Garnet Yams with Maple Syrup and Maple-Sugar Steusel

Ingredients:

Yams:

• 3 1/2 pounds slender garnet yams orother yams (red-skinned sweet potatoes; about 2 1/2 inches in diameter)
• 1/4 cup Blis maple syrup or other pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon course kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Streusel:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup maple sugar* (scant 3 ounces)
• 1/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Preparation

For yams:  Butter 13×9x2-inch glass baking dish. Peel yams; cut 1 inch off ends.  Coarsely grate enough of yam ends to measure 1/2 cup; set aside for streusel.  Discard remaining ends overlapping lengthwise rows in prepared baking dish.

Bring 1/2 cup water, maple syrup, butter, and cider vinegar to a boil in small saucepan.  Stir in 1 teaspoon coarse salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper.  Pour maple syrup mixture over yams.  Cover baking dish tightly with foil.

For Streusel:  Mix first 4 ingredients in small bowl.  Add melted butter and rub in with fingertips until moist clumps form.  Mix in reserved 1/2 cup grated yams.  DO AHEAD: Yams and streusel can be made 6 hours ahead.  Cover separately and refrigerate.  Let yams stand at room temperature 1 hour before baking.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Bake yams covered until almost tender, about 40 minutes.  Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees.  Sprinkle streusel over and bake uncovered until yams are very tender and streusel is golden and slightly crisp, about 35 mintues longer.

Serve warm.

This is a good question that many people ask me in the restaurant, since we feature a lot with organic products.

So rather than give a round about answer, I did some research.  Here is what I found:

“Organic” refers to the way agricultural products - including foods and fibers such as cotton - are grown and processed.

The word “Organic” on the label stands for a commitment to an agriculture which strives for a balance with nature, using methods and materials which are of low impact to the environment.  Organic Production Systems - replenish and maintain soil fertility.  It eliminates the use of toxic  and persistent chemical pesticides and fertilizers and therefore, builds a biologically diverse agriculture.

Organic foods are minimally processed to maintain the integrity of the food without artificial ingredients, preservatives, or irradiation.  Whenever possible, I like to use organic ingredients in recipes at the OZ because they support our mission of providing you with healthy dining choices, and because good ingredients ultimately make recipes better.

Cooking with Olive Oil

Do not saute (fry) food in good olive oil.  High quality olive oils contain small particles from.  When these are introduced to intense heat the particles burn and give the oil and the item that is being cooked a bitter taste.

Buying Fish

Do not buy marinated fish from your supermarket.  Often (not always) when fish is nearing the end of its shelf likfe it gets thrown into a marinade to mask its deteriorating flavor.  By a nice piece of fish and marinade it yourself.

Leftover Bread?

Never throw good bread away.  Cut into thin slices and brush with a little butter or olive oil, then toast till crunchy and let cool.  Keep in ziploc bags or airtight containers and you have a great crouton to smear anything on.  Or serve them with salads.

Cooking with wine

Do not waste money.  Generally speaking you do not need to use expensive wine to cook with and you do not need to use too much.  More wine does not make a merrier dish!  Use a medium dry wine like a Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay (white), Cabernet Sauvignon, or Chianti (red).  The most important thing is to cook down the wine (simmer until the liquid has reduced by about half).  That way you are left with its delightful flavor and not the rough alcohol element.

Cooking Mushrooms

When sauteing mushrooms do not season them until you have nearly finished the cooking.  If you add salt at the beginning of the cooking process it will draw the moisture from the mushroom and they will boil in their own liquid.

Tight Budget

Whether you are cooking at home or professionally.  If you cannot afford expensive fish but want to create an up scale dish or incorporate a high end item with a less expensive fish; Roasted salmon with a crab butter sauce for example.

Using a cookbook?

When following a recipe in a cookbook always read all the way to the end before starting.

Ingredients

Always use the freshest ingredients possible.  Good quality products makes a chef’s job or home cook’s job that much easier.

In Season

Serve fruits and vegetables that are in season.  They taste better, are fresher, and usually less expensive.  Definitely a win win situation.

Mise en place

Mise en place (advanced preparation) makes life easier!!  Make sure that you have everything prepared and organized before getting into the actual cooking.

Making Mistakes

Don’t be afraid to mess up.  Practice makes perfect… whether it’s cooking, playing the piano, or skiing.

As I sat to write my weekly blog, I thought of all the cooking related things I read during a course of a week, and realized it was staggering.  Here is a list of periodicals, websites, and blogs I read on a regular basis to stay up on current trends.

Art Culinare - a chef’s magazine that’s hard covered like a book that comes out 4 times a year.

Food arts - a monthly chef/foodie magazine

Market watch - a wine and liquor magazine

Chef - the name is self explanatory

Hotel F&B - food and beverage magazine geared towards hotel professionals

The Strong Buzz - a website based on what’s hot and happening in restaurants in NYC - I’m from New York so I have to stay true to my roots.

L20 Blog - when I was at the Waldorf Astoria in NYC, the writer of this blog was the fine dining chef.  I really admired this style of cooking and have kept up with him to this day.

Chowhound - recipes and food related stuff

Ideas in Food - a blog about all the new techniques in cooking

Cook Anything Once - new recipes on cooking

Giga a Chef - a website for chefs will all sorts of resources

And this is just the tip of the iceberg:

 On the 15th of November I am hosting a cooking school at the OZ that is focused on traditional holiday items prepared with a healthy twist.  I would love to see some of you readers there.  Please call 301-664-7343 to make reservations as the 20 spots go rather quickly.

On Tuesday evening this week my demo will be on some of our signature flat breads and we’ll be tasting another great wine.  Come on by at 7pm; it’s a good time.  Here’s a picture of last week’s crowd.