Expert

This is a great summertime starter or light lunch. If whitebait is out of season and you can’t find any frozen, you could easily substitute it with your favourite seafood, e.g. prawns, crayfish or mussels.

Schiacciata is a Tuscan-style flatbread traditionally made with flour, yeast, salt and water – I’ve added a little rosemary for variety. It’s baked in the oven then brushed with olive oil once it comes out. Use wild mushrooms if available but otherwise substitute whatever mushrooms you have access to. Lardo is a salami that has been made since the time of the Ancient Romans from cured fat, rosemary and spices. Use fresh broad beans in season; at other times, use frozen ones, which are just as good.

Without doubt this layer cake is a festive showstopper. Recipe by Fiona Hugues. Photo by Jani Shepherd/Gatherum Collectif.

These mini gingerbread houses are a kid friendly project that will get everyone into the Christmas spirit.

It’s no secret I love cooking any kind of meat over an open fire. An Asado Grill is a great piece of kit and loads of fun to experiment with. Marinated, smokey, tender lamb served up family style with your choice of condiments - we’ve used Dahl for this dish but you could replace with Baba Ghanoush or similar for a Middle Eastern spin. - Al Brown

I’ve always been a big fan of eating octopus and tend to order it whenever I see it on a menu. We’ve been playing around with this dish for a while and the result looks a picture, and more to the point - eats like a dream! While we’ve given you the steps to tackle the octopus prep, it can be a bit daunting so you can always ask your fishmonger to do this part for you. - Al Brown

This gift takes a few months (so start now for the following Christmas), but the magic and shared wonder is well worth the wait. Photography by Jani Shepherd/Gatherum Collectif.

This icy cold limoncello keeps guests guessing as to how the lemon got inside the bottle. The secret is patience. Photography by Jani Shepherd/Gatherum Collectif.

Waiheke vineyard and restaurant Poderi Crisci's venison recipe is a colour and taste explosion. Photography by Todd Eyre.

Luca Villari teams up with chef Antonio Crisci at his picturesque Waiheke vineyard and restaurant Poderi Crisci for this sublime Italian dessert. Photography by Todd Eyre.