Famed Los Angeles chef Nancy Silverton came to Dallas to cook brilliantly in support of VNA Texas, which manages the Meals on Wheels program for Dallas County.
VNA hosts a charity luncheon each year, to which it has welcomed guest chefs such as Susan Spicer, Anne Willan, and Kevin Gillespie. This year, for the first time, they hosted a dinner as well. Both events sold out.
Silverton co-founded La Brea Bakery in Los Angeles, and remains one of the country's reigning authorities on bread. She currently co-owns a number of restaurants including Pizzeria Mozza and Osteria Mozza, and is author of nine cookbooks. Her latest, Mozza at Home, was gifted to attendees.
Broadcast journalist Scott Murray served as emcee. VNA Texas chairman of the board Janet Ryan Stegall and CEO Katherine Krause offered remarks, followed by Silverton, who did a demo of a kale salad and lingered to sign copies of her cookbook.
With the assistance of Dallas caterer the Food Company and La Cave Warehouse, the luncheon was served family-style, beginning with passed hors d'oeuvre that included deviled eggs, avocado toast, tenderloin, and pimento cheese with celery sticks. Entrées included chicken thigh, pasta salad with bitter greens, "oily garlicky" spinach, marinated lentils, and kale salad with white anchovies.
Dessert was a profoundly intense four-layer salted chocolate caramel tart, its intensity no surprise given Silverton's acclaim as a pastry chef.
The event is part of VNA's mission to help people age with dignity and independence at home, and it raises funds to feed its most vulnerable seniors. Attendees included chairs Becky and Mike Casey, honorary chair Sara Fraser Crismon, Amy and Danny Gow, Bess and Ted Enloe, Betsy and Richard Eiseman, Helen and Frank Risch, Jan and Al McClendon, Karen and Richard Pollock, Dean Fearing and Wanda Gierhart, Linda and Jay Barlow, Lizzy and Dan Routman, and Lottye and Bobby Lyle.
Celebrity chef Nancy Silverton (center), flanked by VNA chairman Janet Ryan Stegall and emcee Scott Murray.
