Rilka Warbanoff ABC food guru shares her recipes and tips each fortnight with our readers making entertaining easy and fun

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Football food    The finals season is upon us and it is the time when friends get together to watch the television and support their teams.   When you think of Aussie rules and the game you also immediately think of pies with sauce and beer. Both a great at the MCG on a cold winters day in the grandstand but when you are having friends at home I thought that I would give you a selection of alternatives, which anyone in the family can make. These recipes are easy to prepare can be made ahead and also are great even when they get cold.   The important thing to think about when preparing food for the footy finals parties is that people will be grazing all day so don’t try and heat everything at once but stagger the food so that during the quarter time breaks you can have something warm which they can pick at later as well.

CURRY PUFF   FILLING: 5 tablespoons oil 1 medium red onion (finely chopped) 1/2 teaspoon kurma powder 2 teaspoons curry powder 1 teaspoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder 1/2 cup of finely diced chicken breast meat 2 large potatoes (boiled and finely diced) 1 1/2 teaspoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt   PASTRY: 500 grams plain flour 5 oz margarine or shortening 3/4 cup water 1/2 teaspoon of salt METHOD: Make the filling first. Heat oil and fry onion gently until golden brown. Add the kurma powder, curry powder, chili, turmeric and fry gently. Add the chicken, potatoes, sugar, pepper, salt and cook for 5 minutes. Mix well and leave aside to cool. To make pastry, mix flour with margarine, water, salt, and knead well. Let it rest for 1/2 hour. Cut the dough into circles (3 in) in diameter. Fold pastry over to make a half circle and crimp at edges. Deep fry in hot oil until golden.                                                                 Parmesan Chicken Wings    Ingredients: 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves 1 teaspoon salt Freshly ground pepper to taste 2 pounds chicken wings, cut up 1/2 cup melted butter 1.    Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). 2. Combine Parmesan, parsley, basil, salt and pepper together and place in shallow bowl. 3. Dip each piece of chicken into the melted butter, then roll in the cheese mixture, coating well. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes, turning about halfway when browned. Serves 4 to 6.   Rilka Warbanoff The resident ABC food guru can be heard on Tuesday's with Lindy Burn, she is going to share her recipes and tips each fortnight with our readers and help  you make entertaining easy and fun Rilka holds cooking classes at home and shows how easy it can be to create a 3 course dinner or lunch without fuss or extravagant expense her website is www.realfoodwithrilka.com                   . Roasted Potato Wedges with Cheddar Sauce   Ingredients: 3 large baking potatoes, each cut into 8 wedges 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 tablespoons ground black pepper   Cheddar Sauce: 2 tablespoons canola oil 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 1/4 cups 2% reduced fat milk 1 1/4 cups (5-ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese 2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions 1 tablespoon imitation bacon bits 1/4 tablespoons cayenne pepper 1.Preheat oven to 425°C (220°C). In a resealable plastic bag, toss potatoes with oil, salt and pepper. Spread evenly onto baking pan and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes, remove cover and turn potatoes. Bake for 10 additional minutes or until lightly browned. 2.For the sauce, heat oil in medium saucepan. Add flour and stir over medium heat for 30 seconds. Add milk and stir until thickened. Reduce heat to low; stir in cheese, green onions, bacon bits and pepper. Serve potato wedges with warm cheese sauce. Makes 6 servings.Prep time: 15 minutesCook time: 40 minutes