The other day, I was struggling to get through my extremely confusing reading for Classical Film Theory. I needed a break from Segei Eisenstein’s theories on filmic montage and grabbed my favorite knife in pursuit of a de-stressing activity. I wrangled up some sweet potatoes worthy of slicing and what resulted were some hearty rosemary and garlic sweet potato chips. This is (t)über easy and a very healthy side dish. It’s also just a tasty excuse to take a break from some reading on a weekday night. Here’s what you need:

a few good sweet potatoes

a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

a clove or two or garlic, minced

a few sprigs of fresh rosemary

sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

1. Pre-heat oven to 425ºF and cover a cookie sheet with tinfoil.

2. Slice the sweet potatoes into 1/4 inch rounds. Toss these and the rest of the ingredients into a bowl and spread evenly onto the baking sheet so that each slice of sweet potato is flat and in contact with the cookie sheet.

3. Pop these suckers into an oven for about 10-12 minutes and devour!

I like to slice the sweet potatoes into thin rounds because they cook really quickly, but if you’re looking for a more classic variation, cubing the potatoes will work too. Just bake them for a few minutes longer. Dried rosemary can also be substituted for the fresh stuff, but I am always in favor of fresh if I can get it. Also, if you can find white sweet potatoes somewhere, I recommend trying the recipe out on those because it looks really cool, and the potatoes are a bit sweeter if you’re into that.

Sweet potatoes are extremely good for you. There’s over 100% of your suggested daily dose of Vitamin A (good for the eyeballs), some Vitamin C (protects you against swine flu) and they are complex carbs (for a bit more pep in your step). FYI: contrary to popular misconception, sweet potatoes are not the same thing as yams, although in the States we tend to use the names inter-changeably. Yams are way harder to find in the States and are more popular in Latin America and the Caribbean. They are barely even related!

About Jenn So

Jenn So is a senior Film Studies major who hails from a quaint town nestled among the pine trees of Maine. On campus, she is one of the head house managers of the Wesleyan Film Series. In Maine, she grew up eating her mother’s traditional Cantonese cooking and worked at her parents’ restaurant. This ignited her love for all things food and restaurant related. She has worked as a pantry chef in a French bistro and loves to travel and try exciting new dishes food from all over the world. In the recent past, she has tasted the cuisines in Australia, Thailand and China. After graduation, she hopes to roam the globe in search of even more delicious adventures.