This Thanksgiving, I thought about making the ever-ubiquitous apple pie or green bean casserole. Then everything changed when I picked up my community supported agriculture (CSA) share at the farmer’s market. This week’s pickup yielded quite a bounty; a cornucopia of broccoli, cauliflower, scallions, turnips, celery root, and a half-dozen of the tastiest eggs in the Ocean State.
At the bottom of the bag was a small paper bag that weighed a little over a pound. Inside were, you guessed it, yams. So instead of making just another boring Thanksgiving side, I’ve decided to embark upon a world that, until recently, I had been relatively unimpressed by: The world of Sweet Potato Pie. In the past, I would take a few bites from a slice of Sweet Potato Pie and scrap it for something more flavorful (Apple), heartier (Pecan), and familiar (Pumpkin). This year, I’m challenging myself to make a Sweet Potato Pie that I’ll look forward to finishing.
My inspiration is the Food Network alchemist, Alton Brown, who is known for dissecting traditional recipes and getting into the science of good food. I’m using his recipe, which can be found here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/sweet-potato-pie-recipe/index.html.
There are, of course, one barrier that I will encounter on Thursday. My nephew is a three-year old toddler and allergic to nuts, and the recipe calls for pecans. But since the only way he’d appreciate a good pie is by wearing it on his shirt, I’m not going to be all that concerned about his tastes. This is about my tastes.
yay! great post! i always think of sweet potato pie as being so southern, that as a new englander i feel a bit of betrayal when i eat it. alton brown is so the man; i’m looking forward to the recap.