By Thanksgiving. The third without Marvin. Twelve people this year. Turkey (eighteen pounds, standard). Brisket (because Thanksgiving without brisket is not a Feldman Thanksgiving). The full spread. Marvin's photo at his place. David carving the turkey with confidence now, three years of practice making the knife sure and the carving precise.
Sophie, eight, asked to help cook this year — the first grandchild to volunteer for Thanksgiving prep, which I consider a generational milestone of the highest order. I put her in charge of the cranberry sauce, because cranberry sauce is forgiving and eight-year-olds need forgiving tasks. She measured the sugar. She zested the orange. She watched the berries pop in the pot with the wide-eyed fascination of a child witnessing chemistry. "They POP, Bubbe!" she said. I said, "They always pop. The popping is the best part." She stirred. The sauce turned garnet. She said, "I made it." She did. She made the cranberry sauce. The cranberry sauce is now Sophie's. The passing has occurred. Another recipe, transferred. Another link, forged.
I brought Marvin a Thanksgiving plate on Friday. Turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce — Sophie's cranberry sauce, which I told him, I told him his granddaughter made the sauce, and the telling was the connection, the thread between the girl stirring berries in Oceanside and the man eating them in Cedarhurst, and the thread is thin and real and mine to maintain.
Sophie has the cranberry sauce now — that’s hers, and I won’t take it back. But a Feldman Thanksgiving table has more than one dish that needs a keeper, and these mashed sweet potatoes have been waiting for their turn to be claimed. They’re sweet and warm and forgiving, just like cranberry sauce — the kind of recipe an eight-year-old can grow into over the next few years until one day she’s making them without being asked. I’m already looking forward to the day she says, “I made the sweet potatoes” the same way she said, “I made it.” Another passing, another link.
Favorite Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 40 min | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 4 pounds sweet potatoes (about 6 medium), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup whole milk or heavy cream, warmed
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Optional: 1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans, for topping
- Optional: a drizzle of honey, for serving
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes. Place sweet potato chunks in a large pot and cover with cold salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a steady simmer. Cook 18–22 minutes, until completely tender when pierced with a fork.
- Drain well. Drain the potatoes in a colander and return them to the hot pot. Let them sit over low heat for 1–2 minutes, stirring occasionally, to evaporate excess moisture.
- Mash and season. Add the butter and mash with a potato masher or hand mixer until smooth. Stir in the sour cream, warm milk, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Mix until creamy and well combined.
- Taste and adjust. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt, sugar, or cinnamon as needed. The balance of sweet and savory should feel warm and rounded, not cloying.
- Serve. Transfer to a serving bowl. Top with toasted pecans and a light drizzle of honey if desired. Serve immediately, or keep warm covered in a low oven (200°F) for up to 45 minutes.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 230 | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Carbs: 37g | Fiber: 5g | Sodium: 210mg