temperature (70°F) water, then immediately add the potatoes and cover the pot Place in a warm spot and let stand for at least 1 hour, and up to 3 hours When ready to roast the potatoes, adjust the oven racks to the upper- and lower-middle positions and preheat the oven to 400°F Drain the sweet potatoes and transfer to a large bowl Toss with the olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper Spread the sweet potatoes on two rimmed baking sheets and roast until the bottoms are browned, about 30 minutes Carefully flip the potatoes with a thin offset spatula and roast until the second side is browned and potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes longer Serve immediately { POTATOES } Despite the fact that they qualify as vegetables under certain definitions, potatoes are so vastly different from the other veggies in this chapter that they deserve a section all to themselves There are few vegetables you find in the supermarket that are as varied as potatoes They come in myriad shapes and sizes, but don’t let all that variety fool you When it comes to cooking qualities, potatoes can basically be broken down into three categories: high-starch, medium-starch, and low-starch (also referred to as waxy) While most any potato will technically work in any recipe, the end results can be vastly different French fries made with red potatoes are creamy and dense in the center, as opposed to the fluffy fries made from russets Mashed potatoes made with medium-starch Yukon Golds will be buttery, thick, and intense, quite unlike the light, almostaerated mash you get with russets Waxy red potatoes will hold their shape in soups and stews even after they’ve been cooked to oblivion, while russets will absorb flavors and eventually fall apart I prefer russet potatoes in nearly every application for the reason that they tend to absorb flavors better than any other variety Also, I’m too lazy to keep more than one variety of potato around I’ll occasionally buy smaller bags of yellow fingerling or red creamer potatoes, or pick up some baskets of flavorful tiny new potatoes from the farmers’ market if I ... Despite the fact that they qualify as vegetables under certain definitions, potatoes are so vastly different from the other veggies in this chapter that they deserve a section all to themselves There... eventually fall apart I prefer russet potatoes in nearly every application for the reason that they tend to absorb flavors better than any other variety Also, I’m too lazy to keep more than one variety of... low-starch (also referred to as waxy) While most any potato will technically work in any recipe, the end results can be vastly different French fries made with red potatoes are creamy and dense in the