Kiwi culinary classics needn't cost the earth

This week we have some real treats for readers. Those living off the smell of an oily rag know how to live with a dash of panache. Here are a couple of iconic Kiwi classics to make on a rainy day.
No one can claim to be a "real" Kiwi cook without knowing how to whip up a tasty pav. There are lots of recipes, but the key ingredients don't generally change.
For those with lots of eggs, it is a low-cost treat. All you need are 4 egg whites, 1 cup caster sugar, 1 teaspoon vinegar, 1 teaspoon vanilla essence, and 1 tablespoon cornflour.
Preheat the oven to 150C. Beat the egg whites until stiff. Add the sugar one tablespoon at a time, beating after each. Beat for another 10 minutes or so, then sprinkle in the remaining ingredients and mix. Place the mixture on to a baking paper-covered tray and shape into a circle about 200mm in diameter.
Put the pav into the oven and turn down to 125C. After an hour, turn the oven off. Leave the pav in the oven until cold, or overnight (this forms the nice crust). Top your creation with a layer of cream and slices of kiwifruit (of course), or strawberries as an alternative. That's Kiwi cooking.
The second treat is the Oily Rag Burger. They are cheaper and bigger than the bought ones, and a real treat in an oily rag household. All you really need is mince and a couple of buns (and heaps of tomato sauce). Any number of ingredients can be added, depending on your appetite and what is available at the time.
We think it would look something like this: toast bread or buns, a big mince patty (whatever is on special), tomato from your garden, slug-free garden-fresh lettuce, beetroot, avocado, fried onions, a homegrown fried egg, and so on. There's no limit to what you can add.
Members of the oily rag club have lots of variations.
Tara from Palmerston North writes: "Here's a trick my good cook mother taught me to make with delicious cheese for a burger. Use onion pieces, whole rings work best, placed on the grill (a flat grill) then add cheese within the onion rings to melt. Cheese is contained within the onion borders, making a cheese patty of sorts, and the combined taste of melted cheese and onion flavour is yum yum on a burger."
Sam from Te Awamutu: "Buy your buns in the morning. Shops usually have a good selection of day-old bread at a reduced price. You can toast the buns for your burgers and no one will ever know they weren't totally fresh."
Cate from Hamilton: "When I was studying with a young family I discovered adding a good heap of rolled oats to the mince mixture was a fantastic healthy 'stretcher' to bulk up the patties. Even better is to then add grated carrot or zucchini, which puts moisture back into the patty and is unrecognisable to those fussy vegetable-averse people."
Frank and Muriel Newman are the authors of Living Off the Smell of an Oily Rag in NZ. Readers can submit their oily rag tips online at www.oilyrag.co.nz.