Silver Linings is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to helping people and the environment. Chef Michael Silver, who founded Silver Linings over 25 years ago, has a long background in food and science, and he is passionate about using his background in multiple fields to continue the mission of Silver Linings.
Food science plays a crucial role in our lives and in the health of our planet. By understanding how food works and its implications on our physical and mental health and on our environment, we can be better cooks and happier, healthier people, and we can take better care of the world that nurtures us.
Michael has a diverse and accomplished background, spanning a multitude of fields, including doing molecular biology research at Stanford University, working as a certified EMT and Dive Medic, and professional work in music, math, autosports, and many areas of technology.
Michael also has a deep passion for the culinary arts. He is a Certified Executive Pastry Chef and Executive Chef, and he teaches food science, baking, cooking, and other subjects at Colleges in Seattle and Tacoma. He co-owns a thriving chocolate company and a café/bakery, and he sits on the Board of Directors of the Washington State Chef’s Association. Michael has a strong commitment to providing free access to education on food, cooking, baking, nutrition, sustainability, and other areas.
Michael, a published author, started his career as a technology manager and architect at Apple Computer, and his own company has done major projects for Google (including building the YouTube studio), LucasFilm/Skywalker Sound, Hewlett-Packard, EA, and many other companies. He has consulted to and built technology for the founders and CEOs of many of the top companies in the world along with many famous directors, actors, musicians, athletes, and others.
Michael also consulted for NASA for four years, including working on the space program and writing the code to send the first email from space. He also supported the astronauts during this mission from the Flight Control Room. For his work with NASA on this and other projects, Michael was made an honorary Air Force Captain.
The photo is from when Michael was invited to the Pentagon for a top-secret culinary mission.
A world-renowned authority on the science of food and cooking. Named one of the 100 most influential people by Time Magazine, McGee earned his PhD in English from Yale and his undergraduate degree in science and literature at Caltech. He has written two prize-winning books, On Food and Cooking and The Curious Cook, as well as many articles and reviews. He was also named food writer of the year by Bon Appétit magazine.
Dr. Marion Nestle is a molecular biologist, nutritionist, and public health advocate. She is the Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health Emerita at New York University (a department she Chaired for 15 years). Her research examines scientific and socioeconomic influences on food choice, obesity, and food safety, emphasizing the role of food marketing.
Nestle received her PhD in molecular biology from UC Berkeley. Through her work at NYU and her award-winning books, Nestle has had a national influence on food policy, nutrition, and food education. Nestle became a Fellow of the American Society for Nutritional Sciences in 2005. In 2019 she received the Food Policy Changemaker Award, as a “leader who is working to transform the food system.” She is one of the most respected and accomplished leaders in food politics, nutrition, sustainability and food ethics, and other areas.
An American chef and food writer. His first book, The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science, became a critical and commercial success, charting on the New York Times Bestseller list and winning the 2016 James Beard Foundation Award for the best General Cooking cookbook. The cookbook expanded on López-Alt’s “The Food Lab” column on the Serious Eats blog. López-Alt is known for using the scientific method in his cooking to improve popular American recipes and to explain the science of cooking. López-Alt started Wursthall in 2017, a beer hall style restaurant in San Mateo, California, and he maintains a popular YouTube channel in which he demonstrates many recipes and cooking techniques.
Dr. Nathan Myhrvold is the founder of Modernist Cuisine and lead author of the book series. He routinely pushes the boundaries of culinary science as a chef, scientist, and photographer. The former CTO of Microsoft holds several degrees, including a doctorate in theoretical and mathematical physics, two master’s degrees, and a culinary diploma from École de Cuisine La Varenne. In 2017 he opened Modernist Cuisine Gallery, which has locations in New Orleans and La Jolla.
James Beard Award-winning author Sandor Ellix Katz is a fermentation revivalist and probably the best-known expert in the world on making fermented foods at home. His books include: Wild Fermentation; The Art of Fermentation; The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved; Fermentation as Metaphor; and his latest, Fermentation Journeys.
Chef Kären is the founder of sustainability curriculum at Seattle Culinary Academy and one of the school’s senior culinary instructors. She is a recognized leader in the local and national food communities, and she spends time supporting many organizations, sitting on the Boards of a few. She spends summers at Quillisascut Cheese Company’s Farm School teaching professional chefs, culinary students, and agricultural professionals farm-to-table immersion courses and philosophy. She is the co-author of Rethinking the Kitchen: the sustainable kitchen handbook and Chefs on the Farm cookbook. She has won many awards and honors for her work in sustainability, including the Chefs Collaborative National “Sustainer” Award and being named “Edible Education Hero” by Chef Alice Waters.
Nik Sharma, a former molecular biologist, is the author, photographer, and recipe developer behind Nik Sharma Cooks/A Brown Table and The Flavor Files newsletter. He is a contributor to the Serious Eats, the New York Times, Food52, and The Guardian. He is also the recipient of an IACP Trailblazer Award and has twice been a James Beard finalist. He has appeared on Chef’s Secrets: The Science of Cooking (PBS), The Road to Cooking, and the upcoming series Confluence (PBS).
Professor Charles Spence, PhD, is the head of Oxford University’s Crossmodal Research Laboratory, specializing in the study of how people perceive the world — in particular, how our brains process information from each of our senses to form the extraordinarily rich, multisensory experiences that fill our daily lives. Charles has published over 500 articles in scientific journals and has won many awards for his work. He has also been a long-time advisor to some of the world’s top restaurants, including Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck.
A renowned food scientist, inventor, and mixologist. He is the founder and president of the Museum of Food and Drink (MOFAD); the host of the radio show Cooking Issues; an owner of Booker and Dax, a food and drink research lab in New York; a food science writer and editor; the author of Liquid Intelligence: The Art & Science of the Perfect Cocktail; and an innovator in the field of culinary technology.
