I like the red potatoes for soup and such, and leaving the skin on is very attractive. They also hold their shape better when simmered in soup; the Idaho potatoes tend too get mushy.

A couple of weeks ago I baked some Idaho potatoes (in the oven, the old fashioned way) to get those nice nutty crisp skins. When I was a kid we used to put butter, salt, and pepper on them and eat them first before the rest of the potato. I prepared mine this way so the kids could see that the skins are good, and they liked them enough to eat theirs that way also. Last week I was in a hurry and did my usual microwave baked potates, and watched one of the kids try to peel it to save the skin for the same butter, salt, and pepper. Sad to see, and I explained that this only works with the real baked ones. She mixed it all into the rest of the potato and ate it, but clearly I'll have to plan ahead and make them the "right" way more often now.

SRS