Baked Yams | 2-Ways

Tis the season for all things pumpkin, potato, hearty, + sweet!
Over the past few years I have been experimenting with foods that I never ate as a child, many of which quickly became my favorite foods!
In 2011 I set my new years resolution as "trying new edibles" and boy did I! This was the first time I'd had lamb, oxtail, + octopus! Since that years end, I've continued on my mission to try new things, + periodically I come across a food I've yet to try. So guess what the first thing I do is... Try it! Now of course, this method does not always result in a new favorite, or even something I like for that matter, but I relish in the fact that I can definitively state that I tried it + as such know that I am not a fan. For instance tripe. I spent 2 years working in an authentic Italian restaurant where we served tripe in a tomato sauce. When the owner swore to me that it was delicious, I went for it + boy was I thrown for a loop. The flavor of this delicacy was not bad, not was the broth it produced, but for me the texture killed it (If you don't know, tripe is intestine). However, another dish I sampled at the same restaurant was rabbit + that was very good. It honestly tasted like dark meat chicken. Another fail was squid, I am simply not a fan of the texture. But the failures only help me solidify myself + my conquest to sample everything!

The list includes:

brussel sprouts

persimmon

figs

loquat

turnips

oxtail

lamb

polenta

octopus

bass

hummus

falafel

scones

+ yams

I challenge each + every one of you to try something new. Maybe not tripe, but give something more feasible a try. I promise you won't regret it!
I hope you enjoy my (now normal) roasted yam recipe!

Ingredients:

Yams

Olive Oil

Salt

Cumin

-or-

Honey

Cinnamon

Directions:

1. Slice yams into desired shape + size

2. Place in baking pan, drizzle with olive oil + seasonings
- I made 2 with honey + cinnamon & the other 2 with salt + cumin
3. Bake at 450' for +/- 30 minutes

Yield:
Depends on how many you feel like prepping.

Tips:
-The smaller you cut the pieces the quicker they cook, mine were quartered and took about 30 minutes. If you cut the pieces smaller they will cook in about 20 minutes, and if you keep the yam whole it'll take about an hour.

Let us know if/when you try something new. We would love to hear about it!

Cheers!

Nelli