Nancy Silverton
Mozza
Nancy Silverton began her 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 Le Notre Culinary Institute in Plasir, 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. For her contribution to culinary culture, Silverton was awarded the James Beard Foundation’s Pastry Chef of the Year award in 1990. In November of 2006, Silverton opened Mozza, with partners Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich. In 2006, Silverton was named one of the most influential people in Southern California by the LA Times. Her seventh cookbook, “Twist of the Wrist”, was released in March of 2007.
