Who: Ms Nancy Silverton, 68, is the American celebrity chef-owner of the Mozza Restaurant Group which runs the one-Michelin-starred Italian restaurant Osteria Mozza in Los Angeles (LA) and its Singapore outpost at the Hilton Singapore Orchard.
The mother of three will be in town from Monday to Feb 26 for the hotel’s first anniversary celebrations and to introduce a one-night-only black truffle dinner menu on Feb 23 ($198++ a person) inspired by the Italian countryside region of Umbria – where she is based when she is not in LA.
“I take many day trips out when I’m on my 50-day summer vacation to the hilltop town of Panicale in Umbria, Italy. From there, my partner Michael Krikorian and I will drive out to Rome or Florence.
We also drive to dine at the dining establishments of chef Massimo Bottura at Osteria Francescana in Modena, master butcher Dario Checchini at his butcher shop in Panzano in Chianti, and pizza chef Franco Pepe at his pizzeria Pepe In Grani in Caiazzo.
I relish going to see my chef friends, as well as having 20 to 30 friends over at my rustic 100-year-old two-bedroom home.
But the best part of the weekend is relaxing at home.
The day starts with freshly brewed coffee made with Venetian coffee beans and preparing breakfast for Michael – something I never do in our 20 years together back in LA.
It includes a plate of walnut biscotti, a bowl of blackberries, strawberries and blueberries, as well as slices of melon from my new favourite farm, Quinto Sapore in Citta della Pieve.
The piece de resistance is a two-egg frittata with pecorino cheese, prosciutto cotto and herbs.
He’d eat it all and sing the opening lines of the classic Cheek To Cheek by the late Russian-American composer Irving Berlin.
Then, we’d go for a walk to the next village, Missiano, followed by a simple lunch back home of fruit and cheese.
After lunch, I may float in the pool or lay on a chaise lounge to read for two hours. Last summer, I read The Goldfinch by American author Donna Tartt.
At 4pm, I start to prepare dinner for the next three hours. It can be preparing a whole fish like sea bass or wild salmon stuffed with fresh herbs from my porch, with braised fennel, onions and carrots.
After dinner, it’s movie time. We may watch a movie we’ve never seen before, but usually, it’s one of our all-time favourites.
For me, it’s often Cinema Paradiso (1988) or Il Postino (1994), while Michael likes Casablanca (1942) or On The Waterfront (1954) – before we head to bed by midnight.”
