Let’s Cook Messy in Morocco!
Traveling chef Ryan Smolar brings Moroccan flavors to Sonoma
Sonoma, California. Sonoma Community Center welcomes traveling chef Ryan Smolar for a special culinary event on Friday, November 13. “Let’s Cook Messy in Morocco” offers a hands-on evening of photos, travel stories, and a shared Moroccan meal prepared together. The class is open to all skill levels, and whether you eat meat or keep it plant-based, there’s a seat for everyone at this table.
Smolar considers himself an eco-civic connector, a “weaver of people, place, and possibility.” He founded Let’s Cook Messy after traveling the world and cooking with abuelas in caves, Berbers in casbahs, and nonnas in hillside villas. As a native Californian, he enjoys bringing those culinary adventures home to friends and food lovers.
“I create food experiences and cultural programming that connect people to their terroir, their neighbors, and the traditions that make a place worth living in,” said Smolar. “My philosophy is to teach people to cook the way locals actually eat, from the season and the place, without a recipe telling them what to do.”
The evening will begin with “Tea from a Height,” Moroccan mint green tea poured from at least 12 inches above the cup, aerating the liquid and creating a frothy foam crown. This action is an expression of welcome and respect to guests. During this time, Smolar will share photos and stories from his travels to Morocco.
Guests will then prepare the meal: a tagine filled with fall flavors, exploring sweet, sour, salty, and fragrant spices in a sauce over either chicken or vegetables. The group will also make roasted carrots with chermoula, a relish made of herbs, garlic, cumin, lemon, and olive oil, and shlada, a traditional Moroccan tomato salad.
Dessert is almond ghriba, Moroccan almond cookies that are crackly on the outside and chewy inside. Guests can also choose pears poached with cinnamon, orange peel, and cardamom, a vegan and gluten-free alternative. These will be enjoyed with one last pour of mint tea.
“Something so incredible about the chefs in our culinary department is their dedication to using local fresh ingredients in their menus,” said Cat Smith, Director of Marketing for the Center. “Ryan is using all locally sourced produce from the Farmers Market, while bringing a few well-traveled spices and treasures from his journeys.”
Sonoma Community Center’s culinary programming is led by Gerardo Diaz, known around the Center as “Chef G.” He brings the flavors he grew up with in Mazatlán to his classes. Other regular culinary instructors include professional pastry chef Leila Clement, who teaches beginner-friendly baking classes; Erin Shallat, who brings over two decades of nutrition experience to her seasonal, health-conscious cooking series; and Maria Teresa Capdevielle, a chef from Abruzzo, Italy, who shares her Italian flair from pastas to pies.
Let’s Cook Messy in Morocco takes place on Friday, November 13, from 5:30-8:30 p.m. in the Rotary Kitchen at Sonoma Community Center, 276 East Napa Street. Registration is $125. SCC silver members and above receive 10% off registration. Financial aid is available. To reserve your space, visit SonomaCommunityCenter.org or call the Center at 707-938-4626.
About Sonoma Community Center
The Sonoma Community Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1953 to serve the communities of Sonoma Valley with the mission of cultivating a vibrant community through extraordinary creative, cultural, and learning experiences. Originally built as the Sonoma Grammar School, which opened in 1916, the Center is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Community – Innovation – Creativity – Inclusion – Leadership
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Media Contact:
Cat Smith
Director of Marketing, Sonoma Community Center
[email protected]
707-931-4166
SonomaCommunityCenter.org
