First, prepare the custard discs, also known as Pyatts, as explained below under Kiwi Pavlova.
1. Prepare all ingredients on the counter.
2. Preheat the oven at 150ºC (300ºF).
3. Prepare a baking tray (round or rectangular is fine, as long as it's large enough for a dinner plate sized circle). Place baking paper or foil on the tray to prevent the mixture from sticking. Since this dessert is quite prone to sticking, if you are using foil, lightly spray some oil on it. The baking paper alone should usually suffice without spray.
4. Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Keep the yolks for a different recipe, or make an omelette later.
5. Beat the egg whites with a food mixer on high speed (about 5 minutes), or beat with an egg whisk, until stiff peaks form. If using the salt (optional), add it at this step.
6. Gradually add the sugar, vinegar, vanilla and hot water. Use light mixing strokes to mix in these ingredients, so as not to overbeat the mixture (this could make it chewy).
7. When the mixture has visibly soft, white peaks, spoon it onto the baking tray. Pavlovas should be round with a little hollow that takes the cream and topping, so it helps to imagine that you're making a nest shape. It should be approximately dinner plate roundness in size.
8. Smooth out the circle and then create a small indented hollow in the centre, with slightly raised edges (think 'nest'). If your shape is on the wonky side of circular, don't worry too much about how accurate the circular shape is - creative misshapes are permissible as long as the topping stays put.
9. Pop into the centre of the oven. Cook for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes (60 - 70 minutes) or until crisp. Don't let it over-brown; it should be an off-white colour on the outside (see Warnings for recovery tip).
10. Prepare the toppings while you wait; whip the cream so that it forms soft peaks, slice your strawberries and kiwis or other topping.
Besides raspberries, feel free to use mixed fruits, such as kiwi, raspberry, blueberry and be creative!

11. Remove pavlova from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
12. Once the pavlova has cooled to room temperature, place it on the serving plate and prepare to add the toppings. There's a tradition to turn the pavlova over and decorate the base because it is said that this side is less crisp. Sometimes this reason is actually a nifty cover-up trick for little cooking mistakes like over-browning the top and the easy answer is - to turn it upside down... It's a personal choice. The pavlova centre will quickly lose its initial crispness anyway because of the whipped cream and topping.
13. Add the whipped cream. If you're patient, spread it out to the edges evenly; if you're impatient, just dollop it on.
14. Add the fruit topping or other topping ideas (see Tips below). Another popular tradition is to drizzle freshly opened passionfruit over the top of the pavlova, just by itself on the cream or over both the cream and fruit topping.
15. Serve. The beauty of a pavlova is in the eye of the creator. Everyone else just wants to eat it. Don't be surprised how quickly your creation disappears.

Meringues:
4 large egg whites at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Raspberry Sauce:
2 cups fresh raspberries
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

Sugared Pistachios:
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup unsalted, shelled pistachio nuts
2 tablespoons sugar

Whipped Cream:
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons sugar

5 ripe kiwis, peeled and sliced

Put a rack in the oven and preheato 350 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Place the egg whites in a bowl and beat on high speed until the whites form soft peaks. Gradually add sugar and beat until the mixture is thick, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the cornstarch and vanilla and beat another minute on medium speed.

Divide the meringue into 6 puffy rounds on the prepared baking sheet, spacing so they do not touch. Make a shallow well in the center of each meringue with a small ladle or soup spoon. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and reduce the heat to 250 F. Bake until the meringues dry on the exterior but remain soft in the center, 40 to 50 minutes. Place the baking sheet on a wire rack and allow meringues to cool completely.

To make the raspberry sauce, combine the berries, lemon juice and sugar in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Pass the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve and strain into a bowl, discarding seeds. Taste and adjust to your liking with more sugar or lemon juice. Store the raspberry sauce in a covered container in the refrigerator for two days or freeze for 2 months.

Sugared Pistachios: Melt the butter in a large non-stick skillet. Add the pistachios and cook over medium heat until the nuts are hot and begin to turn golden brown, about 5 minutes. Raise the heat to medium high and sprinkle the nuts with the sugar. Stir until the sugar melts and the nuts appear shiny, 5 to 10 minutes. Watch carefully because the nuts can burn very quickly during this step. Spread the nuts on a piece of aluminum foil and let them cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Place the cream in a cold bowl and whip until thick. Add the vanilla and sugar and continue beating until the cream is stiff.

To serve, place a meringue shell on each plate. Spoon a dollop of whipped cream in the indentation and top with some kiwi slices. Sprinkle with candied pistachios and drizzle the raspberry sauce around the base of the each shell. Serve immediately.