The favorite recipes of celebrity cooks - Date With a Dish

Ebony, Oct, 2002 by Charlotte Lyons

Yields 4 to 6 servings

Karen Clark Sheard

Karen Clark Sheard, one of gospel music's most talented personalities, knows her way around the kitchen as well as she sings a song. One of her favorite recipes is for Special "K" Yams, a dish that is pleasing to the taste buds and easy to prepare.

Special `K' Yams

5   medium-sized fresh yams
4   cups sugar
1   tablespoon ground nutmeg
1   teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 stick butter
    (4 tablespoons)
1   tablespoon vanilla
    extract

Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Thoroughly wash
and peel yams; cut into
oblong shapes. Place yams
in large bowl. Arrange one
layer of yams in baking
pan, leaving no spaces.
Sprinkle generous
amount of sugar onto first
layer of yams, covering
completely, follow with
nutmeg and cinnamon.
Repeat until you have layered
yams entirely in baking
pan; ending with sugar
and spices on top of the
yams. (Sugar will melt
down while baking and
form a delicious syrup in
which the yams can marinate.)
Place yam mixture
in preheated oven and
bake for 20 minutes. Add
butter and vanilla; continue
baking until yams are
done, about 40 minutes.

Yields 5 to 6 servings

Ja'Net DuBois

"Some foods make you feel good. One of them is chicken soup. But I found that curry fills me up and makes me feel better, warm and secure. When I make, serve and share My Special Curry with my friends, it seems to work. Enjoy, my friend!"

My Special Curry

4 tablespoons olive oil
2  large onions, chopped
4  medium potatoes, peeled and
   diced (place in cold water)
10 to 12 large cloves garlic,
   chopped
2  tablespoons curry powder
1  tablespoon paprika
4 to 5 bay leaves
3  sticks of cinnamon
   Salt to taste
   Crushed red pepper to taste
   (about 3 teaspoons)
1  16-ounce can chick peas
1  16-ounce can split pea soup
2  cups water

Heat olive oil in large saucepan
or Dutch oven. Add onion, potatoes
and garlic; cook and stir with wooden
spoon. Add curry powder and
paprika; cook and stir over low heat
for about 3 minutes. Add chicken
cubes, bay leaves, cinnamon sticks,
salt and crushed red pepper. Cover
and let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring
occasionally. Add water, chick
peas and split pea soup. Bring mixture
to a boil, reduce heat to low;
cover and simmer 1 hour longer,
stirring occasionally, about every 15
minutes. (Stir, smell and taste.) For
maximum thickness, let curry stand
10 minutes before serving.

Yields 4 to 5 servings