The same fruit as a yellow plantain, but less ripe. It's even more starchy and less sugary, with only a hint of banana sweetness. Popular in Latin American, Caribbean, African, and Indian cuisine. Green plantains can be fried; diced and boiled; or pureed and added to spicy soups and stews to thicken and add body. Treat them like potatoes or squash. Keep them around and they'll turn yellow.
The starchiness of a potato with the sweetness of a banana. Fried yellow plantains, called maduros or amarillos, are a staple of Latin American tables. They are like potato chips, but warm, irresistibly chewy, salty, and almost candied. Serve these big "cooking bananas" as a side dish with black beans and rice or roast chicken.
Pumpkins are often used in cooking for soups, stews, and most known for pumpkin pie.
Sweet, moist and and copper-colored, garnet yams are a wonderful baking tuber — their understated sweetness shine in pies, breads and muffins. You can also top with butter, salt and pepper and pop 'em in a hot oven. Or peel, boil or steam and purée to make a rich, thick soup.
