Sweet (Potato) Memories

Food and wine to me have a huge time element to them. I love the anticipation of a soon-to-be-had meal or restaurant excursion. Enjoying something wonderful, especially a great wine, has an immediate here-and-now, in-the-moment aspect. And of course there's the past, the memories of pleasurable meals, wonderful food and wine experiences, even favorite childhood foods. And when I think about childhood foods, I think too of the people involved with those. Two immediately pop into my mind: with my Dad at a Cleveland Indians game at old Municipal Stadium, eating foot-long hot dogs with their stadium mustard; and my Mom, and the special dishes she prepared around the holidays.

I say all that to say this: today is the anniversary of my mother's death, so she's particularly on my mind today. It's symbolic too that November 2 has been since the early 1000's (or so) a day to remember the deceased, and now Nov. 2 is both El Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) and All Souls' Day. My mother was never a huge cook. As a working housewife, she fixed pretty basic fare, now that I know more about cooking. We had lots of pasta and potatoes and hamburgers and pizza made from bread dough. She did make a mean chocolate chip cookie (dunked in milk, of course). Again, great but nothing fancy. But she did have her special dishes, and one that I want to share now we had every Thanksgiving as a kid...and which I make every Thanksgiving at my house. So here's Grandma Polk's Sweet Potato Casserole. Enjoy.

Mix:
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. Cinnamon
3/4 cup honey
1 scant t. salt

Add this to:
2.5 lbs sweet potatoes (mashed)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
2 cups milk

Bake:
350 degrees for 45-60 minutes

Note: Actual sweet potatoes can look brown; yams are just as tasty and have more of the traditional sweet potato "orange" color.

Sandra Lee Evans Polk

1937 - November 2, 1993