A baked potato is cut in half on a plate
Sweet potatoes and yams come in a variety of shapes and colors. People love to use sweet potatoes as a side dish, in soups and even in delicious desserts. They are very healthy, loaded with antioxidants and many are naturally sweet so no extra ingredients are necessary.

Sweet Potato Puree   

This is a wonderful recipe I developed while preparing for the CMC exam. It's great to serve with duck, goose or poultry and can be piped into shapes with a pastry bag or molded for beautiful presentations. The brown butter & reduced poached pear juice are especially delicious.

I serve this for Thanksgiving every year... it's a family favorite.

Prep Time: 45 min

Cooking Time: 40 min  

Ingredients

Yield: 10 portions                                                                                                                     

6 ea.           Sweet potatoes, skin on, washed well                                                                   

3 ea.           Pears, peeled and diced                                                               

1 pt.            Apple cider                                                                                                 

2 Tbsp      Honey       

4 oz           Butter, browned                                                                          

1/4 tsp.    Chinese Five Spice                           

1 Tbsp.    Cognac                                                                                         

t.t.            Salt & Pepper                                             

How to prepare Sweet Potato Puree

Step 1

Simmer the diced pears in cider until tender, cool and strain; reduce the cider to 1/2 cup & reserve.                     

Three purple potatoes are on a white plate
Two baked sweet potatoes are cut in half on a pan
A blue and white plate topped with mashed potatoes

Step 2

While the pears are cooking, wash the sweet potatoes, prick each one with a paring knife (about 20 times around the potato) so the potatoes don't explode in the oven!


Bake the sweet potatoes until tender, peel and discard the skin. (I love to eat the skins with a little melted butter).






Pass the sweet potato through a sieve, fold in the remaining ingredients and taste, adjust seasoning to your test.     

Place the sweet potato puree into a casserole and heat in the oven. Can be made a day ahead.


If you prefer, simply split the baked, sweet potato and enjoy as is or with butter melted on top. It's also great to simply peel the sweet potatoes, simmer in water until tender and drain. I like to sprinkle some Chinese Five Spice on for flavor-the Japanese yams are exceptionally sweet.              

New Title

Beginners recipe: Vegetable Stock

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Paella

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Copy of Beginners Recipe: Breakfast Burrito

By Tom Griffiths • January 7, 2026
I still remember cooking breakfast burritos with my son Daniel, for volunteer workers at church events—simple, hearty, and made to fuel a long day of service. The workers were always so appreciative. Years later, I served a crowd favorite, nicknamed “The Bacon-ator,” a breakfast superstar inspired by the over-the-top spirit of fast-food indulgence. We had a popular food booth at the local country fair, where we cooked hundreds of breakfast burritos each day-stuffed with Mexican cheeses, extra bacon, fluffy scrambled eggs, and fresh salsa—nothing pre-made, nothing rushed. Every burrito was warm, fresh, and full of flavor. When food is made with love, even the most straightforward breakfast is memorable. 

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