It's a beautiful spring day when the Weekly sits down with Michael Van de Elzen at his Good From Scratch cooking school on his six-hectare farm in Muriwai, West Auckland. The conversation is accompanied by cows mooing and the melodious chatter of birdsong. Mike points out the twin lambs in the adjoining paddock that were born an hour ago. Seven-year-old German short-haired pointer Hector is also keen to be involved, happily trotting between Mike's house and the neighbouring school to ensure he's not being forgotten.
It's an idyllic setting, and one that Mike and his wife Bee actually did build from scratch and a project that inspired the name of both the school and his latest book, Good From Scratch.
But unlike the book's recipes, which are simple and delicious, Mike's life has been far from easy lately. Cyclone Gabrielle last February devastated huge swathes of Muriwai, taking with it houses, cars, businesses and lives.
"The cyclone was shocking," says Mike, 50. "It was pretty scary. We had a lot of trees uprooted and the house shook, but we had no idea the hills were coming down just a short distance away."
When police shut the area, Mike got cooking. "We started taking in food and cooking it. The local Fresh Choice gave us loads, as did Woop - they sent us meals for six weeks for people to collect. Bee distributed food to the locals, volunteers, police, firefighters - anyone who needed it and I just cooked. A lot."
Denne historien er fra september 11, 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Woman's Weekly.
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Denne historien er fra september 11, 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Woman's Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Sweet SUCCESS
Delicious twists on traditional favourites
Calzone CRAVING
Anything you can put on top of a pizza can go inside these air fryer Italian turnovers
Kai & kindness - ‘OUR RECIPE FOR A GOOD LIFE'
The foodie and her brother have dished up a cookbook full of comfort
Kia Ora Dame! 'I HAD A BIGGER PURPOSE'
It could have taken a toll on her, but Naida's phone greeting started a legacy
Dame Hinewehi's healing haka - 'IT'S GOING TO CHANGE LIVES'
Beating a world record is personal for the music therapy founder
Unbreakable Mamie - 'I'M READY TO FAMOUS!' BE
The TV star and model is excited about what the future holds
Below Deck detective - CAPTAIN LEE'S SEA CHANGE
The superyacht hero's family tragedy has led him to navigate scary waters
Swings & roundabouts - OWEN'S BIG KID PROJECT
Playtime's a whole lot more fun thanks to the radio host
Haunted by tragedy - KATE'S SHOCK LOSS
The star is still dealing with the death of her dad when she was aged four
Top-secret royal plan - BRINGING HARRY HOME
Disillusioned with life in the US, the prince is reaching out to friends in the UK