Your Roots

I didn't have my first sweet potato pie until I was well into adulthood, which, I suppose, simply proves that I did not grow up in the South. In fact, I don't even think I had many sweet potatoes at all until then, either. They were, I believe, mainly something that we had for the holidays, baked with sugar into a landmine of delicious syrupy sweetness. You know how there are just some foods that, in your brain, are not everyday food? Thanksgiving sorts of foods all fall into this category for me -- things like stuffing (or dressing, depending on where your mama is from), pumpkin pie, and whole turkeys. Whole turkeys! Up until a few years ago, I don't even think I realized you were allowed to prepare a whole turkey if it wasn't Thanksgiving.

A few years ago, when my dear friend Meghan still lived here in Chicago (you may remember her and her bulldog, Tug, from such antics as the sausage factory) I found myself in her lovely, steamy kitchen one afternoon to find her preparing -- that's right! -- a turkey. As in, a whole turkey. A massive, entire turkey. And it wasn't even Thanksgiving! Or Christmas! Immediately I realized: A.) that she was even more brilliant than I ever thought and B.) that I wasn't as smart as I thought. Turkey! Did they even sell turkeys when it wasn't November or December? Did whole turkeys even exist the other ten months out of the year? I mean, I liked turkey, especially when it wasn't a cold cut, and now, well, now I could have a new relationship with it. As Meg stuffed her non-holiday, un-celebratory bird with oranges, rosemary, and onions and smoothed it with butter under and over the skin, it glistened smartly and offered me new poultry promise. And I felt brand new!

Sweet potatoes have been like this for me, too. Once I finally released them from their holiday shackles, I was able to see their true potential, and they made their way into breakfasts, lunches, and dinners throughout the year. They made their debut as hashbrowns, french fries, soup, tempura, a pizza topping, curry, chips, cakes, and, of course, in pies. This pie, if you've not had it, is similar to pumpkin pie, and the two could certainly spend a weekend at an identical twins convention and no one would even bat an eye. Besides being similar to the pumpkin, the sweet potatoes are certainly as versatile as their dear friends, The Regular Potatoes, but as you've no doubt learned, they are wildly nutritious. You know, especially when they are fried. Or when combined with heavy whipping cream and sugar. I mean, nutrition is nutrition, for crying out loud. Especially when it's not Thanksgiving.

Your Holiday and Non-Holiday Sweet Potato Pie

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
1/2 C sugar
1/2 t ground ginger
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t ground nutmeg
1/4 t salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 C heavy (whipping) cream
1 pie shell (unbaked)

Place the sweet potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until potatoes are very tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well and place in a large bowl.

Preheat oven to 375. Mash potatoes and then stir in the sugar, spices, salt, eggs, and cream.

Place the pie shell on a baking sheet and ladle in the filling just to the rim. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350. Bake about 30 minutes more or until filling is set (it won't jiggle around anymore, the crust will be golden,  and a toothpick inserted in the center will come out relatively clean).

Serve with marshmallow fluff, or whipped cream, or caramel sauce. Or plain! It's really nice when it's just plain. Oh, and keep this thing in the fridge when you're not eating it.

Pie Shell (if you're feeling it)

1 1/4 C AP flour
1/2 t salt
1/2 t sugar
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks
3-4 T ice water

Mix the dry ingredients in a food processor until combined. Add the butter and process until it resembles coarse meal. Add ice water very slowly and stop when the dough starts to come together. The next part is where I am a bit of a cheater: typically, one is instructed to roll the dough out a bit into a thick disk, refrigerate in plastic wrap, and then roll it out. I find that it's much easier to roll out while it's warmer and softer, so I form it into a ball immediately and then roll it out into a large enough circle to fit in a pie pan. Then, poof! Into the pie pan, then into the fridge (covered in plastic wrap) for about an hour to set up.