Across all seasons, one of my favorite activities is antiquing. My husband and I go quite frequently, and throughout the years have collected antique china plates. When we got married, we did not have a registry, and fine china was out of the question for me. I never regretted it, and in all probability my taste would have changed and I would not have ended up using it. Also, I wouldn’t have had enough pieces to feed my ever-growing family anyway. I have my mother’s china but I am too afraid to use it. It is beautifully displayed in my glass door cabinets in my kitchen. For years I used glass plates to serve during Thanksgiving because it was affordable and I could easily add on when I needed to.

One day I decided I wanted good china, but I did not want it all to have the same pattern. How was I to afford a 60-piece place setting?  There was no replacement.coms where I could buy only one piece. So, whenever my husband and I went antiquing, we would look for one-piece dinner and salad plates, looking for ones that did not have to match. It was fun (and yes, my husband really enjoyed finding them with me) and it took us several years to buy enough so I could use them for holiday dinners. Because I was looking for only one plate, I often got really good deals on expensive plates, because not too many people were out there looking for one piece and not a “set” of plates.

Several years ago, we finally had enough to set our Thanksgiving table with. What a great accomplishment! My husband and I are proud of our china now because we handpicked every plate with love. 

As I promised you, this is another great recipe to make for Thanksgiving. This sweet potato dish is so easy to make, and it makes a beautiful presentation. The author notes, “this is a casserole that is elevated by a nineteenth-century French recipe”. The thinly sliced potatoes become crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside. The five-spice powder combined with the butter and brown sugar enhance the flavor of the sweet potatoes perfectly. Of course, I did not have an oval cast-iron pan, so I used a round one and it came out just as delicious. I also recommend that you use 3-4 sweet potatoes to really make it beautiful. I used two, and it wasn’t enough. I love this recipe for any holiday or Sunday dinner.

This recipe is courtesy of the book Staub, which is chock full of wonderful recipes. It will serve 4 to 6 people who will want to emulate this beautiful dish everytime they entertain.

Ingredients for Sweet Potatoes Pomme Anna:

2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. five spice powder
1 tsp. salt, plus more for sprinkling
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Using a knife or a mandoline, thinly slice the sweet potatoes 1/8-inch thick.

Place slices in a large bowl.

In a small cast-iron fry pan, combine the butter, brown sugar, five-spice powder, salt, and pepper.

Place over medium heat and stir until the butter is completely melted.

Toss the butter mixture with the sweet potatoes, making sure the sweet potatoes are evenly coated.

Arrange the sweet potatoes in a single layer in a medium oval cast-iron roasting pan or fry pan, overlapping the slices slightly.

Sprinkle with salt.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender and the edges are golden brown.

Serve warm.

It’s that simple!

My Mom’s china