Somoma Spice Super Seeded Wafers
A little something seeded for everyone, scented with my Somoma Spice blend from Spice Health Heroes. These crisp wafers are GF/DF/SF/NF/vegan, so simple to make, packed with flavor and just right for snacking. Mix it up with different seeds and spice blends to suit your super seed cravings.
In case you noticed, no that is not a typo. The title “Somoma” was implanted for all time during our 4-week summer camping holiday when I was 7. As our family of 5 leisurely rolled north up Pacific Coast Hwy from LA in our classic VW Van, we turned east at San Francisco to our final destination: the wine country of Napa, Calistoga and Sonoma.
I still remember gazing at the miles of perfectly aligned row-upon-row of grapevines in the Napa Valley, us kids singing silly songs and reenacting those now well-worn “I spy in my little eye…” car games.
However, the most vivid memory (and still gets me to this day) was hearing the gleeful raucous teasing of my younger siblings when they realized that I just could not say Sonoma.
With my newly discovered ballet perfectionist tendencies, it drove me absolutely nuts.
My siblings LOVED it.
All I could come out with was So-MO-Ma, So-MO-Ma!!!!!
It stuck..
So my Napa inspired Somoma Spice Mix it became.
(To this day, I take a microsecond to make sure I’m saying it right…SoNOma….SoNOma…)
Recipe:
115 grams/ ¾ cup sunflower seeds
115 grams/ ¾ cup pumpkin seeds
80 grams/ ½ cup chia seeds
65 grams/ ½ cup white sesame seeds
25 grams/ ¼ cup poppy seed
20 grams/ ¼ cup ground flaxseeds
5 grams/1 heaped teaspoon salt flakes
2 tsp. Somoma Spice Blend
1 tsp. chipotle chili flakes (or Aleppo flakes for a milder heat)
1 tsp. cumin seeds (optional)
350ml/1 ½ cups12 fl oz. water
In a medium large bowl, mix all ingredients together. Add water and stir until well combined. Let sit for an hour, stirring every 20 minutes until water is absorbed.
Heat oven to 300F/150C fan.
Line 2 standard sized baking trays with non-stick parchment (baking paper) or silicone liners. If you don’t have non-stick parchment, spray or brush a thin layer of oil onto parchment.
Using a flat spatula or spreader, smooth half of the seed mix thinly pressing to about 1/8 inch/ 2cm thick covering one lined tray and repeat with the second tray. Spread out until the layer is thin but without any holes. Square up the sides with a spatula to create clean edges.
Place in oven and bake for about an hour, turning occasionally until lightly browned, firm and crisp. Remove from oven and leave on trays to cool to room temperature. You should be able to lift the entire layer without breaking it.
Break into shards or cracker-sized pieces and store tightly sealed in your pantry or in your favourite lidded biscuit jar!
Tasha’s Somoma Spice Mix
2Tbsp dried basil, crumbled
2 Tbsp dried marjoram, crumbled
2 Tbsp dried oregano, crumbled
1 Tbsp dried thyme leaves
1 Tbsp dried bay leaves crumbled*
4 ½ tsp dried rosemary needles, ground
2 tsp dried red pepper flakes
2 tsp dried fennel seeds toasted and ground
1 ½ tsp dried mint, crumbled
1 ½ tsp garlic powder
1 ½ tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried lemon zest
Combine all spices together mixing thoroughly. Store room temperature in a airtight container in a dark cupboard.
*make sure bay leaves are finely crumbled or ground as the edges can be quite sharp. I suggest grinding them in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle and well sifted.
Chef Natasha MacAller
June 16, 2019
Generosity is the Main Dish at Five Star Sensation
A throwback to 2017 – I will be joining the event once again on June 15, 2019. The landmark culinary event - The Five Star Sensation, has raised nearly $20 million to support patient care, research and supportive programs and services at University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center. For more details visit University Hospitals Five Star Sensation.
–Photos and story by Lisa Sands
We couldn’t resist a chance to share the generosity and genius of our Cleveland chef community on display last night at University Hospitals Five Star Sensation. The epic food-focused fundraiser has been going on since 1987. Wolfgang Puck served as Host Chef for 25 years, handing over the reigns to native son “Iron Chef” Michael Symon prior to the 2015 event. (He’s pictured here with his very proud mom.)
Since its inception, the biennial event has raised more than $18 million for Seidman Cancer Center. This year’s Five Star Sensation gala gathered more than 80 chefs and vintners from around the country for an evening unsurpassed in culinary variety.
Chefs from as far away as Seattle and Hawaii joined Symon for a culinary collaboration like none other. Under a massive tent on the Tri-C East campus, guests grazed on food from notable chefs including Marc Forgione of American Cut (New York), Hubert Keller of Fleur (Las Vegas) and Perry Hendrix of Avec (Chicago).
The event was a chance for local chefs to shine was well. More than 2,000 people who attended the event saw a special kind of “Cleveland hustle.” We are never surprised to see the outpouring of generosity of our chef community at food-centric fundraising events. Working alongside the chefs were numerous restaurant staff and volunteers serving tasty bites at a rapid-fire pace and also plating it beautifully. It was nice to see the Tri-C Hospitality team participate, as their accessible and affordable programs are integral to the future of Cleveland’s culinary dominance.
Dishes from some of the local chefs included beef jerky bucatini carbonara with a minted pea tartare from The Greenhouse Tavern, coffee and ancho rubbed brisket from Momocho, pink peppercorn biscuits with goat cheese and strawberry jam from Fire, a yuzu curd and cucumber bloom from The Chef’s Garden/Culinary Vegetable Institute, and an array of BBQ favorites from Mabel’s BBQ.
Dishes from visiting chefs included a Hawaiian poke dish from Sam Choy’s Poke to the Max, roasted beets with whipped feta and rose harissa by Avec, and grilled octopus over hearts of palm with tomatoes and microgreens from Fleur.
More than a dozen decadent and playful desserts from renowned pastry chefs capped off the night. Spencer Budros of Pistacia Vera in Columbus plated a stunning dark chocolate cake and mint green macaron, and Natasha MacAller’s lime and strawberry tart was delicious alongside an “Eros God of Love” cocktail crafted by Anna Harouvis.
We want to be sure we recognize the talent and generosity of all of the participating Cleveland chefs: Summer Genetti and Derek Clayton (Michael Symon Restaurants), Douglas Katz (Fire), Karen Small (Flying Fig), Jonathan Sawyer (The Greenhouse Tavern), Matt Mytro and Paul Minnillo (Flour), Vishwatej Nath (Urban Farmer), Rocco Whalen (Fahrenheit), Eric Williams (Momocho), Anna Harouvis (Anna in the Raw), Thomas Capretta and Michelle Gaw (Tri-C Culinary Institute), Britt-Marie Culey (Coquette Patisserie), Jamie Simpson (Culinary Vegetable Institute), Steve Alexander and Adam Lizak (Cleveland Browns), Anthony Verona and John Selick (Sodexo).
Mitchell’s Ice Cream, The Cheese Shop at the West Side Market and Certified Angus Beef also contributed items to the affair. It was great to see Rust Belt Riders was on hand to compost food waste, and the event organizers did their best to minimize waste, using glassware and metal utensils instead of plastic. Stone Soup made sure any uneaten food was distributed to people in the community who are in need of it.
The grand scale of this event is possible in a city with a food and chef community as generous and openly collaborative as we have here in Cleveland. Make your plans to attend University Hospitals Five Star Sensation in 2019!
NZ House & Garden Magazine
Manja Wachsmuth and I have been pondering ideas to work on a project together since Spice Health Heroes, so Manja offered ideas to food editor Sally Butters who enthusiastically gave the thumbs up for a feature food story in the July issue of NZ House & Garden Magazine's "Special Eco" Issue - "Feed the Soul".
This was a wonderful collaboration with Manja and Lianne Whorwood. Thank you Sally for the opportunity!
Recipes Natasha MacAller
Photography by Manja Wachsmuth
Food Styling Natasha MacAller and Manja Wachsmuth
Styling Lianne Whorwood
Prepping for the photo shoot.
Chicken, Kumara, Corn & Cauli Bake ready to be photographed.
PLEASE CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO VIEW THE ARTICLE WITH RECIPES.
Valentine's Day
Why not celebrate Valentine's early and go this weekend Feb 9, 10 or 11 with a classic movie and a meal? Come visit Old Town Music Hall in classic El Segundo for a special screening of Casablanca - then stroll hand in hand 2 blocks to Sausal and enjoy "nuevo rancho cuisine' and save room for a divine dessert. There will also be a special menu for Valentine's Day.
Read more details about Date Night in El Segundo: The Argonaut
Sausal’s Angry Mussels are steeped in a chili cream broth
Sausal’s taco platter offers an unexpected variety of flavors
Happy 2018!
Have a peek at my cooking collaboration and interview with Dr Allen Arnette plus a few recipes (download) from Spice Health Heroes available for free to inspire to add a little spice to your life! With help from 21 international contributing chefs and 8 medical doctors, learn a little more about how these 30 spice heroes not only make food taste better but can help our bodies and brains rebalance! Just released in Germany, Italy and now Spain and Peru, now available in 9 countries!
You can pick up a special priced signed copy of Spice Health Heroes at Parkview Health and Wellness Center … and I will personalize it for you!
If you choose to order on Amazon.com, would really appreciate a review!
Thank you!
Warm wishes and Happy New Year!
with love and laughter,
Natasha X
25 Years Ago Backstage at the Ahmanson
April 29, 1992, hours after the Rodney King acquittal verdict was read out, the cast and crew readied ourselves for our 8 p.m. performance of Phantom of the Opera at the Music Center’s Ahmanson Theatre in downtown LA.
Quick Hannibal pose in the “Wigwam” with Christopher Aponte, former ABT dancer.
Curtain up, the chandelier rose and the sold out performance went as planned through the spectacular opening number of Act II: “Masquerade”, just after 9 p.m. After the full cast costume change, one of the singers and a few dressers went outside for some fresh air and could smell smoke-a lot of smoke wafting from a bit further east: we were soon to learn that The Parker Center Police Headquarters, a few blocks away, was ablaze as rioters attacked and firebombed it and other buildings in downtown Los Angeles.
This of course was 1992, before mobile phone access to instant news, so the audience had no idea what was developing-but we certainly did. Backstage became a hub of controlled nerves as the stage managers desperately tried to get any vital updates while we continued our show.
Sliding on the pointe shoes in the quick change corner backstage right for warm up.
By 10:37 p.m. at curtain call, from what I can remember, stage manager Barbara Mae Phillips came onstage and spoke to the audience in a calm voice explaining that while they were enjoying the performance, that due to the escalating violence in Los Angeles, the governor had declared a state of emergency and most of the freeway ramps were closed, including the Santa Monica Freeway (Interstate 10) and Harbor Freeway (Interstate 110). The only safe and remaining freeway out of downtown was the Ventura Freeway north (US Route 101). She insisted, “lock your car doors, don’t stop for anyone and get home safe”.
Cast, crew and audience escaped downtown and the theatre was dark for several days. When the curfew lifted and we slowly returned to a sense of normalcy, we were reminded of what had just happened to our City of Angels as teams of National Guard units patrolled backstage halls and front of house of our theatre home; The Ahmanson.
Under the exit sign backstage after the show with National Guards-on our return to the theatre.
The Times Weekend Review in London
SIX SPICY LUNCHS FOR THE WEEKEND – chosen from my new cookbook SPICE HEALTH HEROES , featuring two recipes from Chef Peter Gordon & Chef François Kwaku-Dongo.
Click HERE to download the article!
Seven Spices for Health
Join in a workshop Dr. Eleni Tsiompanou, one of the eight medical doctors featured and wrote the foreword in my new cookbook Spice Health Heroes, is offering on November 12th. Learn how to use spices in your everyday life to make so-so dishes sing with flavor while supporting your health and wellbeing.
To get all the details on this event go to Health Being.
