KIWI KITCHEN

Richard Till - Renaissance Publishing - $35

Let me say straight off that I am a great fan of Richard Till and his recent entertaining programmes, Kiwi Kitchen, on TVOne.

So I was delighted when a bookseller friend gave me a copy of Till's just-published Kiwi Kitchen this past week.

I like Till's down to earth approach to cooking, his special interest in the"classic" New Zealand dishes of our parents' generation and I like the folksy language he employs when he is enthusing about food and the people who prepare it. It seems to me he is a throroughly decent Kiwi bloke.

His book is geat fun, prolifically illustrated featuring the food he cooks and the people he meets as he travels around the country making his TV programmes. Well done Richard.

I haven't yet had a chance to make any of his dishes from the new book but here is one I am definitely going to use next weekend - Potatoes Roasted with Stock. I'm sure Richard and his publisher wll not mind me sharing this one wth you.

1.5 kg medium sized roasting potatoes

4 Tbsp vegetable oil

About 1300 ml beef stock

Preheat the oven (ideally fan forced) to 200c.

Peel the potatoes using a small knife creating as many flat surfaces as possible. They brown better this way, plus they look delightfully old-fashioned.

Heat a large roasting pan in the oven.Add the oil to the pan and return it to the oven for a few minutes until it is good and hot.

Add the potatoes to the pan and cook, removing the pan every 10 minutes and giving it a good shake for 30 minutes.Add the stock to the pan and cook (turning the potatoes from time to time) until all the stock has been absorbed. At this point the potatoes will be very nicely browned, tender and deliciously meaty.

Serve with grilled meat and salad.

Can't wait!