Pavs take biggest slice

Potatoes and pavlova were the big winners at last week's food awards in Napier.
The 2009 Culinary Quill Awards were announced at the New Zealand Guild of Food Writers conference at Church Road Winery on Friday night.
The biennial awards attracted 72 entries from 39 writers across a range of categories.
Otago University professor Helen Leach won the Book of the Year award for The Pavlova Story.
Described by judges as "an outstanding example of culinary history", the book explores the origin of the popular dessert and includes 12 classic pavlova recipes.
Potatoes proved a winning topic for Tauranga education consultant Glenda Gourley, who was awarded the Educational, Health and Nutrition category for her brochure entitled If you can bake a potato you can make a meal.
Freelance curator and writer Aucklander Alex Johnston made an impression with her Ladies a Plate taking out the Recipe Book of the Year award.
Her retrospective on New Zealand baking also won the Lifestyle and Contemporary Culture category at the recent Montana Book Awards.
The awards were part of a four-day conference for the 60-strong contingency of food writers.
While in Hawke's Bay, the writers visited restaurants, wineries and food producers.
* A full list of winners is online at www.foodwriters.org.nz.