Giving Thanks

A quick one, to, belatedly, give thanks:

To the Girl for making me laugh:  Me - (in response to something random she said):  “What makes you say that?” Girl - (Initial pause, then surprise at my stupidity)  “My mouth, silly!”

To the Boy for being unexpectedly sweet:   Boy- Mum what would you say if you were dead?  Me– I’d be dead, I wouldn’t say or feel or think anything;  Boy– but what would you say if you knew you were going to be dead soon, if you were 94, and I was 8?  Me– Well, if I was 98 you’d be a grown man, NOT 8, and I’d call you and ask you to come to me, and then I’d hold your hand and tell you how much I loved you and how happy you’d made me and how I’d carry you in my heart for ever and ever.  Boy– (embarrassed and laughing, but teary) Mummy, you’ve made me cry!

To paracetamol suppositories, for the speed at which they bring down a toddler’s 4am fever (not to mention the hilarious look on said toddler’s face upon  receipt of said drugs)

To our lovely friends who didn't care about kiddie-fevers and insisted on us all joining them for my first ever Thanksgiving dinner

No thanks at all, however, go to the nameless child who insisted on sleeping with me, kicked me all night, pissed in my bed, then woke up with the 4am toddler and stayed awake, manically and LOUDLY, until 10pm that night.  Or to everyone who plundered the shops here of American / Australian sweet potatoes, thus rendering my offers to make Nigella’s marshmallowed-sweet-potatoes for Thanksgiving dinner somewhat invalid. Eventually I tracked down some Indonesian substitutes (counterfeit, probably) and, under Nigella’s watchful eye made this:

Which was something of a success – one of the guests pronounced it the best sweet potatoes she’d ever eaten.  However, I disagree.  They’re just too sweet for me;  as a friend put it, why gild the lily?  So if you’re after sweet potato puree– and why wouldn’t you be, because it is a thing of sublime and comforting wonderousness – lay off the  marshmallows, and turn to citrus and ginger instead. 

The trick to making fantastic sweet potatoes is – as with most things – to use oodles of butter (which you melt) but also, if you can, to whizz them, once mashed, in a food processor.   

Not-too-sweet-and-with-a-zing Sweet Potatoes.

You need:  For 4

• 4 large sweet potatoes
• 2oz butter
• Zest of 1 lime, juice of 2.  (It’s worth having extra limes to hand)
• A lump of ginger, about an inch or so long.  A fat inch.  Chop it finely.

Peel the potatoes and cut into large chunks.

Put in a large pan with plenty of boiling water – I find that the higher the water-to-potato ration, the quicker the potatoes cook

Bring back to the boil then reduce heat to medium and leave to bubble

Check after about 10 minutes – if a fork pierces the potatoes easily, they’re done.

Drain well, and leave, covered, in the colander while you...

...melt the butter in the pan.  Once it’s bubbling add the lime zest and the ginger.  Leave to fry in the butter for a minute or so, then tip back in the potatoes.

Add the lime juice, a pinch of salt, then mash the hell out of it.  

Taste, and add more lime juice and / or salt.  (If it’s too tart for your liking, add some fresh orange juice.)

If your arm is about to drop off you, but the mash isn’t creamy enough for your liking, plonk it into a food processor and go wild.  Otherwise keep mashing, even adding a splash of milk (preferably hot) if you want it really smooth.

Dollop it into a great big bowl, then if you have small children, lock yourself in a small cupboard, leaving the marshmallows outside to keep them quiet. 

Either way, eat, giving thanks for the magnificent alchemy that is tubers + butter.