Sweet potatoes and yams make a welcome appearance on the holiday table. Most markets sell two sweet potato varieties: moist and dry. The moist sweet potato variety, a reddish-brown, moist sweet potato is often labeled a yam. And now you can find sweet purple potatoes that are equally delicious. I prefer either the reddish-brown or sweet purple potato for holiday cooking to the drier kind with light brownish-yellow skin and pale flesh that is decidedly less sweet. Here are two great recipes that highlight the sweet orange potatoes' special flavor and texture.

Sweet Potato Towers with Smoked Chili and Chive Cream are by far the simplest way to go if you want an easy and tasty recipe. I rely on these little orange or purple nuggets year-round when I have little time but want to add a burst of color to the plate. If you want a simpler version, just garnish each tower with creme fraiche or sour cream and chives.

If you're looking for a sweet potato casserole, consider this Spiced Sweet Potato Souffle Pudding. During the holidays, people seem to gravitate toward the familiar no matter how adventurous they are in their eating habits during the rest of the year. I find myself at odds with my family each year as I try to suggest an alternative to sweet potatoes with marshmallows. This has been my only success.

With its creamy interior and sweet, crunchy topping, this souffle pudding presents a slight culinary dilemma: Is it a side dish or dessert? It calls for amaretti, a kind of cookie by Lazzaroni. You can find them wrapped two to a package at Italian delicatessens. If they aren't available, substitute gingersnaps. A 2-quart soufflé dish makes a pretty presentation.

Help is on the Way:

--Select firm unblemished reddish orange sweet potatoes (sometimes called yams) or sweet purple potato

--Use a serrated peeler for ease in peeling

--The Sweet Potato Towers can be baked ahead and reheated just before serving.

--The chili cream can be made 3 days ahead and refrigerated.

--The Souffle Pudding can be prepared up to 1 day ahead through step 2 and refrigerated. The topping can be covered and kept at room temperature. Bring the potatoes to room temperature before continuing.

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