Sonoma Valley Mashed Yams

Ingredients

• 2 large garnet yams, about 1 1/2 lbs. (you could try substituting another kind of sweet potato, let me know how that goes)
• 1/2 ounce dark spiced rum (or more to taste)
• 1/2 ounce kahlua liquor (or more to taste)
• 5 5/8 ounces full fat coconut milk (not "lite")
• 2 1/2 tablespoons salted butter or vegan margarine
• 1/2-2/3 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper (optional) or white pepper (optional)
• 1/4 cup evaporated cane juice (substitute any type of granulated sugar, preferably brown)
• 1/2-1 inch fresh ginger, peeled

Directions

1. 1

   Peel and coarsely chop yams to rough 1/2" dices.

2. 2

   Steam yams about 10 minutes or more until soft.

3. 3

   Place in a bowl, adding butter first so that it melts. Then, add the rest, reserving half the coconut milk (which hopefully has a thick creamy layer on top of it), which you'll add at the end.

4. 4

   With a potato masher, gently mash and mix, so that some pieces of yam aren't still slightly chunky, but ingredients are all mixed.

5. 5

   Taste and adjust seasonings, adding the rest of the coconut milk. If it seems to start getting runny, stop adding the coconut milk at once and continue.

6. 6

   With a fine grater, grate the fresh ginger, directly into the bowl, and gently fold.

7. 7

   Transfer into a serving bowl, garnish with a twist of an orange peel or an edible flower, such as a few nasturtiums.