NATASHA MACALLER spent 30 years as a professional ballerina performing with New York’s prestigious Joffrey Ballet and Boston Ballet, finishing her exhilarating career in the Broadway and Los Angeles productions of The Phantom of The Opera. Turning her artistic spirit to the kitchen, she now channels the same passion, diligence and precision that made her a successful dancer into her love of creative cooking. She divides her time between Los Angeles, London and New Zealand, where she teaches cookery courses and writes. She’s also a highly sought-after restaurant consultant.

Spice Health Heroes, her second cookbook, blossomed from her passion for the distinctive, varied spices she cooks with while travelling and consulting. Her first book, Vanilla Table (Jacqui Small, UK), was published in 2015. Some 33 widely applauded international chefs contributed recipes. The book attracted great acclaim, resulting in television appearances and dazzling reviews in blogs, newspapers and magazines. dancingchef.net / Instagram: @dancingchefnatasha

MANJA WACHSMUTH is a Danish photographer who, while currently residing in New Zealand, comes out of the Scandinavian photographic tradition. Specialising in food photography, she has her own boutique photographic studio and works with some of New Zealand’s favourite magazines and chefs, as well as with clients in Denmark, UK and Australia.