Episode 48: Strong & Able, Get Your Elbows Off The Table - Featuring Gail & Nancy Silverton
We are ending our first season of Hey Sis, Eat This on the most delicious note! A spectacular interview with one of our long-time idols, James Beard Award-winning Chef, Nancy Silverton and her magical sister, Gail Silverton. Only one and half years apart to the day, these extremely close sisters open up about their incredible mother, Momma Doris, who was a genuine powerhouse of a woman. When most mothers of her generation were expected to stay home cleaning and cooking, Doris Silverton was shattering the glass ceiling as a successful female television writer in Hollywood. Alongside of her career, Doris was a remarkable wife, supportive mother, and one who never skipped on setting a proper dinner table!
While Nancy wasn’t a huge admirer of Momma Doris’s cooking, she admits that the family dinner table, which she still owns, was a very big part of her childhood. The sisters remember lively conversations about politics, current events and their father Lawrence’s latest courtroom trials as a backdrop to the family’s nightly dinners… always at 6:30pm!
As far as Momma Doris’ culinary style was concerned, the sisters describe it as eclectic and ahead of her time. Beef bourguignon, chili Colorado, spanakopita and Caesar salad were in the regular rotation. Gail loved her mother’s brisket and Paprika chicken, two dishes she continues to make today, while Nancy preferred to take matters into her own hands with fried bologna and “whim” outings to Denny’s whenever on a family road trip.
With only a year and a half apart, these sisters were always close. So close, that they often shared friends and we even discover they dated some of the same guys! Yes... that is plural! Except for Nancy’s one run in with the law and Gail “experimenting’, the Silverton sisters were pretty well behaved in adolescence. Momma Doris was not one to discipline, instead she empowered them by creating a safe space to live and learn from their mistakes. Her democratic parenting style empowered them to be independent, responsible women who never had to second guess themselves in their professional careers.
Doris, who passed away in 2001, left a beautiful legacy with her two extraordinary daughters. An inspiration to each of them, Nancy and Gail have made indelible contributions to the Los Angeles community through food and education. With all that these sisters have accomplished professionally, philanthropically and as mothers, Momma Doris would be so proud!
Nancy's New York Times Bestselling cookbook, “The Cookie That Changed My Life”. is available wherever books are sold. We are so grateful to Nancy for sharing "The Cookie" with us! Visit our Recipes page for The Peanut Butter cookie.
Enjoy this season finale, but please keep your elbows off the table. Look for our next episode in 2024 as we kick off Season 2 of Hey Sis, Eat This!
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