Bios

Nancy Silverton
Nancy Silverton began her delicious career in a vegetarian kitchen in Sonoma, CA. It was in this kitchen that Silverton discovered her passion for cooking and enrolled in Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in London, England to pursue an "official" culinary education. After graduating with a solid foundation in culinary arts, Silverton became the assistant pastry chef at Michael's Restaurant in Santa Monica and here decided to follow her fervor for pastry and attended the Ecola Le Notre Culinary Institute in Paris, France to hone her skills. In 1982 Silverton returned to the states by invitation of Wolfgang Puck to be the head pastry chef at his world renowned Beverly Hills restaurant, Spago.

Living again in the US, Silverton longed for a bread with a crisp crust and a soft, airy interior, with the tang of an all-natural starter as she had tasted in Europe, and began teaching herself the ancient art of sourdough bread baking. On January 1, 1989 La Brea Bakery was born. Silverton has developed hundreds of recipes from her original sourdough, wheat and rye starters. Today, La Brea Bakery's freshly baked breads are available in 7 different countries, and maintain the same signature taste, texture and quality that was born in a 1,500 sq. ft. kitchen on S. La Brea Avenue over 15 years ago.

For her contribution to culinary culture, Silverton was awarded the James Beard Foundation's Pastry Chef of the Year award in 1990.

Silverton is still busy creating in the kitchen. Her seventh cookbook, "Twist of the Wrist", is due for a Spring 2007 release. In November of 2006, Silverton opened Mozza, with partners Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich, a two-part restaurant including a pizzeria and an osteria centered around a mozzarella bar where Silverton will make her infamous mozzarella creations and serve them to seated guests. This is Silverton's first restaurant opening since leaving Campanile, the restaurant she opened with partners Mark Peel and Manfred Krankl in 1989.

Silverton is also actively involved in the Garden School Project in Los Angeles and the Meals-on-Wheels program in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles. Through these programs, Silverton is dedicated to sharing her love of food with two different generations - the Garden School Project's commitment to nutritional education in public grade schools and raising funds and awareness for the elderly that are fed daily by Meals-on-Wheels.

In 2003, Silverton was nominated as a member of Marshall Fields Culinary Council. Marshall Fields has since opened five La Brea Bakery café kiosks, three in Chicago, one in Detroit and two in Minneapolis, all inspired by Silverton's Original Bakery in Los Angeles, CA.

Silverton has an amazing capacity for embracing the beauty of wonderful food and will undoubtedly continue to do so for the rest of her ingredient inspired life. This year, Silverton was named one of the most influential people in Southern California by the LA Times for "changing the way that Angelenos eat". Each loaf, each leaf of lettuce, each lunch is an entire world of its own waiting to be discovered, and she will never stop exploring.

Nancy Silverton has written five cookbooks:

Desserts
Nancy Silverton's Breads from the La Brea Bakery
Nancy Silverton's Pastries from the La Brea Bakery
Nancy Silverton's Sandwich Book
Twist of the Wrist (release date: Spring 2007)

Nancy Silverton has co-authored two books with Mark Peel.
Mark Peel and Nancy Silverton At Home; Two Chefs Cook for Family and Friends
The Food of Campanile

Nancy Silverton has received many awards including:
2006 LA Times, The West 100: The most influential people in Southern California
2005 WCR Golden Bowl Award, recognizes excellence in baking and pastry arts
2004 International Star Diamond Award for Outstanding Hospitality
2003 RCA Pioneer Award
2003 James Beard, nominated for Outstanding Service
2002 James Beard, nominated for Outstanding Service
2001 James Beard Outstanding Restaurant Award, Campanile
1999 Bon Appetite Best of Food & Entertaining, "Food Artisan"
1999 Nation's Restaurant News "50 New Taste Makers"
1997 IACP Julia Childs Cookbook Awards Nominee
1997 James Beard, Nominee, Best Cookbook of the Year, Baking
1997 DiRoNA, Distinguished Restaurant of North America
1996 Nation's Restaurant News Fine Dining Award
1995 Chocolatier Magazine, One of the 10 Best Pastry Chefs of the Year
1995 Southern California Restaurant Writers, Restaurant of the Year & Restaurateur of the Year
1994 Los Angeles Culinary Master of the Year, The 1994 Fine Spirit Wine & Food Tasting Exhibition
1990 James Beard "Who's Who in American Cooking"
1990 James Beard Best Pastry Chef of the Year
1990 Food & Wine Magazine, Best New Chefs