Sweet Potatoes an American Tradition

[8:02:36 PM] brian: Potatoes have long been a staple food and can be used in nearly every course as a complement for meat, vegetables or even sliced with a little bit of salt to make delicious french fries. If you love potatoes and haven't given their delicious and nutritious sibling the Sweet Potato, also commonly known as "Yams" a try, you are seriously missing out.

If you've taken part in the American tradition Thanksgiving, you've undoubtedly seen sweet potatoes served along with that golden turkey. Often served with a heavy topping of sweetener  such as marshmallow or honey to bring out a caramel like taste and texture, yet this is only a single way to serve sweet potatoes and far from my favorite. Besides the delicious taste, sweet potatoes keep well when protected from light are durable and can quickly be prepared as a delicious snack or meal.

You can find sweet potatoes in almost every grocery store that would stock potatoes, and while they are a bit more expensive than a normal potatoes, they bring unique flavors and textures that can add complex sweetness and starchiness to any meal far beyond a normal potato.

When purchasing sweet potatoes there are some key things to look for in order to pick perfect potatoes. Skin color is generally a good indication of the flavor that the potato will have, lighter skin indicates less of the distinct sweet potato flavor, with a flavor more like a regular potato, while a darker skin sweet potato will have a darker orange flesh which will provide a smooth sweet taste when cooked. Besides skin color you should choose potatoes that are free of mold and damage, with the potato feeling firm and heavy when picked up with smooth not wrinkly skin. You should also be aware that potatoes and sweet potatoes when frozen or chilled can develop "hardcore" which is a tough center that cannot be softened even with intense cooking.

Once you've purchased your stock of sweet potatoes you can use them interchangeably anywhere you'd use normal potatoes, including complementing steaks, stews and fries, often adding a delightful and complex savory sweetness to the dish. Although there are many exotic new recipes involving sweet potatoes, some of the best and my favorite are the traditional classics:

Sweet Potato parmesan garlic baked fries

This recipe is a favorite of many college students I know because it is simple, fast and cheap.

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 Large Sweet Potato, thinly sliced as desired
Olive Oil
Parmesan cheese
Powdered Garlic
Medium pan

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Wash sweet potato in warm water
Slice sweet potato thinly to ensure even cooking
Oil cooking pan with olive oil to prevent sticking
Spread sweet potato evenly over pan to ensure even cooking
Sprinkle Parmesan over sweet potatoes as desired
Sprinkle powdered garlic over sweet potatoes as desired
Cook for 20-25 minutes or until browned and crispy

Enjoy!

Be sure to check back for more sweet potato recipes, we'll be adding them as we discover them.

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