They made a fine meal on the roasted birds and the sweet yams which had been buried in coals until they broke apart in a steaming richness.

This is food to salivate for: thick slabs of baked ham, fragrant with clove and served with sweet yams and perfectly steamed collards ($8.95).

Ms. Echevarria was generous with her kisses and hugs for the women who came bearing platters of Dominican chicken, plantains and sweet yams.

In the gardens grew millet, ropoko and big sweet yams, but most important for Zouga, dark green native tobacco.

A special butternut squash soup ($3), chock-full of sweet yams, celery and carrots and given body by wheat gluten or bread boiled into a thick mush, is a warming choice for a wintry night.

Thus Ika has sweet yam (anem) as taboo, and Nto Edino has the river reed (Nyama).

Main course: Venison medallions ($30 a pound), cranberries, sweet yams.

Royalt cleared his throat and went on quickly, "Hope Hastaar has some of those sweet yams they bring up from Dekhron.

Just as Sarah felt exhausted by variety, trays streamed in again with stewed lamb and mussels, sweet yams and buttered peas, then syllabubs and trifles, fruits and cheese.

Among main courses, pork with black beans ($16) was a takeoff on Brazilian feijoada, rich and succulent with soft slices of sweet yam and yucca.