Silvia Colloca moved to Australia after she fell in love with Richard Roxburgh on the set of vampire movie Van Helsing.

And it was in Australia that her culinary career took off with a cookbook, Silvia's Cucina, and a 10-part TV cooking series, Made in Italy, on SBS.

Colloca will be in Canberra for a dinner at University House on October 21.

The glamorous Italian has many talents - author, actress and opera singer (most recently at the Spectrum Now arts festival in 2015).

She's just published her third cookbook, La Dolce Vita, which puts paid to the idea that Italian food can't be healthy, light and nutritious.

Join her for a two course Italian feast and a passionate conversation about food at the Australian National University.

Meet the Chef with Silvia Colloca is at University House on Friday, October 21 at 6.15pm. $85. Book on unihouse.anu.edu.au