We at Inn on Main Street in Weaverville and our comrades in the Asheville Bed and Breakfast Association are gathering the final ingredients for our first Asheville Bed and Breakfast Association cookbook. It’s going to have more than 200 recipes, and retail for $15 to $18.

As you might expect, many are breakfast recipes, but we’ve also added several supper entrees and side dishes, salads and appetizers. We’re particularly happy that several recipes address folks with special diets. Though most of our guests are very happy with what we serve and how we serve it, we have a few who are vegan, diabetic, gluten- or lactose-intolerant, or allergic to a common item. In those cases, we try to adapt what everyone else is having to meet that person’s restrictions. Usually it’s a matter of mixing all the muffin batter, for example, except the eggs and buttermilk, then scoop out enough for a couple muffins to be made with soy milk for a vegan. As an example (and one that won’t be in the cookbook), check out our sweet potato muffin recipe below.

Sweet Potato Muffins

Ingredients:

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup brown sugar

1 medium to large sweet potato, peeled and grated

1 tsp each baking soda, baking powder and vanilla

3 tbsp molasses

1/2 tsp each ground cloves and nutmeg

1/2 tsp ginger

2-1/2 cups white flour

For vegans, substitute soy milk for buttermilk and an egg. For diabetics, leave out brown sugar and molasses. For gluten free, substitute brown rice flour for white flour.

Mix oil, sugar, egg and buttermilk with grated sweet potato. Add remaining ingredients and mix just enough to reach a uniform consistency, which should be midway between pancake and cookie batter. Overmixing makes the muffins tough. Spray oil into a 12-muffin pan, and spoon batter up to top of cups. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until tops brown slightly. Makes 12 muffins.