Tuesday is eDay

To all my Canadian readers of voting age,

Tomorrow is the federal election.

Go. Vote.

I don't care for which party you vote (actually I do, but that's beside the point). Just go out there and cast your ballot.

If you don't, and you complain about the outcome, I will find you. I will bring you over here. I will feed you something from the $1.39 menu from the fastfoodarama minimall. And then I will make you clean out the kittybox...not sure if you'll get the scooper.

If you don't know who your candidates are, where to vote or have any other votey-type questions, go to the Elections Canada web site...they have all the answers...I'm sure of it.

I treat political events (elections, budgets, crises etc) in the same way others feel about the Stanley Cup Playoffs or the Superbowl. I absorb as many of the stats that come my way, read as many articles and listen to the interviews. I follow the polls and make note of whose lawns are studded with signs and if they are the same signs as the last federal or provincial run. I practically live at Barry Kay's web site. This year I've been in double euphoria since I'm also following the American race (and yes, I chose to watch the VP debate as opposed to the Canadian party leaders' round table).

Tomorrow night I'm camping out in the TV temple, in front of the great illuminated altar, with CBC:Newsworld as my celebrant. Granted, the nature of our electoral process means that we (ahem) generally know who won (ahem) by the end of the evening. But still I watch the returns, note the belleweather ridings along with those of interest for other reasons. I hide behind the cushion when the wrong party wins and I try and physically move the televised vote ticker towards one colour over another. Heck...I've been known to gasp, squeal and ...um...yell very unladylike words...at the updates. The next morning I read all the analysis and then partake in various conversations about what happened and why.

People who've never watched an election with me are quite shocked as to how involved I am when it comes to merely watching the results. Some people find it amusing...others wonder which alien race has shapeshifted one of their own to replace me.

Since I treat election night results as a big sporting or awards night, I eat the same way. This election, I'm having the October DB selection...which I'm not allowed to tell you about. Well...that's not fair is it? Well, those are the rules. Other foods that have graced the centre table include natchos, chips and dip, stuffed jalepenos, chicken wings, cake, ice cream...

This year apart from the DB selection there will be chips and dip, and sweet potato pie. Yup. The leftovers from Thanksgiving lunch will be snarfled up in anxious moments between returns.

Normally we have apple pie or even pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving, but this year I decided to go for a sweet potato pie after seeing and reading about them. I didn't tell my parents what I'd bring, only that I'd bring something. They looked and automatically assumed it was pumpkin. Then they tasted it...they still thought it was pumpkinny but a little different. Boy, were they shocked when they found out it wasn't.

I made a double batch of filling--half went into a 9"/23cm pie and the other half filled nine tartlettes. It's quite easy and quite delicious.

Sweet Potato Pie
makes one 9"/23 cm pie or nine tartlettes
675g sweet potatoes
125ml half and half
30g softened butter
30g brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 tsp cinamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 ginger powder
ground seeds from one cardamom pod
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp vanilla salt
shortcrust pastry made of one part (by weight) butter and two parts plain flour
egg wash

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and line a baking tray with tin foil. Slice the sweet potatoes into wedges and bake until fork-piercingly soft. Let cool to room temperature. Scoop out the flesh and stir in the half and half and set aside.

Cream together the butter and sugar and beat in the egg. Stir into the potatoes and mix in the spices, vanilla and salt.

Pour into th pie shell (tart shells), brust the pastry with the egg wash and bake until the filling is lightly browned and slightly poofy (pie--about an hour, tarts--about 35 minutes).

Let cool thoroughly before serving with sweetened whipped cream or ice cream.

cheers!
jasmine