Family Recipes

Chef Michael Van de Elzen visits an everyday home cook and learns about their family recipe before dining with their kin.

Michael learns how to make a beloved family pasta sauce with Ingrid and Vanessa Opera, before inviting them to his restaurant to help cook his gourmet version for their family.

Michael learns to make Hereford roast beef the 'traditional' way with Alex Holms in Waimahaka, then invites him to his restaurant for his non-traditional take on a country favourite.

Michael learns how to make Cam Vernon's favourite dish - chicken stuffed with camembert and wrapped in bacon, served on pasta with mushroom sauce.

Michael learns how to make Jon Ginnen's famous-in-Kingsland pineapple pie, and then invites Jon to his restaurant to push the boundaries.

Michael learns how to make the Lamb family traditional Hainanese chicken and rice, and then invites both mum June and daughter Liz to his restaurant to help make his modern version.

Michael learns how to make Mary's famous lamb neck casserole and then asks Mary to his restaurant for a four-course degustation menu.

Michael learns how to make Ganesh Raj's dhal with fried fish, and then throws a cocktail party at the restaurant serving canapés based on Ganesh's family dish.

Chef Michael Van de Elzen visits an everyday home cook and learns about their family recipe before dining with their kin.