A baked potato is a great comfort food. The perfect warm indulgence on a crisp fall day. I recommend this balanced and light-bodied sangiovese wine as a nice pairing. It’s a great find at Trader Joe’s for $4.00!

Step 1: 
Preheat oven to 375°. Pierce each russet potato with a sharp knife about 10 times in approximately 1-inch intervals.

Step 2: 
Rub the outside of the (clean) potato with extra virgin olive oil, or butter. Then, roll the potato in coarse sea salt before baking. This adds a great savory flavor to the skin.

Step 3: 
Place potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for approximately 1 hour. If you have a convection oven, use it. Or, rotate potatoes after 30 minutes.

Step 4:
When the potatoes have finished baking, carefully slice and add all of your favorite toppings. Mine include: butter, sour cream, chives, bacon*, sharp cheddar cheese, and freshly ground black pepper.

* I generally adhere to a pescatarian diet; however, bacon is a meat I enjoy every once in a while. I recommend the Black Forest Bacon from Whole Foods Market.