Tomorrow is Australia Day. And there will be countless barbies smokin' away around the country. I hope there will not be too many burnt snags - and blessedly, people seem to have a better understanding of cooking a barbecue.

You will find prawns and other seafood, onions and mushrooms, well-marinated steaks, and gourmet sausages these days on barbecues. This little trick (seems more like a trick than a recipe to me) is a great starter for your barbie. As guests arrive, they are greeted with the surprising, yet pleasantly sweet aroma of cinammon - and then they know they are in for a special treat.

Ingredients
(4-8 portions)

Method

Slice the kumara into discs about .5cm wide. I leave the skin on... but for the faint of heart, you could peel the vegetable.

Mix the cinnamon, salt and pepper into the oil. Then toss the kumara through the oil to coat evenly.

Place the kumara on a hot BBQ as the first item, before guests arrive. The aroma of the cinnamon will start the barbecue off on a great start, and people will love the novelty.

Kumara can be prepared a day in advance and kept in the fridge.

Of course, any barbie can start this way - not just an Australia Day one.