The Story

Hello friends :)

You know how we have ice cream trucks in the summertime?  And people share that nostalgic memory of running out the door to run after the ice cream truck?  Well, in Japan, they have sweet potato trucks in the fall. Genius. Right?

I grew up in Japan till I was 12, and I have such fond memories of those rickety old little trucks, slowly meandering through the winding  streets in our tiny little neighborhood.  And the smell of baked sweet potatoes!  Oh my.  There is nothing like it.  When I see sweet potatoes, I think of  them piping hot, wrapped in newspaper, and the comforting aroma of baked sweet potatoes on a lazy autumn afternoon.  Rich, radiant low sunset, deep pink and orange, reflecting off of piles of leaves in a golden field.

The moment I heard the truck coming down our street, I would go into a frenzy.  "Roasted sweet potatoes~  Roaste~d sweeeeeet potatoe~s......", the sweet potato man would call out in his usual lazy chant.  Oh, my poor mother.  Perhaps, almost every afternoon, she was tormented with a difficult decision to make.  Say no, and deal with the tantrum, or once again drop everything she was doing - the endless laundry or preparation for dinner - and scramble up some change so the crazy child would stop the begging and whining.  Who knows how often she cursed under her breath, as she watched me run down the street after the jalopy. 

My mom told me of an incident, when I was about 2 and a half.   One afternoon, we were inside the house and heard the sweet potato truck coming from a distance.  As usual, I asked my mom if I could have one.  She said no, because it was almost dinner time and she didn't want me to spoil my appetite.  

Apparently, that was not going to stop me from pursuing the sweet potato man.  She said I must have left the house anyway, because after a while she couldn't find me.   When I finally 'reappeared', I was carrying a newspaper wrapping of a roasted sweet potato.  

My mother figured out that I did leave the house.  And I followed the sweet potato truck.  The poor man finally had to give me a sweet potato, so that I would go home without getting lost, and leave him alone.

Then about 10 years ago, my mom stumbled upon a sweet potato casserole recipe from the South called, Senator Russell's Sweet Potato Casserole.   We started making it for Thanksgiving - a fun change from the traditional candied yams with marshmellows.  Then I found myself tweaking the recipe, using less and less filler ingredients each time, to make it more simple and wholesome.  Soon, it became one of my favorite dishes to make for new moms who had just come home with their babies.  I don't know about you, but when I came home with my babies, having time to cook a healthy tasty meal every night, seemed impossible.  And I think yummy, healthy, comforting food can help a new mommy out in so many ways.  And because it's delicious hot or cold, and keeps so well,  it's a great dish to deliver to people's homes!

Then a couple of years ago,  I was in the middle of whipping up another casserole for a new baby mommy home, and I had one of those 'Ah-hah' moments.  I thought, 'I should be making these for everyone!'  From that point on, I began creating the mini pies and experimenting with the recipe - and forcing them on people.  

And that's how it all started :)