Introduction

My father's parents lived in a small town in Taiwan, along the coast of South China Sea, called Putai.  I have vivid memories of my "ah-mah" (means grandma in Taiwanese) in the kitchen cooking.  Instead of playing outside, I would always stand in the corner of her kitchen and watch her at work.  I was six.

I was fascinated with the various textures, smells, and tastes of the dishes that she would make.  I enjoyed all the different flavors of food: sweet, spicy, sour, bitter, savory and salty.  

Ah-mah always bought live seafood.  One afternoon, she brought home two eels in a bag of water.  I was both terrified and captivated by these creatures.  The traumatizing moment, the moment that fear overcame my curiosity, was when she took them out of the bag and chopped off their heads.  I panicked and ran out the door.  For a very long time I had thought we had eaten snakes that day.  It was delicious.  My fascination and my love for cooking started with the memories I have of her cooking while I stood in the corner of her kitchen.

(Ah-mah and I, 23 years after the eels incident, the week before my wedding April 2009).

  

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Pecans, Celery, dried Cranberries & Goat Cheese

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Thank you Smitten Kitchen for sharing your recipe with me.  I made it for work on Thanksgiving Day and it was a hit!  I wanted to keep the dish simple - so I did not feel that there was a need to add the dressing (red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, olive oil) which was from your original recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 sweet potatoes (scrubbed, unpeeled, in 1-inch coins)
• 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup toasted pecans (bought from trader joes - already toasted)
• 1 small shallot; minced
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 Tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 Tbsp dried cranberries
• 2 ounces of firm goat cheese
• Salt and ground black pepper

Method:

1. Preheat Oven to 450 degrees.  
2. Coat a large baking sheet with the olive oil.  Lay sweet potatoes in one layer on the oiled sheet.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  
3. Roast for 15-20 minutes.  Flip each piece carefully and sprinkle with additional salt and pepper.  Return pan to oven for another 10 minutes.
4. Prepare the topping:  Mix Pecans, shallot, celery and parsley with cranberries
5. Once the sweet potatoes are done, add a spoonful of the topping over each coin.  Sprinkle goat cheese on top and Enjoy!

Preface: Who is Cheesygrapes?

My passion for God and Food are what define me as a person.  I believe that relationships are cultivated by sharing a little bit of life and a lot of food.  I'm a firm believer that food can bring people together in peace.  I will be sharing a little bit of my life and recipes that I have adapted and created.  

It is my dream one day soon to become a successful chef and contribute to the needs of the local shelters and organizations.  I had once thought the only way I can help the poor and underserved is by becoming a physician's assistant.  I have been in the medical field for the past 8 years.  I thought it was too late to change careers.  Recently (3/2013), God has given me a different vision - to take the leap of faith and change my career from medical to culinary.  At first I was hesitant, but after sharing this vision with my friends and family - their support and God's peace has given me courage.  I love food and everything about it.  The most exciting part of cooking is watching others enjoy what I have created.         

All the pictures on my recipe blog are taken by my wife, unless otherwise noted.  Thank you for reading and please check out my restaurant review blog: CheesyGrapes.

Sincerely,

Leo 

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." -1 Corinthians 10:31

My Wife (Faith) and I @Coach Insignia