While other kids might recall their favourite food smells as baking chocolate chip cookies or roast chicken, Waikato sisters Emma Driver and Abbie Bloom joke that the pungent aroma of blue cheese and prawn paste takes them instantly back to their childhood.
This was all thanks to his father, Paul, a “foodie” who loved to experiment in the kitchen – and in other rooms of the house too.
“My dad was a photographer so we had a darkroom downstairs, but when we started making blue cheese it became the cheese room, with boxes full of mouldy cheese,” laughs Abbie, 26.
“That wasn't the only thing that filled the house with a foul stench for hours,” added her sister Emma, 36.
“My father used to make beef tongue and beef meat. [meat jelly made with the flesh of a boiled pig’s head]Or he cooked us a beautiful nasi goreng with shrimp paste and we all hid in the bedroom while it cooked.
“Even now, when we have family dinner and I look in my parents' fridge, I'll find some of my dad's weird stuff there, like a plate of pigs' trotters or a four-liter container of jalapeños.
“Unfortunately, he had a stroke a few years ago and since then his cooking skills aren't as good as they used to be.”
But the sisters admit it was their love of exotic flavours and cooking that led them to appear on the hit cooking show. MKR New Zealand.
The second and youngest of five siblings, Emma and Abbie were the ones most often found in the “rustic” family kitchen (“You needed a bit of DIY equipment to get the oven to close properly!”), the heart of their Hamilton home.
Her mother, Judith, was also a good cook, but she preferred to teach her daughters to eat meals that included “meat and three kinds of vegetables.”
“Growing up, my parents were also pretty strict about what we could watch on TV,” Abby says, “so we would watch cooking shows on repeat together.” MKR, chef and The Naked Chef With Jamie Oliver. I never dreamed we'd be in it!”
Another sister, Annie, encouraged the pair to apply for a reality TV show and Abbie was surprised when Whangamata resident Emma agreed to take part, despite her busy life. MKR with her.
“I'm a primary school teacher and mum to two boys, Alfie, seven, and Frankie, four. My husband is a police officer so juggling both has been challenging,” Emma admits.
“Once I got hired, it all became real and all of a sudden I was like, 'Wow, I actually get to cook on national TV.'”
Despite the 10-year age difference, they admit there was no competition in the kitchen, with Abby, a gas company manager, taking on the role of head chef at their instant restaurant.
“I said from the beginning that I was going to be the boss in the kitchen, despite Emma whining, 'You're not!'” she teases.
“I honestly couldn't have gone through this with anyone else. Emma and I get on really well. We've had a lot of arguments, but we've quickly gotten over them and moved on.”
Emma adds: “Being sisters you don't have to be careful with what you say – they won't take it personally. I would never be able to say something so thoughtless to my husband!”
“And I was really proud of how well Abby was doing. She led our team because I was falling into this terrible imposter syndrome, this idea that we didn't deserve to be there. But Abby was like, 'Why can't we win?'”
Both say their “amazing” two months on the show has undoubtedly strengthened their bond.
“I missed Abby so much when we finished filming,” Emma laments. “We don't live in the same city anymore so it felt really weird being apart.
“The highlight is MKR For me, being with Abby was a joy because I am much older than her and had already grown up and left home when she was still a little girl.
“So it was great to spend some condensed quality time together and get to know Abby as a grown woman, rather than just meeting her to get her nails done.”
Abby agrees: “We probably never would have this much quality time together, just the two of us, because when we do end up hanging out together, everyone else is there too. Our bond is so strong now.”
Quickfire Questions for MKR Contestants Emma and Abby
What is your signature dish?
Abby: Pork and shrimp dumplings with a delicious chilli sauce, which I think is well done and which I also cook on the show.
Why did you choose to name your instant restaurant Number Five?
Emma: Our family home for 35 years was at number 5 so what better place to recreate that? The house has been demolished but Abbie now lives in a newly built townhouse on the same site.
If you win, how will you spend the $100,000 prize money?
Abby: Becoming professional chefs or opening our own restaurant is not a dream for us.
Emma: Maybe we'll use the money to renovate our house.
Did you use any family recipes on the show?
Abby: Yes! One of the dishes we made is a fond memory from our childhood. It was a lamb and lentil curry that my dad used to make and it's one of my favorite curries we've ever made. Cooking it was very special.
MKR New Zealand airs every Tuesday and Wednesday from 7.30pm on TVNZ 2 and TVNZ+.
