Brian Christiansen wrote:
> A while back, I was at Safeway, and I was looking for chipotle chiles, and a
> man came and helped me look a bit. While we were looking, he asked me what
> I do with them. I told him that I cut up a sweet potato, steam it for ~15
> minutes, then mash it with a chopped chipotle, some adobo sauce, some
> butter, and some salt, the recipe is on the food network site, under the
> show "Good Eats" (probably lots of other places too). He said that the
> recipe sounded good, but that it also sounded like "too much trouble."
>
> I didn't say anything other than "thank you for helping me look," and I
> cannot remember if we even found them. I think just about anyone here could
> regognize that procedure as making mashed sweet potatoes. However, two
> things have occured to me since then, 1) I don't have any idea of any other
> wat to get mashed sweet potatoes, and 2) if that man thought that that
> simple procedure is "too much trouble," he must not cook.

Most times when folks say sweet potatoes they may actually be using
yams, or vice versa... and are readily available canned, very easy to
mash, no trouble at all.

sweet potato
This large edible root belongs to the morning-glory family and is
native to tropical areas of the Americas. There are many varieties of
sweet potato but the two that are widely grown commercially are a pale
sweet potato and the darker-skinned variety Americans erroneously call
"yam" (the true YAM is not related to the sweet potato). The pale sweet
potato has a thin, light yellow skin and a pale yellow flesh. Its
flavor is not sweet and after being cooked, the pale sweet potato is
dry and crumbly, much like a white baking potato. The darker variety
has a thicker, dark orange skin and a vivid orange, sweet flesh that
cooks to a much moister texture. Fresh sweet potatoes are available
sporadically throughout the year, though not as readily during the
summer months. Canned and frozen sweet potatoes are available
year-round and are sometimes labeled as yams. When buying fresh sweet
potatoes choose those that are small- to medium-sized with smooth,
unbruised skins. Sweet potatoes don't store well unless the environment
is just right, which is dry, dark and around 55°F. Under perfect
conditions they can be stored for 3 to 4 weeks. Otherwise, store in a
cool, dark place and use within a week of purchase. Do not refrigerate.
Sweet potatoes - particularly the pale variety - can be substituted
for regular potatoes in most recipes. They can be prepared in a variety
of ways including baking, boiling and sautéing. Sweet-potato chips can
now be found on some restaurant menus. Sweet potatoes are high in
vitamins A and C.

yam
This thick, tropical-vine tuber is popular in South and Central
America, the West Indies and parts of Asia and Africa. Although SWEET
POTATOES and yams are similar in many ways and therefore often confused
with one another, they are from different plant species. In the
southern United States, sweet potatoes are often called yams and to add
to the confusion, canned sweet potatoes are frequently labeled yams.
True yams, however, are not widely marketed and are seldom grown in the
United States. Though they can be similar in size and shape to sweet
potatoes, yams contain more natural sugar and have a higher moisture
content. On the downside, they're not as rich in vitamins A and C as
sweet potatoes. There are over 150 species of yam grown throughout the
world. They can range in size from that of a small potato to behemoths
over 7 1/2 feet long and 120 pounds. Depending on the variety, a yam's
flesh may be various shades of off-white, yellow, purple or pink, and
the skin from off-white to dark brown. The texture of this vegetable
can range from moist and tender to coarse, dry and mealy. Yams can be
found in most Latin American markets, often in chunks, sold by weight.
When buying yams, select unblemished specimens with tight, unwrinkled
skins. Store in a place that's cool, dark and dry for up to 2 weeks. Do
not refrigerate. Yams may be substituted for sweet potatoes in most
recipes.

© Copyright Barron's Educational Services, Inc. 1995 based on THE FOOD
LOVER'S COMPANION, 2nd edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst.