Potato, Potahto

I learned a tough lesson the other night. A lesson that I should have already learned at some point during the past never-you-mind how many years that I've been cooking for myself. That lesson: Yukon Gold potatoes are for mashing, not for baking.

You can look at the various types of potatoes and tell there are some differences, but it never really occurred to me how different they really are. That is, until I baked a hefty Yukon Gold potato for well over an hour and instead of getting a soft, fluffy inside, I was met with one tough potato. There's a reason why the labels on the bags of Russet potatoes say "baking potatoes." But I did not (and rarely do) want to make mashed potatoes and it's possible that my potato was beyond the point of no return after having been baked to death, so I ate it anyway. It wasn't good. So, for future references, The Food Network offers this explanation of potatoes. And what's good for what purpose.

Starchy potatoes have high starch and low water. Starchy potatoes are great for baking and French fries, and good as mashed potatoes. When cooked in water, they disintegrate but when cooked by dry heat, they become crumbly and fluffy. Russet Burbanks are a popular type of starchy potato. Often russets are called Idahos or Washingtons (these are not varieties, only the farm location). Starchy potatoes can also be purple, like Purple Peruvians.

All-purpose or chef's potatoes have medium starch and medium water. All-purpose potatoes are great in stews, soups, mashed potatoes or for roasting. When cooked, they are at once moist and fluffy: they keep most of their shape in soups and don't dry out when baked. All-purpose potatoes are white, like White Roses, although they are also yellow (Yukon Golds), red (Red Golds), and blue (All Blue). Some all-purpose potatoes are called Maines, Long Islands, and Delawares (again, not variety names, but only the location of the farm). Fingerling potatoes are long, oval-shaped potatoes that have not grown to full size.

Waxy potatoes have low starch and high water. These potatoes stay firm in liquids and moist when roasted. They are good for stews, roasting and potato salads. Waxy potatoes can have red or tan skin, and white, red or yellow flesh. Different varieties include Irish Cobblers, Red Bliss, All Reds, Ruby Crescents and Butterfingers.

By the way, new potatoes can be any texture or type of potato, as long as the potatoes are harvested when the potato plant is still alive and the potatoes skin is still so thin that it can be rubbed off easily. Nearly all new potatoes behave as if they are waxy; that is, they have a low starch and high water content. New potatoes are good roasted, boiled and steamed. Creamers are potatoes that are no bigger than 1-inch in diameter.

Note that it doesn't say "Don't bake a Yukon Gold potato." But I will. Roast it or mash it, but take it from me, don't bake it.