Otik's Savory Squash (or Yams)

Join me as I make Otik’s Savory Squash (or Yams) – From Tika’s Cookbook for the first time! This is a recipe from Leaves from the Inn of the Last Home sourcebook, originally released in 1987. The recipes are compiled by Tika Waylan Majere. You can buy Leaves from the Inn of the Last Home here: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/309152/Leaves-from-the-Inn-of-the-Last-Home?term=leaves+from+the+inn+of+the+last?affiliate_id=50797

From Tika’s Cookbook

Otik’s Savory Squash (or Yams)

1 large winter squash (or 3 to 4 large yams)
⅓ cup brown sugar
7 slices tart apple, unpeeled
¼ cup white wine (optional)
Ground cinnamon
Ground thyme
4 to 5 pats butter or margarine

Butter bottom of a glass baking dish or large loaf pan. Peel and cut squash or yams into bite sized pieces; spread ½ in baking dish. Sprinkle with ½ the brown sugar, then spread the rest of the squash over the top and sprinkle with remaining sugar. Arrange the apple slices over the top. Break butter pats over apples. Sprinkle with wine; besure it soaks through the squash. Sprinkle with cinnamon and thyme.

Cover dish with foil and bake 350 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes or until tender. Mash squash or yams, or serve as is. This dish is excellent topped with crisp, crumbled bacon. Serves 2 to 4, depending on size of squash.

Transcript

Cold Open

This is very close to a traditional thanksgiving dinner side dish my wife makes already.

Intro

Today I am making Otik’s Savory Squash (or Yams) from Tika’s Cookbook in Leaves from the Inn of the Last Home. If you have made this recipe, share your thoughts in the comments below!

Discussion

I took a bit of a different approach to this recipe, as it suggested yams, so I took the bait. I am much more of a yams fan than squash. That being said, I did forget to put the butter in this opening shot. I began the recipe by collecting the ingredients. Four large yams, one-third cup brown sugar, three small tart apples for slices, one-fourth cup white cooking wine, ground cinnamon, ground thyme and five pats butter.

I started by buttering the pan. I used a larger pan than was suggested because I had such large yams. Next I began peeling the yams, something I forgot about as I washed them just prior to reading that part of the recipe again. Then I did my best to cut the yams into bite sized pieces. This was a chore for me. I don’t know if I am holding the knife wrong, if it wasn’t sharp enough, or if I am just being too timid, but yams are dense and that first cut is a pain. Suggestions are welcome here. Then, I placed half of the yams in the baking dish and sprinkled half of the brown sugar on the top of them. Then I placed the remaining yams over top of them, and sprinkled the last of the brown sugar over top.

Next I cut the apples into slices, keeping the skin on them. These apples came from my neighbor’s apple tree, which we appreciated. Thanks Tom! I placed the apple slices over top of the yams. I broke up the butter pads all over the yam and sugar mixture. Then I poured the white cooking wine over top of everything, making sure to coat as much as possible with it. Lastly I sprinkled the ingredients first with ground thyme then ground cinnamon. And covered it with aluminum foil.

I preheated the oven to three hundred and fifty degrees and when ready, put the yams in for an hour. This was not long enough, I ended up cooking them for an additional thirty minutes so the consistency was closer to mashed potatoes than firm yams. The recipe suggested covering it with bacon crumble, which would have been great, but it wasn’t included in the ingredient list, so I forsook it for this execution.

This is a delicious recipe that if you like yams, if elevated with the white wine and apple slices. I will definitely be using this recipe this coming Thanksgiving holiday and adding marshmallows.