Yams with a sauce

This past Thanksgiving part of our donation to the dinner was yams.  And the wife did this little guys.  The wife got the recipe from the Foodnetwork.  and Paula Dean as the cook.  Being the kind of guy that I am, and the guy making the sauce,  I had to change something on the recipe.  I took the booze out. Two reasons, one I don't drink and the grandkids.  I know the deal you cook all the booze out and you are left with the flavor only.  Oh the other reason was I didn't have any Jack Daniels for the sauce.  

This recipe is scaled for 4 serving and it takes about 2 hours or less.  

It's easy to do,  The hardest part was transporting the dish.  

Anyway,

The INGREDIENTS:

4          large sweet potatoes

3          cups water

1-1/2    cups brown sugar

4          Tbs butter

1          Cinnamon stick

1/4        teasp. nutmeg

1          long strip orange peel 

1/3       cup bourbon,  Best to use Jack Daniels

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400F


2. Wash and dry the sweet potatoes and bake for 1 hour or until potatoes are soft to the touch.  


3. Remove from the oven and let cool and then remove the skin.  Reduce the oven temp to 350F. 


4. While the potatoes are baking, combine remaining ingredients in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30-45 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened.  


5. Slice the potatoes 1/2 inch thick into a medium casserole dish, Pour syrup over them and return to the oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes.  

PAT'S PASTA SALAD

Photography by Michael Long

PAT'S PASTA SALAD was created by Pat (my boss,manager,driver,wife).  We had this SALAD at one of the local Restaurant's, Here in Palm Springs. This salad is way over the top for good!  So anyway, we got some to take home and started DECONSTRUCTING that puppy.  And we have come up with a wonderful SALAD...  

So with that Here you go!!! Pat's pasta salad... 

Ingredients:

• 4          Cups    Tri-Color Rotini or other colored Dry Pasta,  uncooked


• 1          Cup      Mayonnaise,  I used Mirclewhip


• 1/4      Cup      Distilled White Vinegar


• 2/3      Cup      white sugar,  (granulated)


• 1-3/4   Tabl     Yellow mustard


• 1-1/2   teasp   Salt


• 1/2      teasp   ground black pepper


• 1         ea        yellow bell pepper


• 1         ea        orange bell pepper


• 1         ea        red bell pepper


• 1/4      cup      grated carrots


• 1         med     diced onion

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.  Add the pasta and cook until tender, about 8 minutes.  See package for times. (Or better yet, taste test)


2. After pasta has cooked,  Drain pasta into a colander and cool with tap water to rinse. 


3. In a large bowl mix together the mayo, vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt and pepper.  Add the balance of ingredients.  Bell peppers, onion, & pasta.


4. Stir to mix and make sure all the ingredients are well coated.  


5. Place bowl in frig and let the flavors marry together.  Let set at least several hours.  Or better let sent over night.  


6. Put your pasta salad in a fancy bowl.  Get a big spoon and just go for it.  

This serves about 12ish. The prep time depending on how good your are with a knife, and how much coffee you've had that day...

NOTE:  You don't really need to use those bell peppers.  Use different colors if you like,  Hey do what ever you like... It's all in the taste buds.. Just make it pretty and above all make it taste good...