An evening of culinary magic is the theme of the annual spring fundraiser of Silvermine Arts Center, located in New Canaan. "The Silvermine Palette – Foodie Fundraiser" will be held on Saturday, June 1 at Clarke Kitchens in SoNo. Featuring four celebrity chefs, guests will have a variety of dishes to sample as they have across-the-burner access with the chefs as they prepare delectable international cuisine.
This culinary adventure will feature signature dishes of each of the participating chefs, from appetizers, to main courses, and of course desserts. The chefs include: Pietro Scotti of DaPietro's Restaurant in Westport, Kender Urena of Bistro Bonne Nuit in New Canaan, Elizabeth King of Kings' Carriage House in New York City, and Jonathan Mathias of a dash of salt in Norwalk. In addition to the wonderful cuisine that will be served, music will be provided by Francois Wiss and there will be an exciting silent auction with a vast array of items to bid on. Auction items range from original art work by Neil Jenney and James Prosek; a studio tour and reception at Donald Sultan's studio in New York; a weekend stay at a Vermont ski house; tickets to the Westport Playhouse with dinner at the Dressing Room; scuba diving lessons and certification; a weekend in Boston with a tour of the Samuel Adams Brewery; and an Art Lover's tour and weekend in Washington, D.C., to list just a few of the items up for bid.
A fine artist in the kitchen, Chef Pietro Scotti has turned out culinary masterpieces at his acclaimed Westport restaurant, Da Pietro's, for 25 years. Born in Ischia, a remote fishing island on the Mediterranean, Scotti launched his culinary adventure at age 11, working in both the local fish market and a famed hotel kitchen. As a young apprentice, he accompanied chefs to the markets each day and learned to pick the freshest seasonal bounty. From there, he traveled the seven seas to exotic ports as a seaboard chef, sampling exotic cuisines, flavors and spices.
Pietro always harbored dreams of presiding over an elegant restaurant of his own. In 1987, he took a chance, opening Da Pietro's on a waterside street, lined with antique shops in Westport. He decorated the restaurant's cozy, jewel-like dining room with plush banquets and framed Hermés scarves. Pietro's Italian and southern French fare quickly became the talk of the town and has been so ever since.
Chef Kender's training began during his childhood in Costa Rica, working in his parent's restaurant. He came to the U.S. to further his education and his dream of becoming a master chef. He graduated at the top of his class from the French Culinary Institute in New York with a Culinary Arts Degree, and also from the International Bread and Pastry Arts Program at the French Culinary Institute with a second degree in International bread and pastry arts. He has held positions at some of New York's most well-known establishments, including Le Cirque and Barbetta. He was taught by and worked side by side with such masters as Jacques Pepin, Alain Sailhac, Andre Soltner, Jacques Torres and Hans Welker. Chef Kender joined Bonne Nuit in 2002 as both Executive Chef and partner of the Bistro. His take on food is very simple, "I like to use fresh, organic if possible, foods. Make it look beautiful, but, make it taste even better. I enjoy the pleasure that I can give to people by knowing the food I serve is as healthy and fresh as you can get."
Elizabeth's successful hospitality career spans more than 25 years and also includes event production, catering and floral design. With her reputation for décor and design Elizabeth was prompted to expand these services and in 2004 she opened The Linen Shop in New Canaan, Connecticut.
For Jonathan Mathias, of a dash of salt, cooking is an art and a passion. He graduated with honors from the Culinary Institute of America in 1981 and ever since dedicated himself to the field by constantly acquiring new knowledge and passing it on to apprentice chefs. Classically trained and drawing inspiration from cuisine styles from around the world, he combines the freshness of locally available ingredients and specialty vendors to bring unique flavors that could be bold, delicate, or exotic. As a teaching fellow at the Culinary Institute, Jonathan also passed on his knowledge in wines and wine selection, dining room management, and table side preparation. a dash of salt has a reputation for superb, innovative cuisine presented with flair and imagination.
Our committee for "The Silvermine Palette – Foodie Fundraiser," Meredith Hutchison from Westport, Marcia Harris of Norwalk and Shari Jones of Easton are busy planning this year's fundraiser and putting together a wonderful mix of silent auction items.
For more information about the benefit and to purchase tickets ($175 per person), call (203) 966-9700 ext. 22 or visit www.silvermineart.org.