Just last week, our Desperation Dinner's column featuring Salsa and Cheese Stuffed Baked Potatoes and I published a blog on Monday about my personal affection for the spud. Readers responded with a flury of emails and comments. Here's just a few with really good tips!

Thanks for the baked potato hints in today's Dallas Morning News. One thing I learned as a cook in college---open the potato with a line of fork pricks instead of a knife and the "tater" will fluff up beautifully after the coin purse squeeze!
Randy Lawhon, Forney, TX

I've been cooking baked potatoes on high heat for some time now, but did you know that sweet potatoes benefit from the same treatment? my sweet-potato obsesses daughter made this discovery, and here's how we do it: cut a sweet potato in two length-wise, place both halves on a lightly oiled cookie sheet or piece of foil, and bake at 425 or 450 until soft. The sweet potatoes caramelizes a bit, and it's so delicious, you'll never go back!
Enjoy,
Chris Styles

Bev and Alicia,
I always look forward to your articles - thank you!
Regarding potatoes at high heat, in The Armchair James Beard book (1999) he writes about potatoes and suggest a 2 hour bake at 400 degrees - and they are wonderful.
Many years ago living in the midwest, we would rake freshly mown grass, build a fire that we called a "smudge" to keep away mosquitoes, and put the potatoes under the burning grass to cook. They were a wonderful flavor too - good memories!
Thanks, Donna Hoverman

Good morning!
I enjoyed your suggestions on making steakhouse-tasting potatoes, and have a
further suggestion. My husband adds one more step when he bakes potatoes as you
suggested. He oils the potatoes and sprinkles them with kosher salt before he
pops them in the oven. Makes them extra-crispy--thought you might like to try
this!
Love your desperation dinners!
Susie Heigel

HI THERE!

Thank you for your column on baking a just-right potato (Dallas Morning News Wednesday, July 13).
I’m cutting this out to keep. I grew up baking them this way; or rather, watching my mother do it, and somewhere along the way I forgot. All I could remember was vaguely --- one hour --- high temperature.
What you did not address, and also what I grew up with is: you do not mention breaking the skin - running the knife down into the potato - piercing it once - to let out steam, and thus not have a soggy potato; nor do you mention greasing the skin, and as I recall, that at our house was a great part of the procedure.
I’m going to cut out your column now and put in my little-old-lady-you-can-do-it book.
Many thanks,
(Ms) Trenton Browne
Dallas, Texas

Hi, Girls--You'll probably received a bunch of e-mail from people like me who feel THEIR method is the best. We can agree that nothing beats a tasty baked potato/toppings.

This is what I've done for over 50 years.

1. Scrub. Dry. Use fork to puncture in a few places. I usually go down the center where I will cut after baking.

2. LIGHTLY rub with vegetable oil.

3. After baking, roll the potato gently in your hands using a clean dish towel. (This "fluffs up" the inside.

4. Cut length way down the center, leaving about and inch or so intact on both ends.

5. Cut a second, smaller slit cross ways across the center, intersecting the larger slit across the middle.

6. It will be hot. Use clean dish towel to gently push in ends. The potato will open up with no muss or fuss ready for butter, salt, pepper, etc.

7. Eat and enjoy!

Sharon, Frisco, TX