What's in a name? Well, for starters, sweet potatoes aren't really potatoes -- they're actually in the morning glory family. And yams are in a genus all their own, more closely related to lilies than spuds. The naming confusion can be traced to the American South in the 18th and 19th centuries, when African slaves encountered the sweet potato and naturally linked it in their minds with their native yam. But they're both delicious no matter they're called -- nomenclature aside, today we take a close look at sweet potatoes and yams.

It's not just the inventive recipes or the colorful, step-by-step photography that has us loving Sarah Britton's popular food blog, My New Roots. It's her conversational approach (she addresses readers like they're old friends, teaching them while sharing something special), her thoughtful selection of the healthiest ingredients, her Quinoa Spring Sushi, her whole darn life. Every recipe is a chance to share a story, and many of her dishes draw direct inspiration from her experiences.