Today’s cook: Abraham Lenfestey, 35, of Kenosha, chef at Lighthouse Bistro, 5130 Lighthouse Drive (Fourth Ave.), open for lunch and dinner Wednesday through Saturday (262-657-5300).

Today’s dish: Rum-Braised Sweet Potatoes

What’s special about today’s dish: “It’s the season. The season itself makes this special. I wouldn’t pull this dish off in spring,” Lenfestey said of his creation. “These are flavors I love.”

Since so much of his imagination and personality go into his creations, the fall and winter seasons are when he shines. He gets into the chutneys, compotes and marmalades. Cooking rustic root vegetables and squash bring back childhood memories of his grandparents’ garden in Pleasant Prairie where he helped bring in the harvest.

Plan ahead: Rum-Braised Sweet Potatoes can be prepared ahead of time and reheated in a skillet with a little water, or in a casserole dish in the oven or microwave.

“You can make this several days ahead,” Lenfestey said. “There’s a good shelf life on this.”

Tip: Check the potato concoction about every half hour in the oven. Stir it well so the medley of flavors is brought forth as it cooks down, so every bite tastes consistent in flavor and softness. If the recipe is cut in half to serve six, oven time still will be more than an hour.

Acorn squash or pumpkin can be substituted for the sweet potato for variety.

Lenfestey likes to serve his sweet potato side dish with duck, rather than with the “T” word.

“At this time of year, lots of people are stuck in that turkey thing and they’ve got to get off that turkey,” he said.

A morsel about today’s cook: Lenfestey’s mother and grandmother got him started in the culinary arts.

“That’s where I hang my hat, and that’s where my pride is at,” he said, adding that his mother, Ruth Lenfestey, is his favorite cook.

Abraham Lenfestey is continuing that family tradition with his son, Alexander, 10 and daughter, Avah, 4. Alexander makes eggs for breakfast for his dad, and Avah peels carrots in the kitchen.

Personal pet peeve: Over-cooked meat. “If you want your meat well-done, I don’t want to cook it. I don’t want to ruin this beautiful piece of meat,” Lenfestey said.

One last tidbit: When preparing this dish, the rum must be dark rum. The spices in the dark rum add the extra zip.

RUM-BRAISED SWEET POTATOES

5 pounds sweet potatoes cut into 3-inch cubes

3 cups brown sugar

2 cups dark rum

1 pound unsalted, unsweetened butter, room temperature

3 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons nutmeg

10 cranks of freshly cracked pepper

2 teaspoons kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place sweet potatoes in a deep braising/roasting pan; add rum, evenly dispersed butter, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

On stove top, start warming potatoes, stirring until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed. This will coat the sweet potato hunks with the flavors.

Transfer sweet potatoes mixture to oven and cover with lid or aluminum foil. Bake 1 1/2 hours. Check and stir at least once.