Sweet Potatoes and Yams

Sweet potatoes—yams—what's the difference? Yes, Virginia, there is indeed a difference. Sweet potatoes have a pale gold skin and flesh and are delicious baked, boiled, or mashed; they are more like russets in texture when cooked. The variety of sweet potato marketed as a yam is larger, with reddishbrown skin; the flesh is dark orange, denser, and somewhat waxy. Either variety can be baked, much the same as russets, but most people don't eat the skin of yams.

Baked Sweet Potatoes and Yams
Preheat oven to 400°F. Scrub potatoes well, pierce with a knife, and rub the skin with vegetable oil. Bake until soft to the touch when squeezed gently. Since sweet potatoes are usually small, they will cook in 35 to 40 minutes; yams will take longer, 50 to 70 minutes, depending on the size.

This content is from the book The Basic Gourmet by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, Kathleen Taggart, and Georgia Vareldzis.