Instructions: What makes these dishes so seductive, of course, is fat. Ones dipped in oil, ones pumped with butter, the last often bound with mayo.

Even chefs who pride themselves on serving their produce nearly naked -

"lightly grilled," "gently tossed," "on a bed of"

are tempted to pour on the olive oil or cream when faced with a spud.

Its time we celebrated the potato in all its glory.

that. Its filled with photos - not of steamy cheese-laden casseroles, but of colorful and misshapen varieties just sitting around being potatoes. New York Times food columnist Florence Fabricant has unearthed dozens of forgotten tubers, from the fry-friendly Kennebec to the delicate French fingerling. And while she says the russet will do for most all of her recipes, Fabricant shares the virtues of each one (the Russian Banana, for instance, has "a hint of sweetness typical of the gold group").

As anyone who has lifted a forkful of fluffy Yukon Golds should know, all spuds are not created equal. For instance, a good fingerling - named for its finger-sized form - has a rich flavor and silky texture before you spread on the butter.

Fabricant suggests serving fingerlings whole: roasted, boiled or sauteed.

They do show well. I love them split lengthwise and braised in chicken stock - with just a drizzle of truffle oil. Their crooked beauty adds personality to any plate.

If youre worrying that "The Great Potato Book" will try to reform your buttery ways - dont. When you open it up, youre likely to find a potato recipe calling for eggs, slab bacon or creme fraiche. But youll also find that each recipe is geared to a specific variety with its own subtle characteristics. And, just in case you cant get your hands on, say, a Desiree, you can find a worthy substitute (each variety falls into one of four color categories).

My first potato eye-popper came at the first restaurant I worked, as a busboy. The little red creamers served there were so fluffy and flavorful. And when I found out they were simply steamed, it was a watershed moment. Shouldnt coaxing flavor from a potato be difficult?

Steaming little potatoes has been a favorite of mine ever since. Farmers markets and specialty markets often have interesting varieties, but little red and gold creamers are easier to come by. Even these precocious potatoes could be called bland in relation to other veggies, but they do have bite.

One of my favorite potato salads is steamed creamers, split in half and tossed with kosher salt, cracked black pepper, chopped Italian parsley and virgin olive oil. Its a simple preparation that brings out all their earthy goodness.

But being somewhat bland, as Fabricant points out, is not a fault. It makes them great supporting players. Creamy or crisp, hot or cold, the plain potato becomes a foil for flavor as well as fat. Sour cream and smoked salmon are lost without a crispy potato pancake. And whats a puddle of gravy if there isnt a pile of whipped potatoes to soak it up?

Fabricant points out that the French are great potato eaters, gobbling up 275 pounds each year; more that twice as much as the average American.

That still leaves us eating up a couple of pounds of potatoes each week. But do we ever pause to consider the potato itself? Fabricant does. She takes us to the Andes, where it was probably first cultivated more than 7,000 years ago, and bemoans its dwindling diversity. While there were 1,000 potato varieties traded at the beginning of last century, only four kinds account for 75 percent of the potatoes sold today.

Along with the lore is plenty of practical advice. Fabricant warns that a green tinge indicates poor storage, tells us that the most nutritious potato part lies underneath the skin, and that water used for boiling potatoes is an excellent soup base.

All in all, its a book that finally gives the poor tuber its day in the sun.

Whether its a purple Peruvian or just a brown russet, Fabricant shows us that a potatos beauty runs deeper than its skin. And her skinny book puts fat in its place.

Nicholas Boer is the Times food editor.

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