Baked Idaho Potatoes

Originally, Idaho russet potatoes used to be roasted by children who would bury them in hot coals. Today, they are a simple, classic, yet flavorful pleasure. Large and oval-shaped Idaho russet potatoes are baked in the oven with their skins intact until they develop a fluffy texture - a byproduct of their high starch content. Their skins get split open and are then topped with sweet butter, freshly ground salt and black pepper, a dollop of sour cream, chives, parsley, crumbled bacon, minced chiles, or tabasco sauce, but anything can be a topping if one's imaginative enough. It is usually served as a side dish or an accompaniment to a good steak. Regardless of the toppings, it should be noted that they must be baked without any foil wrappings as it will ruin their skins, turning them soggy during the process.