Alton Brown and the Mashed Chipotle Sweet Potato Quesadillas

Of all of the folks on the Food Network, the only one who comes off a genuine genius is Alton Brown. The idea that he (and his production staff) can explain the molecular chemistry that happens when something gets cooked and do it with sock puppets so that even her Imperial Majesty Junior can understand it is nothing less than remarkable. Genius is as genius does.

That's why Her Imperial Majesty, das kinder and I recently braved a sojourn to Quail Ridge Book Store inside The Beltline to see Mr. Brown. The place was absolutely packed with (my guess) something like 700 fans, each clutching a new $40 cookbook written by Mr. Brown.

I greeted him on the way in, welcoming him to Raleigh. He said "thank you", then looked at Junior and said "hi, there". She was thrilled.

He took questions for about 30 minutes before signing books, letting those with children go to the front of the line so the little kids could go home and get in the bed. It was a school night after all.

Class. Real class.

His latest endeavor, Good Eats 2, is lavishly illustrated and follows his show episode by episode, showcasing the recipes, procedures and "Knowledge Concentrates", giving a thorough background as to the ingredient in question. The one that jumped out at me while I was standing in line to get the thing signed was for Mashed Chipotle Sweet Potatoes. Alton created this as a side dish. I wanted to take his basic recipe and stick it in a quesadilla, turning it into entrée (and something I can eat on the sofa while watching a baseball game). The result was…well, you'll see.

Ingredients (what he calls software)

• 2 Large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 tablespoons for butter
• 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
• 1 Chipotle pepper in Adobo sauce, chopped
• 1 teaspoon of Adobo sauce (from the pepper can)
• 1/4 cup shredded cheddar or jack cheese – prepackaged blends are cool
• Large flour tortillas

Steam the sweet potatoes in a steamer basket for about 20 minutes or until fork tender. Remove them to a suitable bowl, add the butter and salt and mash them with a potato masher. Add the Chipotle pepper and Adobo, then continue to mash.

Next, prepare your tortilla by covering one half with cheese, then top with your mashed sweet potato mixture. Cover the sweet potato mixture with more cheese and fold the tortilla over. Grill or pan sear your quesadilla until golden brown. Garnish with sour cream, guacamole and refried beans.

Dare I say? It is Good Eats.