, my family descended en masse, leaving only empty platters and full stomachs in their path.
A few years ago, I found myself celebrating Thanksgiving with new friends instead of family. Wanting to bring some familiar Ohio charm to the meal, I called my grandma for the recipe to her infamous sweet potato dish. Although initially reluctant to give away her secrets, she decided to bestow the recipe to me. My friends could not have been more delighted with the result. Of course, no one prepares it quite like grandma but it’s so delicious, that is something I’m willing to accept. Here’s an addition to your holiday arsenal!
| Sweet Potato Souffle | Topping |
|---|---|
| 1 40 oz can sweet potatoes ¼ cup sugar Mix well, then add: 2 eggs ½ can condensed milk ½ tsp salt 3 T butter 1tsp vanilla Mix until light and fluffy Pour into a greased pan |
½ cup brown sugar 1/3 cup flour 1/3 cup melted butter Spread topping evenly over soufflé (will be clumpy) then sprinkle pecans over the dish. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 35 minutes. |
Geena Jackson is a student at the University of Pittsburgh who enjoys planting the seeds of odd fruits and cooking dinner for friends.
