All right then, amigos. My Thanksgiving this year is a bit… on the measly side compared to the marathon feasts (epic in both the extent of preparation and in the amount and diversity of what was produced) of past years. God knows I love my marathons! The glory will return one day. With only one actual guest for the big dinner, I’m going for only the things that are her favorites – sweet potato casserole (recipe below or sweetly provided with sweet sweet potato stories here) and pumpkin curry soup. And dessert of course.

Preparing all the goods while listening to Jean-Louis Murat and then my spring-summer 2013 mix.

When did I become this woman, so comfortable with cooking and “spoiling” my guests (according to the guests – I don’t concur with this assessment)? All I can say is that I like people to be well taken care of.

Sweets for my sweet

Sweet potato casserole
2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 3 or 4 large), scrubbed
2 large eggs, lightly beaten with a fork
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted plus a bit more for buttering the pan
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200C). Put the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and pierce each one 2 or 3 times with a fork. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until tender. Set aside to cool.

Turn the oven down to 350 degrees F (175C). Scoop the sweet potatoes out of their skins and into a medium bowl. Discard the skins. Mash the potatoes until smooth. Add the eggs, butter, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and pepper to taste. Whisk the mixture until smooth.

Butter an 8-by-8-inch square casserole dish. Pour the sweet potato mixture into the pan and sprinkle the top with the pecans. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until a bit puffy. Serve immediately.