Saturday Morning With Jack Tame

This is the perfect thing for a Father’s Day brekky or brunch – it’s so easy and you can adapt it for your dad’s taste buds by adding bacon, chorizo, flaked smoked fish, avocado, and the rest.   Serves 4     Ingredients  500g Agria potatoes, washed   1 medium onion, sliced thinly   2 tbsps. olive oil   2 tsp curry powder   1 tsp sea salt + decent grind black pepper   4 eggs   Cooked bacon, chorizo, smoked fish, or avocado to serve   Dad’s favourite relish or chutney to serve   Parsley or chives to garnish     Method  Preheat oven to 200 C.   Parboil washed potatoes in well-salted water. When cool enough to handle, slice thickly or crush roughly if they’re smaller potatoes. We want lots of surface area to get crispy.   Tumble potatoes into a large shallow roasting dish. Scatter over onion, then add oil and seasoning and toss to coat. Roast for 20 minutes or until crispy and cooked through.   Make some gaps in the potat

When you’re young you can’t imagine a point in your life when you’re living with physical limitations.   I mean, sure, maybe you’re not as strong as you’d like to be. Maybe you’re not quite as quick and fit as some of your mates. But for me at least, the thought of a relatively straightforward physical action being too difficult or too painful never even crossed my mind. You take health and dexterity, mobility, and general limberness for granted.    I remember Dad getting home from his football games when I was kid. He’d limp through the front door, strap ice packs to both of knees, and splay himself out on the couch, still in his grubby kit. When you’re a kid, you can see your dad’s in pain, but you never pause to wonder if that might happen to you, one day, too.     A couple of years ago I couldn’t get past a sharp pain in my left hip. I thought I’d pulled a muscle, and I went to the physio for the first time in my life. But a series of scans moved me quickly up food chain. Physio-s

Lynda La Plante is the queen of crime fiction.  She has 50 novels to her name and is the creator of hit TV shows like Prime Suspect, Widows, and Above Suspicion. Her works place compelling and determined women centre stage – Anna Travis, Jane Tennison, and Lorraine Page just a few of them.   La Plante’s latest novel introduces a new lead detective, CSI Jessica Russell, as she brings together a team of scientists and experts to deal with a complicated and brutal crime.  She joined Jack Tame to discuss the inspiration behind 'The Scene of the Crime’ and its focus on forensics.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The fourth studio album from Auckland-based band The Beths, ‘Straight Line Was A Lie’ explores some deeply personal topics within the band’s classic indie-rock sound.   Estelle Clifford joined Jack Tame to give her thoughts on the band’s introspective album.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Bobbing about on my bucket list for far too long, I’ve finally just enjoyed my first foray to heart-stealing Hamilton Island. Glamourous and gorgeous in equal measure this holiday jewel in the Whitsundays archipelago completely smashed my expectations. With an embarrassing surfeit of island vacay options in Queensland, I had assumed Hamilton Island, or Hamo as the locals call it, might just be another pleasant dime-a-dozen speck of palm-fringed sand, edging warm ocean water.   "But Hamo is so much more." Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a common belief that having a pet is good for one’s wellbeing. You often hear stories about how looking into a dog’s eyes gives you an emotional boost or that using real and fake animals in rest homes boosts residents’ moods, but it turns out it’s not a guaranteed path to better mental health – reality is more nuanced.   Some studies do find that pet owners report lower anxiety and loneliness, and greater life satisfaction. However, other studies show no significant difference, and some have even found that pet owners actually reported lower wellbeing, including higher loneliness, than non-owners.   The type of bond between owner and pet plays a crucial role.   Owners with insecure attachments (e.g. anxiety about separation or doubts about their pet’s affection) tend to report higher depression and anxiety – this likely to be worse if your pet also has insecure attachment and worries when you’re not there!   Feeling a shared identity with a pet (e.g. similar traits or habits) is li

Manhattan Down by Michael Cordy   On the anniversary eve of the 9/11 terror attack, New York swelters under a heat dome of record temperatures. Even the global leaders assembled at the UN HQ are forced to admit that the climate crisis has reached boiling point and the world's time is running out.   That same day, at precisely 5-25 p.m., everyone on Manhattan Island - every man, woman and child, including all the world leaders at the UN - falls unconscious. Everyone that is, except for Samantha Rossi, a single mother reeling from devastating personal news and Nick Lockwood, a wounded NYPD detective who wakes from a coma just as the City That Never Sleeps falls into one.   Rossi's first concern is her daughter. Lockwood's is his city. As night draws in, they must work together to unravel the mystery of what has happened and why. Each must decide how far they will go and what lines they will cross to save what matters most to them.   Manhattan Down is a pulse-pounding contemporary thriller wh

On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 30 August 2025, the grand dame of crime fiction, Lynda La Plante joins Jack to discuss how her characters fit in the modern world of publishing and her new book ‘Scene of the Crime’.  Jack weighs up the balance between transparency, trust, and the public service.  As thoughts turn towards summer, travel correspondent Mike Yardley explores Hamilton Island and the Whitsundays.  Tech expert Paul Stenhouse explains the use of AI in the US's 911 call centres.   And are pets as good for our wellbeing as we like to think? Clinical psychologist Dougal Sutherland explores life satisfaction as a pet owner.  Get the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast every Saturday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Iron deficiencies are an important but often hidden issue – the most common mineral deficiency in the world. Not having enough iron in the body can lead to a range of health problems.      Why is iron so important in the body?   It’s important for making red blood cells in our blood, which carries oxygen around the body.   If we don’t have enough iron, we don’t produce enough red blood cells – we call this anaemia.  It’s also important for the immune system and growth and development in children.       How does it affect us if we don’t have enough iron on board?   There are all sorts of symptoms that develop, the most common of which is feeling tired or fatigued.   Headaches, feeling short of breath, and interesting things like hair loss or brittle nails, racing heart, or ‘feeling the cold’.  You may just look ‘pale’.      What causes it to happen?   There are three big groups of causes:   Blood loss over time.   C

Understaffed 911 call centres are turning to AI to help   911 callers come with some of the most urgent and serious issues, most of the time. But people also, stupidly, call 911 for noise complaints, lost wallets, and more. People see 911 as the way to reach the police.    This means the operators are run off their feet dealing with all sorts of nonsense. Now there's a startup training its AI agents on 911 calls to help triage and get humans on the more important calls. It's being used in around a dozen call centres today.    But can you imagine hearing, "I'm sorry, but I didn't quite understand you... can you say it again... police? Fire? Ambulance?" How do you feel about this one?     Tech is helping make fake leather smell like real leather   The company, Uncaged, says they can create a durable, animal and climate-friendly material that feels and even smells like leather. Hyundai has partnered with the company to test it for its cars and trucks and joins Jaguar Land

Atomic   Two civilians get caught up in a cartel's uranium smuggling across North Africa. Facing a nuclear threat, they must decide whether to save themselves or stop the bomb delivery while evading agencies and traffickers (TVNZ+).    King & Conqueror    In the mid-11th century, noblemen Harold of Wessex and William of Normandy are exploited as pawns in royal plots on both side of the Channel. The coronation of King Edward in England leads to the pair's first encounter. Harold warns his father, Earl Godwin, of a rival's treachery - but he is ignored (Neon).    Hostage   When the British prime minister's husband is kidnapped and the French president starts receiving threats, both leaders must face an impossible choice (Netflix).    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Courier smiled as he deposited the two catalogues on our door-step – he knows we’re Nature Nerds, and so do the lovely folk at Kings Seeds.    We both settled in front of the fireplace, going through the Nurture/Nourish reading. I was checking all the tomato varieties and other food delicacies, while Juuls browsed all the pretty stuff in Kings Seeds line-up.   Always interesting to see how two people focus on the plant species that is close to their Heart, Art, and Stomach! I kept my Tomato wishes in the same group it's always been: Bloody Butcher and Tigerella, while sniffing around the Cherry Tomatoes in all their magnificent colours.   Last March I managed to harvest the seeds of Tomato Gardeners delight, so those are also ready to be sown, along with Black Krim and Tessaloniki and some more tomato seeds living in my shed. Now it is a matter of sorting out where they’ll go in the tunnel house.  Watermelon Sugar Baby is something I haven't grown for far too long – it's a yummy d

Caught Stealing   When his punk-rock neighbour asks him to take care of his cat for a few days, New York City bartender Hank Thompson suddenly finds himself caught in the middle of a motley crew of threatening gangsters who all want a piece of him.     The Thursday Murder Club   Four retirees spend their time solving cold case murders for fun, but their casual sleuthing takes a thrilling turn when they find themselves with a real whodunit on their hands.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is surely the quickest dinner at under 15 minutes from start to finish and you can serve it hold or cold!   Serves 2   Ingredients   160g dried soba noodles   2-3 cups good quality vegetable stock   150-200g fresh NZ salmon, 3cm cubed   2-4 stalks broccolini, halved lengthwise   ½ cup snow peas, halved lengthwise   1 teaspoon sesame oil   Black or white sesame seeds to serve   Wedges of lime or lemon to serve   Salt to season   ¼-1/2 teaspoon minced chilli to serve (optional)     Method  In a medium pot, bring well-salted water to the boil. Add soba noodles and once they’ve collapsed into the liquid and it’s come to the boil again, time it for 5 minutes, then drain and rinse well under cold water.   In the same pot you cooked the noodles in, bring the stock to a rapid simmer. Add in the cooked noodles and the remaining ingredients, except the sesame seeds. Simmer for one minute, or a little longer of you prefer your salmon

Whether it’s the government, international organisations, higher education, or the media, one of the defining dynamics of the social media age is the deteriorating trust in public institutions.  It’s extraordinary, really. At a time when humans are on the whole wealthier, healthier, and more dominant than at any other time in our species’ history, we’re more distrustful of the institutions that are supposed to serve us.  Saturday Mornings is usually a monetary policy-free zone, and I promise to mostly keep it that way for now. But it was pretty remarkable at the close of play last night to see an announcement from the Finance Minister about the Chair of the Reserve Bank. Neil Quigley had resigned, effective immediately, following further revelations about his handling of former Governor Adrian Orr’s departure. Nicola Willis confirmed to Newstalk ZB that if Quigley hadn’t offered his resignation, she’d have asked for it.  I don’t expect everyone to follow all of the Reserve Bank dramas. But the

A true New Zealand music legend, Don McGlashan has written some of our most-loved tunes.  From ‘Anchor Me’ in his time with the Mutton Birds, through to his incredible work as a solo artist and his compositions for film and television.  In 2023 McGlashan went on a very special tour around New Zealand, and off the back he’s released his first solo live album – ‘Take It To The Bridge’.  Although he’s been part of the making of a dozen or more studio albums, McGlashan confessed to Jack Tame that he was never really interested in live albums.  “It sort of surprised me, that in the middle of this tour,”  “I suddenly felt this would be great, this is really special – I should be, we should be recording everything.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"The Sunshine Coast’s sparkling reputation as a powerhouse of premium local produce continues to raise the bar. Brimming with over 900 food and drink producers, grazing from this constantly replenished larder of goodness helps underpin the region’s bragging rights as holiday heaven. I’m just back from a fresh dip with the Sunshine Coast, after indulgently noshing and sipping my way around her beachfront and hinterland hotspots." Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The third album from Icelandic singer-songwriter Laufey, ‘A Matter of Time’ represents a shift towards vulnerability and emotional expressiveness.  Her two earlier albums were heavily influenced by the ‘Great American Songbook’, filled with her now iconic blend of jazz, classical, and pop influences.  ‘A Matter of Time’ is a look inwards, Laufey’s interest in seeing how she could draw out the “most flawed parts of [herself] and look at them directly in the mirror”.   Estelle Clifford joined Jack Tame to give her thoughts on the album.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wolf Hour by Jo Nesbo    This killer has a story.  When a small-time crook is shot down in the streets of Minneapolis, all signs point to a lone wolf, a sniper who has vanished into thin air.  To tell it, he needs to get caught.  When the shooter strikes again, it’s maverick detective Bob Oz they call in to crack the case. They don’t think this victim will be the last.  And this wolf wants the world to know...  As the body count rises, Oz suspects something even more sinister is at play. And the closer he gets to the truth, the more disturbed he becomes. Because this serial killer reminds him of someone dangerous: himself.  He’s only just getting started.     The Wasp Trap by Mark Edwards   Summer 1999. Will joins five other idealistic graduates working for an eccentric psychology professor. They’re going to launch a website to change online dating forever.  No-one expects it to end in tragedy.  Twenty-five years later, Will gets an invitat

Growing your own vegetables is one way to stay sustainable in the kitchen, but it’s not the only way to keep your food habits sustainable.   It’s not just about the garden, there are simple kitchen swaps that reduce waste and packaging, and Kate Hall joined Jack Tame to run through a few of them, including:  DIY basics: making your own yoghurt, bread, or soda water (less packaging, fewer additives).   Preserving and fermenting (e.g. sauerkraut, kombucha) is cheap, healthy, and reduces food waste.   Planning meals to avoid throwing out food. Focus on the “use what you have” mindset.   Buying in bulk and refilling pantry staples.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.