Posts Tagged Yams

Pumpkin Irish Soda Bread

In case you’re in need of some last minute guidance, or want to bring something other than the usual to your Thanksgiving dinner, here are some last minute recipes I did last year on my Examiner.com page.  I particularly recommend the pumpkin soda bread.

Click on the name of the dish and it’ll take you over there.

Pumpkin Irish Soda Bread

Jo’s Garlic Mashed Potatoes (and note I also made bleu cheese mashed potatoes)

Emerilized Green Bean Casserole (a tasty twist from Lagasse)

Cranberry Relish

Yams with marshmallows (what else?)

Hope this is helpful to someone who’s waited until the last minute to get to the store.

ON THE EIGHTH DAY OF THANKSGIVING, MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME: EIGHT MASHED POTATOES, 7 yams a-sweetening, 6 cups of green beans, 5 decorative gourds, 4 colanders, 3 fancy breads, 2 turkeys brining, and a pork shoulder of carnitas.

Are you really hoping to get the recipe for Jo’s Famous Garlic Mashed Potatoes? Now? Really? ‘Cause I don’t have a recipe. I use lots of butter, salt, garlic, whole milk and black pepper. Did I mention the butter, salt and garlic? I just made about 15 pounds of the stuff and I’m exhausted. I’m not sure how I’m going to get down to my sister’s and park myself on the couch to watch football and then eat. Thanksgiving can be so tough. But all right, if you really insist, and you haven’t made your mashed potatoes yet, here’s what I’ve come up for about 15 people.

8 large russet potatoes, peeled and boiled until you can easily stab them with a fork
1 stick of butter
4 large garlic cloves
1 cup of whole milk
Salt
Pepper

I use a ricer to mash the potatoes. Then I chop the garlic and sauté in the butter. When the scent of garlic has thoroughly wafted through the house, I add the milk and heat it almost until boiling. I add this to the potatoes and add so much salt, you would be appalled. I’m also generous with the pepper, because I like pepper. Using a hand mixer, I try and get all the lumps out and make it nice and smooth, and pretty fluffy. If it’s not really fluffy and you could spackle a wall with it, add more milk (and butter if you want). Serve it nice and hot.

I have a separate batch that I added a container of bleu cheese to, and eliminated the garlic. Cool, tangy flavor.

By the way, are you wondering how I can claim my potatoes are famous? They were mentioned last week on a radio station in Chico, California. The fact that the DJ was my nephew, I think, is only slightly coincidental.

Thanks for hanging in there during these 8 days. I’m hoping next year, people from Maine to Minnesota, Hawaii to Florida, are singing it around the table. What do you think? Unrealistic?

Happy Thanksgiving to all and to all a good night.

ON THE SEVENTH DAY OF THANKSGIVING, MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME: SEVEN YAMS A-SWEETENING, 6 cups of green beans, 5 decorative gourds, 4 colanders, 3 fancy breads, 2 turkeys brining, and a pork shoulder of carnitas

My mother is a very practical woman, so I was aghast and conversely pleased when I discovered that her marshmallow yams were made with the real thing – peeled, boiled and smooshed. No canned yams for my mom, oh no, not her. The dish is as much for the kids to get their potassium, fiber, and A/B/C vitamins (you could put marshmallows on chicken liver and kids would eat it), as it is to add great color to your feast.

I know. I know. It’s the night before Thanksgiving and if you don’t have your groceries by now, you’re thinking about eliminating certain dishes because you’re exhausted and Turkey Day resentments have begun to set in. Well, buck up, tuck the kids in, and head to your local Ralph’s, which is open 24 hours and is still well stocked with whatever you need, which for my Mom’s Marshmallow Yams, is the following: 

(This will feed about 20, so adjust accordingly.)
7 medium size yams
2 cans crushed pineapple (in juice, not syrup – and yes, CANS, because you’re running out of time)
½ stick butter, melted 
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 bag miniature marshmallows

Peel and boil yams; strain and place in mixing bowl. Add pineapple (I drain most of the juice first), butter, ginger and nutmeg. Mix well and pour into 13×9 baking dish. 
Heat oven to 350°. Place marshmallows in one layer over yam mixture. Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until marshmallows are golden. Serve immediately.

There is scientific evidence* that exercise before the Thanksgiving meal makes it taste, on average, seven times better than normal – or you could visit your local marijuana dispensary for the same result but you’d be hard pressed to find one open tomorrow. (They’re everywhere! Moratorium, schmoratorium.) So, think about a morning run, walk or hike before, during or after the Macy’s parade and you won’t feel so guilty tomorrow when you consume more calories in a meal than many of us do in a week. (It’s L.A. We’re mostly vain and mostly fit.)

*somewhere, I’m sure