Scratching The Surface Mike's Mission For Kiwi Kids

The Kiwi Chef Has The PerfectRecipe For Happy, HealthyYoungsters.

- Wendyl Nissen

When it comes to healthy eating, chef Michael Van de Elzen has always been out there front and centre with recipes to inspire us. But now he’s gone one step further by aiming a little lower – at our children.

He’s touring the country visiting 50 schools over the next six weeks to show families how to get their kids in the kitchen using recipes from his new book Good From Scratch: Kids Cookbook.

“One thing people need to realise about having kids in the kitchen is a) it’s going to take a lot of time and b) there’s going to be a lot of mess,” says Mike, speaking from his experience with daughters Hazel (7) and Ivy (5).

“I see how excited the girls get when they’re in the kitchen up on the chairs. They see how food is prepared and what they’re eating.”

Mike says that back when he was on TV with The Food Truck, he noticed that kids in particular loved the quirkiness of the show and would come up to him asking for recipes.

“So it seemed like a good idea to do a book for them,” he says. “I’m also really concerned about child obesity in this country. Let’s do something about that.”

The cookbook is designed with colourful illustrations and easy-to-follow instructions for dishes including cucumber sushi rolls, and spiced sweetcorn and chickpea fritters.