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Lemon Aioli

Makes 1 cup

A dangerously delicious sauce, aioli is basically homemade mayonnaise with garlic added. In this case, both garlic and lemon are added to make the perfect accompaniment for sweet potato fries. Lemon aioli is a great dip for a plate of any raw or roasted vegetables. It is also perfect dolloped on poached or grilled salmon — or any fish, for that matter.

4 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

2 egg yolks

1 cup canola or sunflower oil

Salt and white pepper

1 Mince the garlic in a food processor. Add the mustard and lemon zest and juice and process to combine. Add the egg yolks and process until smooth.

2 With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the oil in a steady stream until a thick, creamy sauce forms. Season with salt and white pepper. Keep refrigerated until you are ready to serve.

Kitchen Note: Dishes containing raw eggs should never be served to infants, the elderly, or people with compromised immune systems because of the risk of salmonella. If you wish to avoid the raw eggs, either purchase pasteurized eggs or start with 1 cup mayonnaise and season with the garlic, lemon juice and zest, salt, and white pepper.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Serves 4

Although you can make mashed sweet potatoes exactly as you make mashed white potatoes, braising the sweet potatoes in butter first creates a richer flavor and smoother texture.

4 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons light cream, half-and-half, or whole milk

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and sliced

Freshly ground black pepper

1 Combine the butter, cream, brown sugar, salt, and sweet potatoes in a saucepan over low heat. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are quite tender and fall apart as you stir, about 35 minutes.

2 Remove the pan from the heat and mash the potatoes with a potato masher. Whip with a whisk or spoon. Add pepper, taste, and adjust the seasonings. Serve hot.

Kitchen Notes: Pure maple syrup or honey can replace the brown sugar. If you have the choice, Jewel is a good sweet potato cultivar for mashing.

Maple-Candied Sweet Potatoes

Serves 6

Candied sweet potatoes is a controversial dish — people either love it or hate it. Where the candied sweet potatoes of my youth went wrong was starting with canned yams. Where other recipes go wrong is using corn syrup, a neutral sweetener that does nothing for flavor. Where this recipe goes right, I think, is using maple syrup tempered with lemon juice, bourbon, and salt and pepper. The result is simply yummy — sweet, but not cloyingly so, and deeply flavorful.

1 cup maple syrup

4 tablespoons butter

Juice of ½ lemon

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

¼–1/3 cup bourbon or dark rum

3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

1 Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a 9- by 13-inch nonstick baking pan all the way to the top of its sides. If you don’t have a nonstick baking pan and you hate scrubbing pans, you can line yours with aluminum foil.

2 Combine the maple syrup, butter, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and heat until the butter is melted. Stir in bourbon to taste.

3 Combine the syrup and the sweet potatoes in the prepared pan and turn to coat.

4 Bake in the middle of the oven for about 1¼ hours, basting occasionally, until the potatoes are completely tender. After 1 hour, check frequently to avoid burning the sugars in the syrup. Serve hot.

Cider-Braised Sweet Potatoes with Apples

Serves 6

The sweet potatoes get a double punch of apple, with cider providing the braising liquid and sliced apples adding additional color, texture, and flavor. Onions and rosemary provide a savory balance.

3 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon sunflower or canola oil

1 onion, sliced

3 large sweet potatoes, peeled, halved if large, and cut into 1-inch slices

1 tablespoon crushed dried rosemary

1 cup apple cider

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 large apples, peeled,