You say potato, I say fingerling

What's the difference between an Idaho potato, a baking potato, a russet potato, a starchy potato and a Burbank potato?

All those terms could refer to the same spud. It can get confusing because some terms refer to potato type, some to variety, some to provenance, some to texture and some to use.

To make sense of this, I sought advice from Frank Muir, president and CEO of the Idaho Potato Commission. He guided me through the quagmire of potato taxonomy:

"Russet" is a type of potato. It is russet-colored (i.e., brown) and oblong with a relatively rough texture. Relative, that is, to other types of potatoes: round whites, reds, fingerlings, etc.

The most popular variety of russet potato is the Russet Burbank, named for Luther Burbank (1849-1926) who is credited with discovering its seeds. The second-most-popular russet variety is the Russet Norkota, developed in the 1980s by North Dakota State University. (The Yukon Gold potato is a variety of yellow potato created in 1966 by the Canadian potato breeder Garnet Johnson.)

"Idaho," when applied to a potato, connotes its provenance. An Idaho potato is nothing more or less than a potato grown in the state of Idaho (which supplies one third of the country's potatoes). The most-grown potato variety in Idaho is the Russet Burbank, but a red-skinned potato grown in Idaho also is an Idaho potato, as is a Yukon Gold potato grown in Idaho.

In fact, Muir spends a fair amount of his time monitoring the use of the word "Idaho." One morning he caught Martha Stewart talking about potato salad on the "Today" show and advising viewers not to use Idaho potatoes. Muir shot off a letter. "First of all," he told me, "we grow red potatoes in Idaho and so they are Idaho potatoes. Secondly, a Russet Burbank would do just fine in a potato salad."

What Martha was trying to get across is the distinction between potatoes with a waxy texture whose primary use is boiling, and potatoes with a starchy (or floury or mealy) texture that are best for baking. In fact, the Russet Burbank is the starchiest potato you can find; that's why it bakes up dry and fluffy. A red potato, with its lower starch content, is going to turn out moister and denser.

Should I put butter or oil in my pasta-cooking water?

"Neither!" was my spirited response to this question from a colleague. If you are concerned about your pasta sticking together, the solution is to boil it in plenty of water, one gallon for a pound of pasta and never less than 2 quarts for any amount of pasta. As soon as you add the pasta to the water, cover it so it quickly comes back to the boil. Use a wooden spoon or tongs to separate the pasta during the first few minutes of cooking.

The only thing that putting oil or butter in the cooking water will achieve is coating each strand or piece with a slick film of fat that will prevent it from properly marrying with the sauce.