Thanksgiving is a little more than a month away, but there's still time to learn to like sweet potatoes.

        That's right. Before you're overwhelmed by all that food at the Big Feast, including one of those achingly sweet, miniature marshmallow-topped casseroles, let us introduce you to this edible root, which returned to Europe with Columbus well ahead of the more popular “white” potato.

        First things first: There is a distinction between “yams” and “sweet potatoes,” but that distinction is not nearly as subtle as most believe.

        True, yams are a tuber that can be colored tan to charcoal, with a smooth or shaggy skin, shaped like logs, distorted mittens or elephant feet. Yams commonly are sold in Hispanic markets, while sweet potatoes — yellow-gray, brown or copper skin, shaped like a baking potato with tapered ends — are what we find in the supermarket produce section.

        The mix-up began hundreds of years ago when African slaves used a native word that sounded like “yam” to describe sweet potatoes. In the 1930s, Louisiana growers added to the confusion by trademarking their dark-skinned, orange-fleshed sweet potatoes as “yams.”

        To summarize: Even though they may be legally labeled “yams,” the vegetables that are chunked into those syrupy Thanksgiving casseroles are actually — botanically — sweet potatoes.

        As if that really makes any difference.

        “We don't care what you call them as long as you eat them,” says Sue Langdon, executive director of the North Carolina SweetPotato Commission. (Her organization may have added to the confusion by one-wording the roots “sweetpotatoes.”

        North Carolina produces 40 percent of the nation's sweet potatoes, followed by Louisiana, California and a handful of Southern states. Sweet potatoes are dug from the ground in the fall and stored or “cured” four to six weeks under controlled temperature and humidity, which allows their starch to convert to sugar. Although U.S. sweet potato consumption has dropped from about 5.4 pounds per person in the mid-1970s, it has rebounded during the last decade to about 4.6 pounds.

        Sweet potato promoters predict consumption will continue to rise as they promote their positive message:

        • Sweet potatoes are nutritious. High in beta carotene, vitamin C and potassium. Some studies rank sweet potatoes as the most nutritious vegetable, ahead of even carrots and broccoli.

        • They taste good. Julie Francis of Aioli, downtown, and other chefs like sweet potatoes because they become sweeter as they cook. David Cook of Daveed's in Mount Adams believes their sweet flavor stands up better than ordinary white potatoes to game and other assertive meats.

        • Sweet potatoes are versatile. Mr. Cook roasts them to go into a Vietnamese-style noodle dish with mango, coconut milk and curry powder. Ms. Francis seasons them with fresh ginger and orange for a pairing with spicy pork tenderloin. Chef Colby Caldwell of the Latin Quarter in Mariemont roasts sweet potatoes in olive oil with cumin and coriander, and also bakes them with chiles and white cheddar. Sid Jones of Encore Cafe in West Chester Township mashes sweet potatoes with plenty of butter and cream, adding a pinch of brown sugar and nutmeg.

        You also can fry, boil or grill sweet potatoes, and serve them in a dish other than a casserole, on a day other than the fourth Thursday in November.

        “Sweet potatoes are not just for turkey at Thanksgiving,” says Ms. Langdon. “And sweet potatoes and marshmallows are not married.”

        Sweet Potato-Vidalia Onion Salad

        5 sweet potatoes, sliced into 1/2-inch thick slices
        1/2 cup olive oil
        Salt and black pepper, to taste
        1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
        2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
        2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
        2 large Vidalia (or other sweet) onions, peeled and thinly sliced
        4 scallions, thinly sliced
        1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

        Preheat grill. Brush potato slices on both sides with 1/4 cup olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill potatoes until golden brown and just cooked through. (Or roast potatoes in 400-degree oven until soft.)
        In medium bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard and garlic. Slowly whisk in remaining olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
        Place potatoes, onions, scallions and cilantro in another bowl, drizzle with vinaigrette and toss gently. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature with grilled meats, chicken or fish. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

        — Bobby Flay Cooks American (Hyperion; $34.95)

        Savory Sweet Potato Soup
        2 to 3 slices bacon
        1 medium onion, roughly chopped
        1 large carrot, chopped
        1/2 cup roughly chopped celery
        1 shallot, finely chopped
        1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
        1 Granny Smith Apple, peeled, cored and chopped
        2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
        1/2 teaspoon each: dried basil, oregano
        1/4 teaspoon thyme
        1/2 cup flour
        2 quarts chicken stock
        1 cup heavy cream
        Salt, pepper and hot pepper sauce, to taste
        Creme fraiche or sour cream
        Thyme sprigs

        Saute bacon in large soup pot over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon with slotted spoon and set aside. To bacon drippings, add onion, carrot, celery, shallot, garlic, apples and sweet potatoes. Saute 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add basil, oregano, thyme and flour. Stir until flour is well-mixed and moistened. Add chicken stock and stir until soup comes to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until ingredients are soft, about 20 minutes.
        Puree soup in processor or food mill. Return to pot and stir in cream and season to taste with salt, pepper and hot pepper sauce. Keep over low heat; don't boil.
        Serve soup in bowls garnished with creme fraiche or sour cream, reserved bacon and thyme sprigs. Makes 6 servings.
        — North Carolina SweetPotato Commission

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