New Zealand’s ‘aproned healthy food
crusader’ is back with Fast, his fourth cookbook that’s jam-packed with
delicious, quick-to- prepare dishes to share with friends and family.
And before you even open it you can tell that this book is a goodie! Stunning cover and wonderful, mouth-watering full colour photography throughout.
Since becoming a father Michael Van de
Elzen became much more aware of what food was being consumed by New Zealanders
and for the past five years he’s made it his mission to get Kiwis eating
wholesome, fresh, healthy and tasty food.
‘The more I look at the average diet,
the more I realise how much, as a nation, we choose the easier option of
purchasing highly processed foods,’ says
Mike. ‘Being out and about around New Zealand, speaking and cooking at
schools and community events, I see that junk food is no longer a treat but
rather a regular part of school lunches, dinners and even breakfasts.’
Beautifully photographed (no exaggeration) by Babiche
Martens, the book was shot in Mike’s Mt Albert home and it’s full of lovely
snaps of Mike’s gorgeous family. Mike’s daughters Hazel and Ivy were also
around for recipe testing so you can be confident they are child-friendly. As
Mike explains, ‘I love cooking food for kids and putting a twist on all of the
old favourites. My girls are as blunt as the harshest food critic about everything
I cook. I get a real kick out of producing these quick dishes from scratch and
watching the girls enjoy the homemade version. Making cooking fun and
interactive for kids, and having all of the family involved is how home cooking
should be.’
Covering everything from Italian and
Indian meals to roasts, brunches, tempting cocktails and meals influenced by
Mike’s Dutch heritage; there are also recipes for homemade ice blocks, mix and
match salads, juices and a whole section on kid’s meals. There are also plenty
of great tips and tricks and a list of Mike’s pantry favourites and where you
can source them.
The book is designed as combinations of
whole meals — often with a main and side dishes and a dessert, plus drinks— but
you are encouraged to create your own combinations. ‘You can make all of them
or just pick and mix,’ suggests Mike.
About the author:
Award winning restaurateur Michael Van de
Elzen is one of New Zealand’s most loved and known celebrity chefs. After a
period working as a chef in the United Kingdom, New Zealand-born Van de Elzen
returned to New Zealand in the late 1990s, and in 2003 opened the award-winning
restaurant Molten, in Auckland’s Mount Eden, with his wife Belinda. Molten has
won both the Metro and the Cuisine Restaurant of the Year awards.
He subsequently sold the restaurant, and in addition to writing cookbooks and starring in TVNZ’s highly rating television shows The Food Truck and Family Recipes, Mike worked on several culinary projects both in New Zealand and Australia.
His first book, The Molten Cookbook,
won Gourmand’s 2011 Best First Cookbook award, and was described by The
Press’s award-winning food writer Kate Fraser as ‘a chef’s cookbook’.
Mike lives in Auckland his wife Belinda and
their two young daughters, Hazel and Ivy.
Random House NZ
August 2014
RRP $49.99
And finally the back cover:
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