Turn the lowly potato into something extraordinary. For a tasty snack, serve the wedges with your favorite vegetable dip. Or, mound them on plates as an accompaniment for grilled chicken.

Preheat the oven to 400° F.

Halve each potato horizontally, then cut each half into 8 wedges. Pour the oil into a medium bowl; add the potatoes and toss. Add the curry powder and toss again until each wedge is evenly coated.

Arrange the potatoes in a single layer on a jelly roll pan. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once, or until the wedges are golden brown on all sides and tender when tested with a fork.

Use a slotted spatula to transfer the wedges to a serving dish and sprinkle with salt to taste. Serve hot.

Variation

Substitute yams for the Russet potatoes; reduce total roasting time to 20 to 25 minutes, or until the wedges are fork-tender.

Paulette Mitchell, a culinary instructor, television personality, spokesperson, freelance food writer, and the award-winning author of 13 cookbooks, is known internationally for her quick-to-prepare recipes with gourmet flair. Paulette's most recently published cookbook is "The Complete 15-Minute Gourmet: Creative Cuisine Made Fast and Fresh." She is also the author of "A Beautiful Bowl of Soup" and "The Spirited Vegetarian," which was voted "Best Book in the World on Cooking with Wine" at the 2005 Gourmand World Media Awards. Paulette says that international travel is her favorite source of culinary inspiration.