The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Newstalk ZB

Return to Blood by Michael Bennett: sequel to Better the Blood from a couple of years ago, featuring Hana Westerman who in the first book was a detective in Auckland, but she’s moved now to a small town looking for a fresh start. A skeleton is found in the sand dunes near her house – the bones of a young Maori woman who’s been missing for five years, and Hana has a connection to the case. Twenty years ago, a friend of hers was found buried in the exact same spot but the man who did that is in prison. She goes looking for answers – initially through her former husband who is himself a Detective Inspector – but when she’s cut out of the investigation she realises she will have to go it alone. Great local resonance – the landscape and the language, and Hana is a terrific character.

The Everything War by Dana Mattioli. This is the story of Amazon – how it’s become a household name, beloved by consumers around the world who’ve benefited from the company’s focus on Customer Obsession. Behind the scenes though, this benign mantra masks a relentless attack on anyone and anything which stands in their way, using their size, leverage and access to data across many industries to choke competition. It’s a fascinating - and alarming - account of a company which has never paid its fair share, while sometimes using ethically questionable and even illegal tactics to bulldoze their way to global supremacy.

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Tourists may think twice before visiting Venice, with a new entrance fee set to be put in place.

The tax will be levied on tourists who come to the Italian city for just a day.

BloggerAtLarge writer Megan Singleton says this move has been met with scepticism from residents and critics alike.

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This week on The Sunday Panel, Front Page host Chelsea Daniels and producer and commentator Irene Gardiner joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the week - and more!

Is health the best area to be making cuts in? Is there a difference between making cuts, and making cuts to bring an organisation back to budget? Are we concerned that this will have an impact on hospital care for patients?

New research shows more people than ever are retiring at 67, up from 61 two decades ago. Does this mean we need to raise the superannuation age?  

The Wiggles have released dance remixes of their greatest hits- do we see this catching on?

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There's a lot of hype around 'free-from' diets - but will they do people more harm than good?

There's been an uptick in people avoiding certain ingredients for dietary reasons, including gluten, dairy, eggs, and soy.

Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara unpacks this trend - and examines the drawbacks.

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The New Zealand International Comedy Festival begins this week - and one Kiwi comic is set to make a return to the stage.

Actress, writer and Billy T nominee Alice Snedden has been making waves overseas, having written and directed international hit series Starstruck with Rose Matafeo.

She says it's been difficult returning to the world of stand-up after four and a half years.

"You have an expectation of how good you'll be at it - and then you have to measure up against the reality. It's like if I hadn't exercised for four and a half years and then I'm like - now I'll go run a marathon."

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Chorizo paella with green chili and coriander:

Cook time: 45 minutes

Prep time: 5 minutes

Serves: 6

2 tbsp sunflower oil

1 white onion, peeled and diced

3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

2 chorizo sausage, sliced

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 cup red wine

1 1/2 cups long grain rice

3 cups vegetable stock

2 tsp tomato puree

1/2 tsp salt good crack of pepper

12 cooked prawns

1 green chili (cayenne or similar)

1/2 cup fresh coriander

1 lemon, cut into 6

Start by pre-heat your oven to 180*c

Place a deep EngelElzen pan or deep cast iron pan onto a element and start by sautéing the onion and garlic in the sunflower oil until soft. Add in the chorizo and continue to sauté. Once the chorizo starts to colour up slightly, add the rice.

Reduce the heat and sauté the rice for a couple of minutes before you add in the red wine. Reduce the wine fully before adding in the vegetable stock, tomato puree and season with salt and pepper.

Place a skillet pan or lid onto the pan and fire it into the oven for 35 minutes.

After this time, remove and check the rice is just cooked through. If it is, scatter over the prawn and place back into the oven without a lid for a further 10 minutes.

After this time, remove and top with sliced green chili, coriander and lemon wedges.

Serve.

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