What’s the difference between yams and sweet potatoes? Weekly Recap 11/27/2023

I’m responsible for one thing on the holiday menu. It’s an elusive and mysterious dish, going by many names and containing more sugar than a reasonable person would ever dare to use.

Sometimes we call this dish “candied yams.” Other times we might say “sweet potato casserole.” Regardless, it’s delicious, delectable, and more densely packed with sweetness than the pies we later eat for dessert. Stay tuned and I’ll even tell you the recipe.

But first, what’s the difference between a yam and a sweet potato? No, that’s not the opening to a weird joke. There’s no punchline. Seriously, can you spot the difference?

The truth is, I’ve never actually used yams to make anything. I’ve always used sweet potatoes. And although I’d occasionally say the wrong word, deep down in my heart of hearts, I knew there was a difference between the two.

But just what was that difference, exactly?

A quick bit of research tells me that yams have stem tubers, but sweet potatoes have root tubers. Yams are in the lily family, but sweet potatoes are in the morning glory family. What impact does any of that have on taste? I have no idea, but supposedly yams are less sweet.

Underneath all that marshmallowy goodness is a pile of sweet potatoes. There’s no yams hiding there. I promise.

So here’s what you do.

You will need…

• 6 Medium Sweet Potatoes
• 1 Stick of Butter
• 1 1/2 cups of sugar
• 1/2 cup of corn syryp
• Marshmallows

Once you have acquired the above ingredients, follow the below steps with as much accuracy as you feel necessary:

1. Roast the sweet potatoes in the oven at 375 degrees. You’ll know they’re done when your house smells like sweet potatoes, a fork can easily stab them, or when an hour has passed
2. Remove the skins and slice the sweet potatoes in half. It’s wise to let them cool first.
3. Throw the halved sweet potatoes in a dish that fits them. Something like a 9×13 should work.
4. Add the sugar. If it looks like it’s “too much” then you’ve probably put the right amount.
5. Add the corn syrup. If you’re asking “why do I need corn syrup on top of a ridiculous amount of sugar” then stop right now, add more sugar, and then return to this step.
6. Melt the butter and drizzle on top.
7. Put the whole thing back in the oven until the sugar is liquid and boiling. That usually takes about 45 minutes.
8. Add marshmallows to the top, then set the oven to broil for about 2 minutes or until they turn golden brown

Anyway, that’s the one dish for which I am responsible. My wife, on the other hand, is as fantastic in the kitchen as she is beautiful… and she makes everything else — turkey, green been casserole, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, collared greens, stuffing, and pies.

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Good morning and happy Monday, friends. And I suppose a “happy belated Thanksgiving” is also in order.

Holidays get a little crazy over here. There was a whole lot of cooking going on at our house and not a whole lot of time to record, but I was able to get an original song out…

What You’re Looking For

I almost gave up on that video, honestly. I accidentally recorded the take without plugging my guitar in, but didn’t realize until I reviewed the audio files a few days later. I know exactly how it happened, too. I sat down, did a quick sound check, then noticed my camera was at a bad angle. I stood up to adjust the tripod, which unplugged my guitar, then immediately started playing.

Anyway, I kept the vocal track and overdubbed some guitar, which is just a weird and completely backward process. I went the extra mile and threw in a bass track, too. I think the end result turned out “okay,” which, if you recall, is my new standard of excellence.

I threw a few short videos together. Two are bite-sized chunks of Oracle Hekataios’s interview — one about competing ideas between traditions, and the other about gender identity in the craft. I may be biased, but I think the second one is particularly powerful. I also recorded a short improvisation on the RAV Vast Drum with the element of earth in mind — I’m going to do one for each element when I find the time.

I have one more “short” video with Oracle to upload later this week. I’m trying to alternate between music and interview clips each time.

I’ll be interviewing Coby Michael later today for episode 5 of Music, Myth, and Magick. I’m really excited to talk to him! His book, The Poison Path Herbal, has some seriously in-depth information on baneful herbs. You’ll be hearing all about that soon!

In mundane news, we’ve got our Christmas tree. It isn’t lit yet, though. We’ll be doing that later this week!