Game day in our house involves a table and a bunch of white rectangular pieces that have a series of perfectly carve circles on them... also known as dominoes. When I was a kid the only thing I knew how to with dominoes was set them up standing about 1/2 inch apart and then knock them down so that one would follow another and they would make a wonderful noise as each piece would hit the next. I had no idea that it was an actual strategic game that involved strategy. No idea until Hector explained the game to me and told me story after story of family members and friends playing the game in Cuba. My interest peaked, and I wanted to learn more, which included learning the rules and strategy and the differences between double six and double eight. Once I won a game, won a single game, I was hooked. And when Hector's mother and sister bought him a hand-made domino table a fever started. I had no idea that such items existed.
But the thing with dominoes is that it is best played with four people, so we invited another couple over for a Sunday afternoon game. This meant that food was required, and since I am not one to indulge heavily on Cuban snack-food cuisine since it tends to be fried (although I do like it quite a bit) I opted for something a bit healthier and made some sweet potato chips. So with our mojitos in one hand and dominoes in the other, these chips made for a great afternoon! They are fantastic as a side dish, snack, or as the perfect game food!
Serve 3-4 people
Preheat Oven to 425F
2 large sweet potatoes (I used yams, you could also use white sweet potatoes if you prefer that flavor)
1/3 C olive oil
Cracked black pepper and salt
Thinly slice the sweet potatoes. If you have a mandolin, that is the best way to obtain "chip" style slices.
Brush each slice with the oil on both sides. Season with cracked pepper and salt. Place the slices on a clean baking, and bake for about 6 minutes. When the chips begin to brown and curl on the sides, remove from oven turn over, and place back in the oven and bake for about 4 more minutes. Watch carefully - since they are thin, they could burn. Remove from oven and allow to cool. They will crisp as they cool. Depending on your oven, you might need to cook the chips for a few minutes more or less then the time listed above. Oh, and if you want the full experience, take up the game of dominoes!
