Okay, first up, I've got a great recipe if you love hot chips (or "fries" or "wedges") anyhoo, they're called 'Pub Spuds". A very simple recipe, so here goes…

INGREDIENTS

potatoes

paprika

chicken stock

garlic

sea salt

any other spices you fancy

Take a couple of potatoes as desired. Peel and slice (about 5 millimetres thick). Place the potatoes in an oven.

fill a mug half way with hot water, then mix in a spoon of chicken stock and a sprinkle of sea salt. Pour this mixture over the potatoes, then add garlic, and sprinkle paprika over the top.

Bake on 180-220 c for about an hour or until golden (or cooked). If you want, you can flip them half way through so they're evenly cooked.

There you have it. Fairly healthy (compared to deep fried chippies) and they taste great! Excellent with a wok-fried steak - more on that one later.

Onto a more *important* note, the little spat in East Timor is starting to worry me. My brother is in the army and was sent there last week. Aussie soldiers are probably the best in the world at not getting killed, but wars become much more personal when family is involved.

Although He thinks its great. I hate these anti-war people that keep complaining that the soldiers don't want wars. In Australia, if you join the army, you want to DO YOUR JOB. I know quite a few people in the army, and they really look forward to getting in and doing it. Besides that, he'll be coming home with $40K too, and for three months work, thats pretty damn good. He says to the army its like a lottery…

Ah well. He'll be fine. Its not like the Somme or anything. Je signalerai plus demain. Jusque-la, il y a des pommes chips sur mon dimsim