Cornerstone Post
Throughout my blog posts, I have mentioned yams, collard greens, cornbread, but what I haven't mentioned is that these foods look different based on who cooks them. That being said, I want to provide you with recipes that are usually plated on the table in my household by other African American creators that remind me of home. I'm going to start with yams, collard greens, and of course baked mac and cheese. The last recipe I'll give is cornbread dressing, which is a traditional holiday food in my household.
Yams
In blog post 1 (Pre-Colonial Africa), I introduced and talked about yams. As a refresher, yams were a crop that was planted in Africa since planting crops was thing (Green, 2023, p. 4). African slaves brought yams to American and re-cultivated the soil they were given to plant crops that reminded them on home (Diet and Food Production for Enslaved Africans, n.d.). Yams and their variation, sweet potatoes are a beloved food in Southern and Northern America during Thanksgiving.
One way to cook yams (and sweet potatoes) is by boiling cut slices of them before adding brown sugar, ground nut meg, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and butter into a sauteed masterpiece. The recipe below gives the specifics:
Candied Yams by LaKita Anderson
Ingredients:
- 3 large yams or sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds total)
- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter
Equipment:
- Knife and cutting board
- Large saucepan or pot
- Slotted Spoon
- 8x8-inch square baking dish
- Measuring cup and spoons
Instructions
- Prep the yams. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350ºF. Peel and cut 3 large yams into 1-inch pieces.
- Partially cook the yams. Place the yams in a large saucepan or pot and cover with water by about 1 inch. Bring to a low boil over medium-high heat and simmer just until they can be pierced with a fork and starting to soften (they will not be fully cooked), about 10 minutes. Be careful not to overcook.