By New Year's 2026. Noah made the black-eyed peas, his third year running, the tradition now fully transferred. He made them with subtle variation — a pinch of smoked paprika I hadn't taught him — and they were better for it. The tradition lives and evolves. That's how things should go.
2026. Ten years since Grace died. January 14th is two weeks away and I've been thinking about it since November, the way I always do as the anniversary approaches, the body and mind keeping their own calendar that starts in December and builds through the first two weeks of January until the day itself. Ten years. A decade. The number has a different weight from the ones before it.
I've been writing something for the anniversary. Not for the book, not for the channel — a private piece, my own, the accumulated truth of ten years of building something in her direction. I've written twelve pages so far. I don't know what they're for yet. They might just be for me. That's allowed. The public work is public. Some work is just yours.
Gary asked me this week what I wanted for the anniversary. I said: the cemetery in the morning, the cooking in the afternoon, the family in the evening. He said, "All four kids?" I said if they can come. He said he'd ask them. By Sunday all four had arranged to be here. Ethan is closing Table. Mason is flying from New York. Olivia is driving down. Noah is already here. On January 14th we will all be together for Grace.
Ten years. She would have been eleven. The same age as Noah. I imagine them at the table, this dinner of all of us. She's there. She's always there.
Noah’s black-eyed peas have the main stage on New Year’s Day now, and I wouldn’t take that from him — but every good tradition has something beside it on the table, something warm and unhurried that nobody argues over and everyone reaches for twice. Sweet Potato Pone has been that dish in our house for years: a little sweet, a little spiced, the kind of thing that fills the kitchen with a smell that says this day is worth marking. With January 14th approaching and all four kids coming home, I’ll be making a big pan of it — because when the table holds everyone you love, you want every dish to feel like it was always meant to be there.
Sweet Potato Pone
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 55 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes | Servings: 10
Ingredients
- 3 cups raw sweet potatoes, peeled and finely grated (about 2 medium sweet potatoes)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven. Heat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray and set aside.
- Grate the sweet potatoes. Peel the sweet potatoes and grate them finely using a box grater or food processor. Measure out 3 packed cups and place them in a large mixing bowl.
- Mix the batter. Add the melted butter, sugar, beaten eggs, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, vanilla, and salt to the grated sweet potatoes. Stir everything together until thoroughly combined — the mixture will be dense and fragrant.
- Transfer and spread. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread it into an even layer with a spatula.
- Bake until set. Bake for 50–55 minutes, until the top is deep golden brown and the center is firm when gently pressed. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out mostly clean.
- Rest before serving. Allow the pone to cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing. It can be served warm or at room temperature, and keeps well — it’s often better the next day.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 270 | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Carbs: 43g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 115mg