I’m gonna be real with you: I’m not into sweet beans (I’m a savory gal myself). So you won’t find me stocking my pantry with cans of baked beans or ordering them on the side of my barbecue.

Give your whipped sweet potatoes a lively zhuzh by adding vanilla bean-infused cream to the mix. New York chef Gerry Hayden, a friend of Michael Mina, was staying with the family one Christmas and ...