Fall 2015 - Les Dames d`Escoffier International

FALL
2015
it’s All Grande
for LDEI
Erin Byers Murray
Joan Nathan
Grand Prize Winner in LDEI’s M.F.K. Fisher
Awards for Excellence in Culinary Writing
Grande Dame Award Winner
ALSO INSIDE | New Chapters for LDE I
Edi ble Lond on Tour | LDEI Boar d in Minnesota
From left: Joan Nathan
receiving the 2005
James Beard award
for her book The New
American Cooking.
Horse-drawn carriage
ride in Charleston.
"Cowheart" tomatoes
and other vine-ripened
tomatoes at Borough
Market in London (see
Edible London 2016 tour
on page 16).
Below: CiCi sitting
on a live bull at the
2002 LDEI Conference
in San Antonio
from the editor
FALL
2 O 1 5
In This Issue
F E ATU R ES
4 M.F.K. Fisher Awards
Contest Winners
9Charleston Conference
Blue List
10 Board Meeting in Minnesota
12 Grande Dame Joan Nathan
15 History of the British
Columbia (B.C.) Chapter
6 Edible London: The Sequel!
1
17 We BeLOnG
19 Nashville Chapter Update
20 Five New Chapters
22 Green Tables
23 Global Culinary Postcard
D E PART MEN T S
4 Chapter News
2
28 Member Milestones
31 Submission Guidelines
High Fives!
When did milk cost $ 0.80 per gallon?
Well, it was in 1976, when the New York
Chapter held its grand investiture at the
French consulate. That year, the top TV series was “Happy Days” (set in Milwaukee,
Wisconsin, where we still have no chapter),
and “Rocky” (set in the home of our Philadelphia Chapter) won the Academy Award
for best picture.
In 1986, five chapters (there’s that first number 5) banded together
to form LDEI. In 2015, we return to that number as five new groups
have been granted chapter status. In between, here is LDEI by multiples of five.
Presidents of the five original chapters—New York (1973), Washington (1981), Chicago (1982), Dallas and Philadelphia (1984),
launched LDEI on October 27, 1986, at a gala dinner in the lobby
of the New York Daily News building. They represented 225 women.
Ten years later, 15 new chapters were added, making a total of 20.
Milk had gone up to $2.50 per gallon; the top TV series was “ER” (set
in the home of our Chicago Chapter) and “The English Patient” (set in
Italy where we partnered with Le Donne del Vino) won the Academy
Award. During the next ten years, an average of one new chapter per
year was chartered, and a couple of chapters went inactive. By 2015,
six more chapters joined LDEI, making a total of 30 chapters.
This year, milk hit a high of $3.50 per gallon. I don’t know why this
is significant except to show how far LDEI has come since milk cost
$0.80 in 1976. In case you’re interested, bread cost $0.60 a loaf that
year, but it was probably that puffy marshmallow stuff we ate as kids
until America finally embraced artisanal European breads. (Milk and
bread are two of the cost-of-living indicators as monitored by the
USDA’s Economic Research Service.)
Now comes the “High Five” for 2015. This year, we have five new
chapters: Ann Arbor, Kentucky, North Carolina, Portland, and Sacramento—the most we have added in any one year. The original 225
Dames have mushroomed to over 2,000 women with membership
in LDEI. What will the future bring? Well, it’s easy to predict that
a gallon of milk will never again cost $0.80, and it seems a sure bet
that LDEI will continue adding chapters in support of outstanding
women culinary professionals around the world. So, “Cheers!”—the
top TV series in 1991 (set in the home of our Boston Chapter).
Here’s to us all!
—CiCi Williamson, Editor, Fall Quarterly
2
Les Dames d’Escoffier International
PResident's Message
LDEI: Staying Relevant in a Changing World
Strategic, meaningful growth and active
participation is the lifeblood of any organization. The recent announcement of five new
chapters (a sixth—Mexico, is pending) means
that LDEI is not only growing, but actively
delivering on its promise of improving the lives
of women across the globe.
The induction of Mexico in 2015 and,
possibly, Scotland in 2016, means we are
significantly expanding our global footprint.
With LDEI’s 30th anniversary looming, this
unprecedented growth is a validation of the
strength of our vision and our efforts to stay
relevant to our membership and to the lives
of women today. But, with growth, there are
challenges, and the board has worked to review
existing programs and processes to find unique
ways to deliver on goals.
New chapter development became a yearlong process involving Dames who helpedcoordinate first meetings for potential charter
members and explained what LDEI was all
about. We ensured the integrity of approvals
by carefully vetting all applicants. Other board
members’ initiatives led to improved member
benefits including:
• Updating the PR and New
Chapter handbooks and policies;
• Modernizing the LDEI logo;
• Expanding the Quarterly
conference issues (2016);
• Targeting timely and relevant
topics for webinars;
• A first-time conference
attendee reception;
• Enhanced professional development
opportunities (e.g. Webinars,
specialized speakers,workshops), and
• Increasing media releases and social
media communications.
In large part, support from Alice Gautsch
Foreman (Seattle) enabled the Board to engage
an expert to help build a framework for Strategic Planning and bring in Roxanne Kaufman
Elliott, President of ProLaureate Ltd, who will
speak at the Leadership Forum (see LDEI.org).
Our Conference team has been able to offer
Attorney Jackie Henson a featured seminar
spot where she can address questions that consistently come up around 501(c)(3) guidelines
and board operations.
Times have changed significantly since LDEI
was formed 29 years ago. Thanks to Brock
Circle members and to the M.F.K. Fisher
Fund, LDEI Boards now have resources to fuel
our strategic growth, reach goals, provide more
F all Q u a r t e r l y 2 0 1 5 2015 LDEI Board
of Directors
The mission of the LDEI Board is to
foster the growth and success of
the organization by supporting the
development of new and existing chapters
and by implementing program initiatives.
It provides leadership, guidance,
education, connectivity, and effective
communication among LDEI members.
President
Lori Willis
Director of Communications
Schnuck Markets, Inc.
11420 Lackland Rd.
Ballwin, MO 63146-3559
(314) 994-4602 | lwillis@schnucks.com
First Vice President
Maria Gomez-LAURENS
Manager, Hospitality, HelmsBriscoe
11241 Avenida del Gato
San Diego, CA 92126
(858) 633-7515 | mgomez@helmsbriscoe.com
Second Vice President
Ann Stratte
Owner, My Personal Chef
100 Severn Avenue, #506
Annapolis, MD 21403-2622
(410) 903-2682 | annstratte@aol.com
targeted services, and give stronger support to
struggling chapter boards.
Our aim, this year, has been to enhance benefits for our members while keeping costs down
and conference attendance up. To that end,
your 2015 Board challenged the traditional
and reinvented the routine with outstanding
results! I am very proud to have been a part of
this team of outstanding leaders and equally
proud of what we accomplished! But, we could
not have done it without YOU.
My thanks go to: Alice Foreman,
Nathalie Dupree (Charleston), our recent past
presidents, and founder Carol Brock (New
York); the chapters that invited me to sit in on
Board meetings and learn from them; and the
Charleston Conference team and President
Jennifer Goldman for their exceptional work
in planning an amazing Conference! Finally, I
offer a special appreciation to Greg Jewell and
AEC Management who continue to exceed expectations in the management of our program
overall.
When I took office last September, I shared
with a mentor my concern, “What can the
board and I accomplish in just one year?” After
he thought about it, he said something like,
“Success does not mean that you have to finish;
your job is to get things started.”
So, ladies, consider the strides we have made
this year the start of even greater things to
come. See you in Charleston!
Lori Willis
President, Les Dames d’Escoffier International
Third Vice President
Hayley Jo Matson-Mathes
Owner/Culinary Consultant
2333 Kapiolani Blvd #3516
Honolulu, HI 96826
(808) 941-9088 | hayleymm@hawaii.rr.com
Secretary
Sharon M. Olson
Executive Director, Culinary Visions® Panel
345 North Canal Street, Apt. 1407
Chicago, IL 60606
(312) 280-4573 | sharon@culinaryvisions.org
Treasurer
Stacy Zeigler
Director of Sales, Bold American Events
2929 Surrey Lane
Atlanta, GA 30341
(678) 302-3232 | szeigler@boldamerican.com
Chapter Board Liaisons
Deborah Mintcheff
Project & Ckbk Editor/Food Writer/Copy Editor/
Recipe Devel/Co-Active Life Coach
Live Forward Coaching
129 East 69th Street
New York, NY 10021-5000
(212) 879-0383 | deborah.mintcheff@verizon.net
Deborah Orrill
Culinary Consultant
64 Vanguard Way
Dallas, TX 75243
(214) 343-0124 | deborrill@gmail.com
Bev Shaffer
Corporate Chef, Vitamix World Headquarters
3433 Blake Road
Seville, OH 44273
(440) 781-7202 | bev.foodwithattitude@gmail.com
Immediate Past President
Beth Allen
Founder/President, Beth Allen Associates Inc
347 W 22nd Street, Suite #9
New York, NY 10011-4683
(212) 206-1138 | baaincny@aol.com
Executive Director
Greg Jewell
President, AEC Management Resources
P.O. Box 4961
Louisville, KY 40204
(502) 456-1851 x1 | info@ldei.org
3
Nine Prizes Awarded in LDEI's
M.F.K. Fisher
Awards Contest
This year, we received 76 entries in LDEI’s M.F.K.
Fisher Awards for Excellence in Culinary Writing. For
the first time, nine prizes were awarded—a first,
second, and third place award in each of three
categories:
1. Books
2. Print media (magazine and
newspaper food stories)
3. Internet-based food articles or blogs
Each category winner received $500 while
second prizes were $100 and third, $50. The
overall winner is awarded an additional $500 to
total $1000 plus a trip to Charleston to receive her award
at the LDEI Annual Conference on Saturday, October
31, 2015, at the Charleston Marriott.
Ten prominent food editors who are not members of
Les Dames judged the contest. Read about the grandprize winner and category winners on pages 4 to 8. All
nine winning entries are posted at www.ldei.org
Start planning now to enter the 2016
contest. The fee per entry is $35. Entries
are submitted via the LDEI website. For
more information, go to www.ldei.org or
send an email to mfkfisher16@aol.com.
Deadline: March 31, 2016
B oo k Category
In te rnet Category
Pr in t Category
Second Prize ($100):
Dame Jen Karetnick of Miami
Shores, Florida, Dining Critic,
MIAMI Magazine, for the introduction from her book Mango.
Second Prize ($100):
Micki McClelland of Pipe Creek,
Texas, for “Thanks, Dad” from My
Table Magazine/SideDish online.
Second Prize ($100):
Dame Kim Ode, staff writer, for
“The Baron of Brats,” from the
Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Third Prize ($50):
Julia della Croce of Nyack,
New York, for “Fancy Food Show:
The Good, Bad and Ridiculous.”
Third Prize ($50):
Dame Lee Dean, Food Editor,
Minneapolis Star Tribune, for
“The Long Winter.”
Third Prize ($50):
Lea Eskin of Baltimore,
Maryland, for “Let Rise”
from her book Slices of Life
4
Facing page: Erin at
a signing for her first
book, Shucked: Life on
a New England
Oyster Farm. Husband
Dave Murray and
Erin. Dottie Byers, her
granddaughter Maggie
Jean, and Erin.
Les Dames d’Escoffier International
Magazine Editor Wins Grand Prize
for Excellence in Culinary Writing
By CiCi Williamson
Anosmia—the inability to smell, is the
subject of the grand-prize entry in LDEI’s
M.F.K. Fisher Awards. The topic is very personal to author Erin Byers Murray, because
it is her mother who became stricken with
anosmia after a concussion and fractured
skull received in a train accident.
Erin’s mother, Dottie Byers, wrote, “I am
humbled that her piece about my accident and
subsequent challenges is so insightful and sensitive and has been recognized by Les Dames
D’Escoffierfor the M.F.K. Fisher Award. I
definitely won the ‘Very Coolest Daughter in
the World Lottery,’ and I am honored to have
had a small part in making that happen.”
This very cool daughter wasn’t so “cool”
when she picked up the phone to hear LDEI
President Lori Willis surprising Erin with the
FA L L Q u a rt e r ly 2 015
news of her grand prize.
“I am so excited!” she said to Lori.“I can’t
wait to attend the conference! This essay was
obviously very personal for me and it took a
long time to get it out into the world, so just
having someone recognize that it’s meaningful and speaks to people—I am humbled
and honored.”
It definitely will be cool that Erin’s mother
is able to attend the awards presentation
on October 31, at the LDEI Conference in
Charleston. Dottie and her husband retired
to Hilton Head, South Carolina, 98 miles
from Charleston.“Mom was a piano and
voice teacher while we were growing up. She
also taught elementary school at the school
my sister and I attended in South Carolina.
Later, after we lived abroad in Mexico City,
she switched gears to work in international
INTERNET CATEGORY WINNER
Erin Byers Murray
Nashville, Tennessee
Grand Prize and First Prize
Winner, Internet Category
“Sense of Self.”
www.foodthinkers.com/sense-of-self/
www.erinbyersmurray.com/
relocation and logistics,” said Erin.
As the daughter of a DuPont executive,
Erin graduated from The Tatnall School in
Wilmington, Delaware, where she wrote
for the high school newspaper. Her father’s
career led the family to live in Mexico City
and, for 17 years, in The Woodlands north
of Houston. She graduated from Syracuse
University with a double major in English
and TV, Radio, and Film.
Erin has been writing about food since
5
2001when she moved to Boston began doing
restaurant reviews for Boston magazine, which
is where she met her husband, Dave. She
also worked as a writer for DailyCandy.com.
Together with her husband and close friend,
Nicole Kanner, of All Heart PR, she cofounded Eat Your Heart Out Boston (www.
eatyourheartoutboston.com), a website for
music-loving foodies. In her spare time, Erin
freelances for various publications like Food &
Wine, Modern Farmer, AOL Travel, The Boston
Globe, Boston magazine, Huffington Post, The
Atlantic Online, and Wine & Spirits Magazine.
“My experience as a reporter was essential
to getting me to learn how to tell a story. You
have a foundation, and then it’s only a matter
of personalizing it,” shared Erin.
Now living in Nashville, Erin is currently
the managing editor at Nashville Lifestyles
magazine, one of the only consumer magazines owned by Gannett, where she oversees
all editorial print content and gets to write
regularly about Nashville’s food, culture, and
people. With a circulation of 150,000, it
contains people profiles, arts, culture, travel,
and everything that’s going on in the city. Her
column, “At the Table,” profiles restaurants
and their teams.
Although she had been cooking since high
school and all through college, it was time
spent working at Martha Stewart’s Weddings
magazine that got her more excited about food.
Erin said, “When I’m not digging up story
ideas, I’m usually in the kitchen, exploring my
new city, cooking up travel plans, or generally
scheming about what and where I’ll eat next.
“My husband was a “meat and potatoes”
guy and would never eat salads,” said Erin.
“I helped induct him into that world. He’s
a huge fan of beer, having once worked at a
beer bar, and is a musician—he now works
for a record label in Nashville. Dave and I
can usually be found hunting down live rock
shows (as well as hoppy Belgian beers) and
we’re lucky to be the parents of two adorable
kiddos, Charlie and Maggie Jean,” said Erin.
Regarding kids and food, Erin said, “I think
that putting kids in front of the food gets
them interested—engaged with it. My 1-year
old daughter is a good eater. We started both
kids on avocados, fish, chicken, and fruits
as soon as they could eat solid food. But my
4-year old son is a bland, white-food kind of
guy. He prefers good old mac ‘n cheese.
“We have a garden out back and he’s interested in growing vegetables, in fact, he picks
basil right off the plant and eats it. But he’s
not that interested in eating the vegetables.
I have strong feelings about knowing where
food comes from. I take the kids to the Nashville Farmer Market, where produce is either
grower or co-op supplied,” said Erin.
6
“I’ve been a fan of M.F.K.
Fisher for awhile. In fact,
Consider the Oyster was the first
book by M.F.K. that I bought
when writing my book Shucked.
She is a fascinating, strong-willed
author. I love her perspective on
food, and I carry her with me.
She captures a moment in time
through food. For me, so many
of the roots of my own food
writing stem from her work.”
Entering LDEI’s M.F.K.
Fisher Awards Contest
The second time’s a charm for this food
writer and author. She entered LDEI’s M.F.K.
Fisher Awards in 2012 with an excerpt from
her first book, Shucked: Life on a New England
Oyster Farm (St. Martin’s Press, 2011), which
explores the world of Island Creek Oysters
in Duxbury, Massachusetts.“I have a not-sosecret obsession with oysters. I love telling
stories about farmers, cooks, kitchens, and
local food communities.
Erin said, “I’ve been a fan of M.F.K. Fisher
for awhile. In fact, Consider the Oyster was
the first book by M.F.K. that I bought when
writing my book Shucked. She is a fascinating,
strong-willed author. I love her perspective on
food, and I carry her with me. She captures
a moment in time through food. For me, so
many of the roots of my own food writing
stem from her work.”
However, the excerpt from Shucked didn’t
win one of LDEI’s 2012 prizes. Since then,
Erin has co-authored The New England Kitchen: Fresh Takes on Seasonal Recipes (Rizzoli,
October 2014), with award-winning Boston
chef Jeremy Sewall, which was released in
October 2014.
Coincidentally, Erin’s winning entry this
year, “Sense of Self,” was published on www.
foodthinkers.com/, a website of Breville, one
of LDEI’s longtime sponsors. She had worked
on the article for about 10 years since 2005.
Erin took notes on the “Eat Memory” column in the New York Times, germinated on
the topic, and wrote several iterations. Then
Rebecca Ast, editor of Food Thinkers.com,
contacted Erin about writing a piece about
taste memory, and Erin submitted her “Sense
of Self ” article.
“I had heard of Les Dames for years
thinking ‘what a cool group.’I admire its
philanthropy but especially because it’s supportive of women,” opined Erin. “It’s great
that LDEI supports women food writers
through this award.”
Food Writing Today
“Food writing is challenging today. But
some websites are accepting long-form
journalism (4000-5000 words) and they
pay. Niche publications and food magazines
are popping up, such as Feast in St. Louis,
and they have subscription and membership
models.
Lori said, “I read to Erin on the phone some
of the comments from the judges, and she said,
‘I am getting chills. I want to say again how
thrilled I am, and very touched.Thank you!’”
Erin’s mother wrote, “Erin is an amazing
young woman, and I’m in awe of all she has
already accomplished in her culinary and
writing career, while getting married, having
two babies, raising her family, writing two
award-winning books, and holding down
some demanding full time jobs. Thank you,
Les Dames, for your recognition of Erin and
including me in the festivities! I can’t wait! I
look forward to meeting all of you in October
in Charleston. Kindest Regards, Dottie Byers.”
Please read Erin’s winning entry at www.ldei.
org for the whole story.
From left: Dottie Byers feeding her granddaughter,
Maggie Jean, the "famous" angel food cake from
Erin's winning story. Dave and Erin Murray.
Les Dames d’Escoffier International
Persimmon
Fancier Wins
Print Category
By CiCi Williamson
When LDEI President Lori Willis called
Janice Cook Knight to tell her she’d won a
prize in LDEI’s M.F.K. Fisher Awards Contest,
the first-prize winner of the Print Category was
suspicious. She said, “I thought it was one of
those sales calls! I am so exited! I want to know
more about the organization. I love M.F.K.
Fisher, so I was excited when I heard about this
competition.” She laughed, “I am on my way
to writing class, so I get to tell them!”
Janice said, “The first food memoir I read
was M.F.K. Fisher’s The Art of Eating. I was
in my 20s and it was an inspiration. I’m very
honored to win an award in her name.” Not
since the sixth grade had Janice won a writing
award. It was “something about the Bill of
Rights,” she recalled.
Knowing very little about LDEI (there’s
no chapter in her city), Janice entered
the contest because Krista Harris, editor/
publisher of Edible Santa Barbara, told her
about it and encouraged her to enter. She
had proposed the article about persimmons
to Krista, and it took a week or two to write.
“It was one of the most fun stories I’ve done.
I’m often interviewing farmers and food
producers, but this article was more of a
pleasure based on experience.”
“An autumn doesn’t go by without me making hoshigaki (dried Hachiya persimmons).
I grew up in the San Fernando Valley, once
a very agricultural place—a big orchard,
really—but now suburban. We had them
growing in our yard. Today at my home in
Santa Barbara I’m growing only the chocolate
variety, called Maru.
“My mother, whose ancestry is French
and German, grew up on a farm in Kansas,
and my father was Canadian, from British
Columbia. My dad was a total plant man who
studied biology and agriculture in Canada.
He moved to California for the climate; you
can grow almost anything here. He met my
mom here, and eventually taught high school
biology. We always had something growing
that we could eat, and lots of fruit trees.
“I’ve been interested in food since I was very
small. My parents cooked interesting foods,
such as organ meats. People who grew up
during the Depression tended to make the
maximum use of everything. I used to love
calves brains and scrambled eggs for breakfast,
with ketchup—before I knew what they were.
FA L L Q u a rt e r ly 2 015
PRINT CATEGORY WINNER
Janice Cook Knight
Santa Barbara, California
First Prize Winner: Print Category
“Hurray for the Orange,
Red and Gold: The Season
for Persimmons.”
Edible Santa Barbara, Fall 2014
“Growing up in southern California, we ate a
lot of tortillas. Instead of a lemonade stand, I
had a roadside stand selling hot dogs wrapped
in tortillas,” confided Janice. She still likes
them today. “It’s childhood comfort food.”
While attending California State University, Northridge—earning a B.A. in English
with an emphasis on writing, she became a
vegetarian and worked at Follow Your Heart,
a vegetarian restaurant in Canoga Park, about
six miles from the university. During her
seven-year stint as a cook there, Janice began
writing and editing newsletters for the restaurant, then wrote Follow Your Heart’s Vegetarian
Soup Cookbook and The Follow Your Heart
Cookbook: Recipes from the Vegetarian Restaurant. “When I started seeing tuna sandwiches
in my dreams, I went back to eating meat,”
she said.
As a mom, the first thing she fed her son
after breast milk was, coincidentally, persimmons. “They were in season. He made a big
mess, orange pulp everywhere, him grinning
at the pure sweetness.
“Although I love sugar as well as the next
person, we are not a junk food house. We
do a lot of cooking at home. Now we are
empty nesters, but when the kids were home,
we gave each of them one night per week to
choose the menu and help cook. Now they all
love food and cooking. It made a big differ-
ence being exposed to a variety of tastes when
they were young.”
For kids and food today, the Slow Food
member and cooking instructor recommends
that kids cook more with their parents. “When
I was teaching classes in Santa Barbara
schools, I was amazed at some of the junk
food I saw the schools provide. I think that’s
changing now.”
Janice has taught cooking for over 30 years,
and for several years taught a cookbookwriting workshop. Now she is designing
a cooking class for those who are recently
bereaved. In her food career Janice has
worked as both a personal chef and a food
coach. She’s written for Montecito Magazine,
LA Yoga Magazine, Whole Person Calendar,
and the Santa Barbara Independent, as well as
Edible Santa Barbara. Janice was also a recipe
tester for Bon Appétit magazine. She has
lectured on Julia Child for a Road Scholar
program (educational adventures created by
Elderhostel) celebrating Julia’s life and cooking contributions (www.roadscholar.org.)
Janice is currently writing a memoir about
her house, garden, and blended-family life,
and it will include some recipes as well.
Her advice to up-and-coming food writers?
“Submit, submit, submit. You might get
published.” Janice also recommends applying
for writers’ retreats, such as the Hedgebrook
Writers in Residence Program, Whidbey
Island, Washington, (www.hedgebrook.org)
“where you have time and space to listen to
what’s in your head.”
Even though magazines are folding left and
right, Janice says this opens up possibilities
for bloggers to get paid through advertising, which is the same way magazines earned
revenue. “I think print is here to stay,” she
feels. “It’s not relaxing to read everything on a
screen, especially food magazines.”
What will Janice do with her $500 prize
money? Food travel! To read more about this
prize winner, visit www.janicecookknight.com.
7
English
Professor
Wins Book
Category
Ava with morel mushrooms. Six-month old Mei Rose
with foraged mushrooms in her stroller basket and at
age 3 finding wild blackberries in England,
By CiCi Williamson
Dr. Ava Chin had two deliveries in one
year: a baby girl and her book manuscript
for Eating Wildly. So it may not be surprising that Ava took her six-month old daughter foraging for wild edibles using the basket
under the stroller as a kind of shopping cart
in the woods. Her “Baby Forager,” Mei Rose
Brunette, now three years old, knows how
to find wild blackberries in England and has
foraged for the briefly seen reddish-orange
thimble berries in California. But I am getting ahead of the story.
On June 3, LDEI President Lori Willis
telephoned Ava to surprise her with the good
news that the judges had chosen her entry,
“The Search for a Wild Weed,” as the winner of the Book Category in LDEI’s M.F.K.
Fisher Awards Contest.
Lori said, “After I told her, she gasped and
whispered ‘I am so excited, thank you.’” The
reason she was whispering is that, “I am in
the National Archives (San Francisco), so I
can’t shout and jump up and down but if I
were at home…!” Lori’s call found Ava going
through old immigration records of family
members who came over from China in the
1800’s—research for her next book.
This Associate Professor of English at the
City University of New York (CUNY) grew
up in Flushing, Queens, as a “restaurant
brat.” Her grandfather, Eugene Wong, manager of a Chinese restaurant and a bartender,
took her food shopping.
“My grandparents cooked copious meals
when I was growing up, but were not demonstrative, so they said ‘I love you’ through
food. My grandfather, a master of culinary
skills, cooked with medicinal roots, different kinds of mushrooms, and various peas.
He put dong kwai (angelica root) in braises,
which he said was good for women through
all stages of their lives.
“I was raised by a single mother, and my
grandparents were my ‘surrogate’ parents. In
my Chinese American family where food was
so important, I found solace in my grandfather’s cooking, constantly trying to work out
8
BOOK CATEGORY WINNER
Dr. Ava Chin
New York, New York
First Prize Winner: Book Category
“The Search for a Wild Weed”
from Eating Wildly: Foraging for
Life, Love, and the Perfect Meal
(Simon & Schuster, May 2014)
www.avachin.com
who my missing father was.”
“My first food story [in a literary magazine
at Queens College, where Ava received her
B.A. degree] was about watching my grandfather peel an Asian pear in one long loop.
I submitted my first foraging article to the
New York Times, and it eventually turned
into a bi-weekly column, ‘Urban Forager,’
(http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/author/
ava-chin/) that I wrote for 4 years. I found
that nature was abundant even in
New York City. There are wonderful
metaphors in nature applicable to
everyday life,” said Ava.
Her columns led to writing her
book. “People kept asking me why
I foraged and how I got started.
I realized I couldn’t answer their
questions in a 700-word column. It
was a personal connection and the
only way I could actually tell that
story was not in a short piece but in
an actual book,” explained Ava.
“My agent sold my book idea right
away, but as I was working on it, I
found out I was pregnant. I had the
baby right in the middle of writ-
ing it.” After the book was published (in May
2014), Ava heard about LDEI’s contest in a
Facebook group of women food writers. Ava
loves M.F.K. Fisher’s works. “She writes with
such verve, mastery, moxie, and gumption that
it completely sucks you in. I first read How to
Cook a Wolf and Consider the Oyster, said Ava.
This is her first national writing award, but
her book has been listed in the “Best Books
of 2014” by Library Journal (www.libraryjournal.com) and other media outlets. At
CUNY, Ava teaches classes in creative nonfiction writing and food studies. She received
her M.A. from Johns Hopkins University
and her Ph.D. from the University of Southern California (USC).
Ava has written about arts and culture for
the Los Angeles Times Sunday Magazine, Marie
Claire, theVillage Voice, Saveur, and Spin,
among others. These days, she sees greater opportunities for food writing published on the
Internet but says it’s harder to get paid. Her
advice is to “write about what you’re most
passionate about because that might be your
reward more than getting paid for it!”
Some interesting mushrooms Ava forages
for with her husband and her daughter are
hen of the woods, enoki (brown in the wild
as opposed to the supermarket white ones
grown in the dark), and cloud ears (wunyee). And she’s always on the search for a
good ramp patch.
Ava in a field of ramps.
Les Dames d’Escoffier International
The Blue List
By Deidre Schipani (Charleston)
The 2015 annual LDEI Conference continues in the
highest standards of LDEI to offer seminars, site tours, and
signature tastings. Events are tightly scripted with preconference optional tours to the “Sip and Ship” Farewell on
Sunday morning.
You’ve heard of the Black List, The Red List, Forbes Billionaire List, Best Sellers Lists, Wines Lists, and the Fortune
500 list? Today we introduce you to the Blue List. You can
“come early, stay late” to explore our Dames’ Blue List, a
compilation of Charleston Dames who make the Holy City
a better place to eat, drink, and celebrate. Visit their websites, enjoy their products, shop online, and then savor the
flavors of Charleston in your own zip code.
Products
Eating and Drinking
Teas
Celeste Albers: Green Grocer
Farm products to the Charleston
Farmers’ Market held at Marion
Square every Saturday.
www.charlestonfarmersmarket.com
Kelly Franz: Executive chef, Magnolias, 185
East Bay Street, serves the flavors of the Lowcountry where “uptown comes down South.”
www.magnolias-blossom-cypress.com
Carol Rice: Sales manager for
Charleston Tea Plantation. You will
be getting your fill of this Charleston treasure during conference.
www.charlestonteaplantation.com.
Celia Cerasoli: World-class pasta
sauces, seasonings, and lasagna
online and around town. See her
website for retail outlets:
www.celiasofcharleston.com
Jeanne De Camilla: Grower of
Olinda Olives and Olive Oil, brings
the vitality of fresh pressed to her
family business.
www.westcoastproducts.net
Katherine Frankstone: Founder of
Grey Ghost Bakery, she hand shapes
each and every “goodest” and
“bestest” sweet treat.
www.greyghostbakery.com
Jennifer Goldman: COO at Patrick Properties
Hospitality Group that includes Fish Restaurant,
442 King Street, featuring French-Asian classics where Jacqueline Orak is general manager.
www.pphgcharleston.com/venues
Jen Kulick: Owner of Tattooed Moose, 1137
Morrison Drive, featured on Drive-Ins, Diners, and Dives, for their duck club sandwiches.
Jen also owns Voodoo Lounge and three other
properties. www.tattooedmoose.com
Jill Mathias: Executive chef, Chez Nous Restaurant, 6 Payne Street, translates French cuisine
with a South Carolina accent. View the menu at
www.cheznouschs.com.
Lauren Mitterer: WildFlour Pastry,
73 Spring Street. Cookies, bars,
cakes, pastries, and muffins in her
dollhouse-sized bakery and garden.
www.wildflourpastrycharleston.com
Cappie Peete: Sommelier and director of
beverage and education at McCrady’s,
Husk, and Minero restaurants; raises the bar
for the cocktail climate in Charleston.
www.Mccradysrestaurant.com
www.huskrestaurant.com
www.minerorestaurant.com.
Carrie Morey: Hot Little Biscuit, 476
1/2 King Street, serves grab-and-go
biscuits and Southern treats.
www.calliesbiscuits.com
Amalia Scatena: Executive chef at Cannon
Green, brings her classic Italian culinary education to the tables at Cannon Green, 103 Spring
Street. www.cannongreencharleston.com.
Carly Paume: Operates a French
chocolate cafe—Christophe Artisan
Chocolatier-Pâtissier, 90 Society St.;
experience theobroma cacao.
www.christophechocolatier.com
Mary Zapatka: Owner of Square Onion,
18 Resolute Lane, Mount Pleasant, provides
balanced lunch options and creative casseroles
designed to “take and bake” for dinner.
www.squareonion.com.
Belinda-Smith Sullivan: Spice
blender. Go online to learn where
you can purchase her product line or
order from her website.
www.chefbelindaspices.com
Michelle Weaver: Executive chef at Charleston
Grill, 224 King Street, orchestrates a menu of
pleasure divided into a quartet labeled Lush,
Southern, Cosmopolitan, and Pure.
www.Charlestongrill.com
FA L L Q u a rt e r ly 2 015
Devaney Vickery-Davidson:
General manager, The Spice and
Tea Exchange, 170 Church Street,
takes your taste buds on a Silk
Route of sensory exploration.
www.spiceandtea.com.
Retail
Marilyn Markel: Culinary
director, Southern Season,
730 Coleman Blvd. in Mount
Pleasant; a food lovers paradise
for food, wine, cookbooks,
cooking classes, and more.
www.Southernseason.com.
Spirits
Ann Marshall: Founder of High
Wire Distillery, 652 King Street;
produces handcrafted, small batch
craft spirits in a rustic warehouse.
www.highwiredistilling.squarespace.com
9
Clockwise from top left: Cindy Jurgensen, Lori Willis, Merrilyn Tauscher, Deb Orrill. Bottom row: Stacy Ziegler, Hayley Matson-Mathes, Beth Allen, Arlene CocoBuscombe, Ann Stratte. Middle row: Susan Peters, Lori Willis, Sharon Olson, Barb Strand, Mary Evans, Bev Shaffer, Jeanie Kozar, Deb Orrill. Top row: Deborah
Mintcheff, Merrilyn Tauscher, Liz Gunderson, Mary Jo Plutt, Maria Gomez-Laurens, Cindy Jurgensen, Kim Ode, Andi Bidwell, Diane Jackson, Audrey Nelson, Joan
Donatelle. Kim Ode hosted the dinner. Cindy Jurgensen, Diane Jackson. Seated: Ann Stratte, Stacey Ziegler, Maria Gomez-Laurens. Standing: Hayley MathesMatson, Deborah Mintcheff, Lori Willis, Renee Garpestad, Beth Allen, Bev Shaffer, Sharon Olson. Beth Allen, Lori Willis, Greg Jewell.
A Minnesota-Fabulous LDEI Board Meeting
B y A nn S tratte
Okay, I admit I grew up in Minnesota and
am partial to the state blessed with over eleven thousand lakes (I know, the license plate
says ten thousand, but it is incorrect) and it
boasts the mosquito as its state bird. This was
the location chosen for our June LDEI board
meeting to tackle an action-packed agenda
arranged by LDEI President Lori Willis and
held in downtown Minneapolis on June 17
and 18. It was an over-the-top docket, and I
would like to share some of the highlights.
In the words of Seattle’s Alice Gautsch
Forman, “Board education and strategic
planning are important to the growth, health,
and longevity of any organization. Sharing
that knowledge with our chapter boards helps
builds a stronger, more united, and effective
organization overall.”
As a result of Alice’s vision and generous
10
financial support specifically directed towards
this goal, Friday afternoon was dedicated to
a board workshop focusing on a “Framework
For the Future” facilitated by nationally acclaimed leadership expert and speaker, Renee
Garpestad. It was a productive afternoon
reviewing the mission and vision of LDEI;
board member roles and responsibilities;
and a discussion looking three years into the
future.
Renee’s personal experience with non-profits
along with her professional expertise helped
to guide us through challenging exercises,
allowing us to explore the unique nature
of our organization and its members while
focusing on growth and long-term strategic
goals. Speaking on behalf of the entire board,
this was a provocative, effective, and informative experience enabling us to be evermore
forward thinking as a board, bringing value,
depth, and assistance to each chapter.
Saturday was dedicated to a full day of LDEI
business, with all of the officers submitting
their reports in advance for review. The board
discussed the Strategic Planning Session held
the day before and acted on some of the most
important take-aways from the afternoon. It
was noted that a mission is a living, breathing
thing that evolves over time. Dame Willis will be heading a group to fine tune our
mission statement and develop an action plan
to facilitate future growth. Joining her will
be Sharon Olson, Deb Orrill, and Hayley
Matson-Matthes. The group also discussed
a more formalized approach to onboard new
officers and directors, creating a new service
team headed by LDEI Past President Beth
Allen to handle the task. Assisting Beth move
this initiative forward will be Deborah Mintcheff, myself (Ann Stratte), and Toria Emas.
Our next order of business was to review
four new potential chapters, all in various
Les Dames d’Escoffier International
LDEI Ad 2014_Layout 1 9/25/14 10:59 AM Page 1
Ann Stratte, Maria Gomez-Laurens, Bev Shaffer, Deb Orrill, Beth Allen, Chef
John Dancic, Sharon Olson, Stacy Ziegler, Deborah Mintcheff, Lori Willis,
Hayley Matson-Mathes. Sharon Olson, Maria Gomez-Laurens, Deb Orrill,
Deborah Mintcheff, Ann Stratte.
stages of formation. These include Kentucky; Raleigh-Durham/
Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Portland,
Oregon. Sharon has done a fantastic job working with these various
groups to get their membership applications and charters completed
for board review. Look for some new faces at the 2015 Charleston
Conference! Other business discussed included the 2015 Charleston
and 2016 Washington conference updates; the Brock Circle “Big
Idea;” and Branding Opportunities with University Programs.
If you are ever invited to a potluck at the home of Minnesota
Dame Kim Ode, just say “YES.” Kim, a second-place winner of
$100 in the 2015 MFK Fisher awards, and her husband, “an honorary Le Dude” John Dancic, hosted a wonderful dinner for the LDEI
board featuring a variety of wood-fired pizzas baked for us in their
backyard oven that they built several years ago. In addition, fourteen Dames from the Minnesota chapter brought an array of local
specialties including pickled herring (my personal favorite), smoked
trout spread, wild rice brats, wild rice salad, local cheese and wines,
and much, much more. The weather was perfect. The evening had
old friends connecting and new friendships forming. A huge thank
you to all and especially to those Dames driving over all the way
from “Up North”!
It wasn’t “Minnesota nice” it was “Minnesota fabulous”—a perfect
evening to top off a very productive gathering right in the back yard
of Garrison Keillor, radio producer of A Prairie Home Companion.
FA L L Q u a rt e r ly 2 015
&
You can always depend on Mahatma and
Carolina Rice for Great Taste,
Texture and Flavor!
For this Tandoori Chicken with Spiced Pilaf and
Cucumber Riata recipe and more visit
mahatmarice.com or carolinarice.com
11
Joan receiving
the 2005
James Beard
award for
her book The
New American Cooking.
Mahmoud
Abu Zuluf,
former editor
of El Kutz;
Joan; and Abe
Rabinowitz,
a reporter for
the Jerusalem
Post.
Joan
Nathan
B e c o m e s T h i r t e e n t h I n t e r n at i o n a l G r a n d E D a m e
By CiCi Williamson
“Growing up my father insisted I
should learn a foreign language. He
also encouraged me to learn about
people and their food, and to help
human beings,” said Joan Nathan,
LDEI’s Grande Dame for
2015. Learning French and
being inquisitive about
food and people led to
Joan writing cookbooks.
Her food writing career
and helping to helped
raise millions to fight
hunger have led to the success she is today, which is why
she will be receiving this award.
The 10 cookbooks Joan has written
weren’t just inspired by her mother’s
cooking, but also by her father’s love
of ethnic restaurants. “My father was
German and Mother, a very good
12
English teacher, who was born in New
York City of Hungarian and Polish
immigrants. Growing up, we ate very
American. Dinners were determined
by the days of the week: tuna casserole,
liver with onions, lamb chops, and
Friday night chicken, or brisket
with store-bought challah for
the Sabbath. We always had
sit-down meals with no
jeans allowed. The table
was set nicely, and Mother
never put even a bottle of
ketchup on it.”
Sunday night belonged
to her father, however. They
went to Chinese restaurants or
to Italian places on Federal Hill
in Joan’s birthplace of Providence,
Rhode Island, where “my dad spoke
to the waiters in Italian.”
It was also her father who influenced
her choice of the University of Michi-
gan. His business took him to Detroit,
and he liked it. Joan was a member of
Signa Delta Tau sorority. While earning
a B.A. in French Literature, Joan spent
her junior year in Paris where she “fell
in love with French cooking. I met
lots of French people including many
relatives who invited me into their
homes and introduced me to people all
around France. That was the best. How
many times are any of us invited into
French homes?” she said.
After graduation, Joan’s fluency in
French facilitated her job as Foreign
Press Attaché for Mayor Teddy Kollek of
Jerusalem. “My first assignment was to
accompany David Ben Gurion, Israel’s
first Prime Minister, on a shoot with Belgian TV because I could speak French.”
Her experience living for three years in
Jerusalem, a city then of about 250,000
Jews, Christians and Muslims, resulted in
the publication of her first cookbook,
Les Dames d’Escoffier International
Clockwise
from top left:
Brothers Richard
and Allan with
Joan’s parents,
Pearl and Ernest
Nathan, and
Joan. Joan and
her mother,
Pearl Nathan.
The priest is the
representative
of the
apostolic see in
Jerusalem being
interviewed by
Joan. From left:
Salah Jarallah,
former Deputy
City Manager
of the Jordanian
Municipality;
Judy Stacey
Goldman, coauthor of Joan’s
first book,
The Flavor
of Jerusalem;
Itzhak Lebanon,
former aid to
the Mayor of
Jerusalem.
The Flavor of Jerusalem (Little, Brown)
with Judy Stacey Goldman. But it wasn’t
easy to get it published. “We sent the
manuscript to 16 publishers before one
would accept it,” confided Joan.
It was also in Israel where Joan met her
husband, attorney Allan Gerson, at—of
all places—the Western Wall. He was
a lawyer working with the Ministry of
Justice and getting a Masters degree from
the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Moving to New York, Joan was hired
by Mayor Abraham Beame to start the
Ninth Avenue Food Festival. “It’s a festival in May that’s ongoing today,” she
said. For the first year, Joan recruited
20 cookbook authors, including James
Beard, Diana Kennedy, Ariane and
Michael Batterberry, and George Lang,
to do food demos outside the different
Ma and Pa stores. “James Beard was
too heavy to walk so we got him a golf
FA L L Q u a rt e r ly 2 015
cart,” revealed Joan. “To our astonishment 150,000 people showed up!”
Joan and Allan married in 1974, and
she qualified for a fellowship to attend
Harvard University’s Mid Career program at the Kennedy School of Government. Among her professors was the
future senator, then professor, Daniel
Patrick Moynihan, who gave a seminar
on ethnicity and politics, where Joan
convinced him to let her write a paper
on ethnicity and food. During this
time, Joan started doing food writing
for the Boston Globe Sunday Magazine.
While at the Kennedy School, Dov
Noy, an Israeli professor, said to Joan,
“I know nothing about cooking but I
know everything about Jewish folklore. I will share this with you if you
will write a cookbook. The result was
her second book, The Jewish Holiday
Kitchen (Schocken Books, 1979).
Saying “No”
to Judith Jones
It was while writing this Jewish holiday
book that Joan met Judith Jones, the
famous editor of Grande Dame Julia
Child’s Mastering the Art of French
Cooking. Judith asked Joan to write an
American cookbook, but Joan wasn’t
interested in that topic at the time. That
would come later. “I’ve always thought of
my cookbooks as college research papers
where I get obsessed by a topic.,” she
said. So she turned down Judith Jones!
In 1977 Joan moved to Washington,
D.C. when her husband started working at the Justice Department, Her
facility in French came in handy again.
In 1979 chef Jean-Louis Palladin moved
from France to Washington to open
Jean-Louis at the Watergate. He could
speak very little English, but Joan could
speak to him in French. “Being able to
13
communicate in someone else’s language is
very important – it helps break down barriers,” said Joan, adding, “Jean-Louis thought
everything American was so great. He was
especially fascinated with Jiffy cornmeal mix.”
Now a permanent Washington resident,
Joan wrote for the Washington Post for about
15 years. They wanted her to write a weekly
column but she had her first child (she now
has three grown children who live in Los
Angeles) and didn’t want the pressure of a
weekly deadline. But she continued writing articles and books: An American Folklife
Cookbook (Schocken Books, 1984), and The
Children’s Jewish Holiday Kitchen (Schocken
Books, 1988) were soon published.
“I thought I had finished writing about
Jewish food,” Joan said. Then Judith Jones
came back into the picture, and asked her
to write a book on how Jewish cooking
affected American food and how America
affected Jewish cooking. When Joan handed
her the manuscript for Jewish Cooking in
America, Judith said, “I don’t understand
what you are writing.”
“I had written it historically, not like a
cookbook,” Joan explained. “We delayed
publication for six months while I made revisions,” she said. “Judith was a big hands-on
editor. She could understand what was wrong
and guide you towards what was right. In the
end, I was very happy with the result,” she
acknowledged.
Evidently the critics were, too, for her
landmark book, Jewish Cooking in America,
won both the 1994 James Beard Award and
the 1994 IACP/Julia Child Cookbook of the
Year Award. Her 2005 cookbook, The New
American Cooking, also won a James Beard
Award. “I worked with Judith Jones on that
book, too. I wanted to show how American
food has changed in the past 40 years. So I
told her that’s what I wanted to write about,
and Judith liked the project,” said Joan.
In between those two books, the Jewish Holiday Kitchen morphed into Joan Nathan’s Jewish
Holiday Cookbook (Schocken Books, 2004).
Joan filmed her PBS television show, the
award-winning “Passover: Traditions of Freedom” (1994), and the two-year series, “Jewish
Cooking in America” with Joan Nathan (20012002), which was nominated for the James
Beard Award for Best National Television Food
Show. She also wrote The Jewish Holiday Baker
(Schocken Books, 1997) and The Foods of Israel
Today (Alfred Knopf, 2001), the latter with
Judith Jones as her editor. In fact, Judith went
with Joan to Israel to help with photography
for that book. Also in 2001, she was honored
for her many accomplishments as an inductee
into the James Beard Foundation’s Who’s Who
of Food and Beverage in America.
Joan returned to France for her most recent
book, Quiches, Kugels and Couscous: My Search
for Jewish Cooking in France (Alfred Knopf,
2010). “Originally I had wanted to write a
basic book like a food lovers’ guide to France,”
she said. “ Many years went by and it occurred
to me that France meant so much to me and
also that France was so important in the history of Judaism.” When she mentioned the
project to Judith, her editor said, ‘Why don’t
you go to France and see if there’s a book to
write?’ I did and found so much material.”
Les Dames Connections
Joan joined LDEI’s Washington Chapter
in 1981 as a charter member. In the chapter’s early years, she took an active role in the
organization‘s leadership, helping to start the
scholarship fund. This June, Joan was one of
the speakers at the chapter’s program, “Sacred
Foods of Israel,” an outreach of the Global
Culinary Initiative. Other speakers were Vered
Guttman, Sheilah Kaufman, and Amy Riolo.
In another Les Dames connection, Joan met
Grande Dame Alice Waters in 1987 on a
food writers’ trip to the then Soviet Union,
where they became good friends. Joan said,
“When I was serving as guest curator of the
Smithsonian’s Folklife Festival’s 2005 Food
Culture USA, I asked Alice to plant one of
her edible schoolyard gardens (http://edibleschoolyard.org) on the National Mall.”
In 2009, with Alice plus Washington Chef
José Andrés, Joan started Sunday Night
Suppers, (www.sipsandsuppers.org) held one
night a year to benefit DC Central Kitchen
and Martha’s Table, two DC-based nonprofit
organizations that provide comprehensive
support to impoverished individuals. The dinners are held in various homes across the DC
Metropolitan Area. Several Washington Dames
volunteer and host dinners, including Najmieh Batmanglij, Marjorie Meek-Bradley,
Mel Davis, Aviva Goldfarb, Carla Hall, Pati
Jinich, Cindy Kacher, Janice McLean, and
Katherine Newell Smith. The dinners have
raised more than $1 million for the charity.
Patty Stonesifer, CEO of Martha’s Table,
said, “Joan is amazing in so many ways; we
are all delighted to see her chosen for the
Grande Dame 2015 award. Joan has activated the DC restaurant community AND
the DC foodie community AND the DC
volunteer community to be great advocates
for reducing hunger and increasing access
to healthy foods by creating and rolling out
this annual wonderful dinner event. The 30+
dinners happening all over town in private
homes this one night—with wonderful chefs
from across the country creating and sharing
beautiful meals with generous donors who
donate generously to secure a place at the
table—helps drive much needed resources to
Martha’s Table and DC Central Kitchen. But
perhaps even more importantly these dinners
drive awareness and robust conversations
about eliminating hunger by dramatically
increasing access to healthy foods.”
There’s one incident Joan wishes would go
away. “When I started writing, there was
no Internet. But now, anything that happens is distributed instantly. I still get people
remembering a 2009 incident where I was
choking on a piece of chicken at a dinner at
my home for chefs cooking at Alice, Jose, and
my first fund-raiser during the Obama first
inaugural.” Chef Tom Colicchio of BRAVO
TV’s Top Chef, saved her by performing the
Heimlich maneuver. He was the only chef
there who knew the maneuver.
Joan has handed in the manuscript for her
eleventh, and she says, “last,” cookbook, King
Solomon’s Table: The Roots and Routes of Jewish
Cooking. Look for it to be published by Alfred
Knopf in October 2016. The Washington
PBS station, WETA-TV, has approached
her to do a companion TV series to King Solomon’s Table, so that is her next task!
I suspect we haven’t nearly seen the last of
Joan Nathan’s work. She still contributes
frequently to the New York Times and is Tablet
Magazine’s food columnist, doing a monthly
video, “Joan Nathan’s Chosen Food,” for the
online publication. (Videos can be seen at
www.tabletmag.com/author/jnathan). And
please come to Charleston for the LDEI
Conference in October to see this remarkable, talented, and giving woman receive her
Grande Dame Award.
Joan at home setting
the table for her
annual seder. The late
Teddy Kollek, Mayor
of Jerusalem, with
Joan. Joan in 2013
with Jose Andres and
Ariane Batterberry at
Sips and Suppers fund
raiser.
14
Les Dames d’Escoffier International
Clockwise from top left: Founders of
the B.C. Chapter: Caren McSherry and
Pam Williams. Gala Chefs with Margaret
Chisholm, Front row: Lesley Stowe,
John Bishop, Andrea Carlson, Ann
Kirsebom. Back row: Ron Shaw, Ned
Bell, Michael Allemeier, Claire May, Jeff
VanGeest, Wendy Boys, Adam Busby,
Margaret Chisholm. B.C. Gala committee
members: Mireille Sauvé, Colleen
Wilkinson, Ann Kirsebom, Barb Finley,
Cate Simpson, Susie Meister, Annette
Rawlinson, D.J.Kearney. The John
Bishop Gala Table at the Four Seasons
Hotel Vancouver. B.C. 2015 Board of
Directors. Front row: Stephanie Jaeger,
Lee Murphy, Becky Paris Turner, Bonita
McGee, Kathy McAree, Audree Surrao.
Back row: Karen Dar Woon, Jennifer
Schell, Cassandra Anderton, Annette
Rawlinson, Christine Blackwood, Nancie
Hall. Photos by Cassandra Anderto
History of the British Columbia (B.C.) Chapter
The British Columbia (B.C.)
Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier
was formed after a visit fromGrande Dame Julia Child when
she attended the 1990 IACP
Conference in Vancouver. A
nudge from Julia herself was
given to Caren McSherry as she
spoke with her over the course
of the four-day event. Julia was
under Caren’s care for makeup,
prep, cleanup, and, fortunately,
an after-conference brunch. It
was there that she spoke of the
merits of Les Dames d’Escoffier
and how Caren should gather the
best women she knew and form
a chapter.
After Caren consulted with
Pam Williams, the B.C. Chapter
was launched with 12 fabulous
women in 1990, and chartered in
1992. Pam was our first chapter
president, and was elected LDEI
President in 1998-1999. Today
the chapter has 62 active memFA L L Q u a rt e r ly 2 015
bers. This year the B.C. Chapter
will celebrate its 25th anniversary
with our newly elected Board of
Directors under the leadership of
President Becky Paris Turner.
Province-Wide Membership:
Challenges and Strategies
One of the challenges that we
have faced in the B.C. Chapter is
to extend membership to encompass the entire province, not just
the Vancouver city area.There are
many amazing, talented women
in the interior of B.C., the
OkanaganValley, and Vancouver
Island. We have inducted several
members over the years from
these areas. All have made great
efforts to participate in chapter
functions, some traveling two to
four hours to attend meetings
and to fulfill their commitment
to LDEI. We have met these
challenges making a greater effort
through electronic communication channels and outreach events
that will unite members and
enable us to grow and utilize the
talents of the women across our
province.We are proud to say that
we currently have three active
Board members who live in the
Okanagan Valley and Victoria.
The Gala Long Table Event
The Gala is B.C. Chapter’s most
celebrated event. It has become a
signature culinary event in Vancouver over the past three years,
as it celebrates and recognizes the
accomplishments of acclaimed
chefs and restaurateurs. This
event brings together the best of
the best in food, wine, and hospitality. Joining Les Dames for this
extraordinary culinary celebration
are some of Canada’s top chefs,
each creating a course for this
special dinner.
British Columbia’s top women
in culinary, hospitality, fine wine,
and arts of the table, as well as
entrepreneurs, journalists, and
consumer food enthusiasts line
the table to pay tribute to, and
celebrate the achievements of our
honoree. The Four Seasons Hotel
Vancouver plays a pivotal role in
hosting our elegant 100-seat-long
table event.
The Gala replaced our longstanding Celebrity Chef Golf
Invitational as our premiere
fundraiser and has surpassed its
fundraising capabilities by 50
percent.
To date,
it is our
most
rewarding
fundraiser,
raising
$49,000
and
bringing
international recognition to the
B.C. Chapter. All funds raised go
to support the chapter’s outreach
and scholarship programs.
15
Edible London: The Sequel!
Tomatoes at Borough Market. Bluebell Steam Train. London Chapter
President Valentina Harris. Harvey Nichols Fifth Floor restaurant Matt Rinn & Dame Mary Ellen Griffin of New York.
Les Dames d’Escoffier London is
delighted to announce that the
second “Edible London” will take
place May 12 – 16, 2016.
We have worked hard to come up
with a program that is bigger and
better, with exciting new adventures and venues, details of which
can be found on the website at
www.lesdameslondon.org
Highlights will include:
• Dinner at The Savoy Grill with
head chef and London Dame Kim
Woodward, the first female chef in
the history of this iconic restaurant!
• Go back in time via the Bluebell Steam Railway and enjoy an
Edwardian picnic in an English
vineyard on the edge of the South
Downs
• Dine Around London. Dames
will take you to dinner at some of
their favourite London restaurants
• An exclusive evening at the
celebrated food and fashion house
Harvey Nichols
• Visit Billingsgate Fish Market,
Borough Market, Maltby Street/
Rope Walk, and Druid Street
Markets.
Don’t miss this chance to really get
the flavor of London! To reserve
your place, email suecarter.55@
btinternet.com to request an application or to ask questions.
PLUS your foodie experience can
continue as we’re offering two
wonderful optional add-ons: “Edible ROME” hosted by Valentina Harris, and “Edible in the
COTSWOLDS” hosted by Jacqui
Pickles. Full details of these oneof-a-kind experiences (with limited
availability) are also on the website.
You must be attending Edible London to be eligible for these tours.
Four full days and nights with fourstar accommodations, meals and
transport within London: £1800.
Save £400 for Dames sharing a
room: £1400 per Dame double
occupancy.
Individual event tickets are available for spouses/partners
www.lesdameslondon.org
+
400VERIFIED
PRODUCTS
Blue Marble Brands is an active supporter of
the Non-GMO Project, with 400+ Non-GMO
Project Verified products and another 150+ enrolled!
The Non-GMO Project is a non-profit
organization committed to preserving
and building sources of Non-GMO
products, educating consumers, and
providing verified Non-GMO choices.
©2014 Blue Marble Brands
16
Les Dames d’Escoffier International
WE
By Nancy Brussat
Excerpts from Nancy’s
blog about four Dames in
Tuscany, Italy
Meaningful Blogs from Dames
Tuscany is far from a secret
these days. Its beauty and serenity had long since been discovered before I arrived here, but
sitting on the green grassy slope
outside of my friends Dorene
Centioli-McTigue (Seattle) and
Terry McTigue’s charming redshuttered villa, sipping a glass of
lovely Rosato (the Italian version
of Rosé) and enjoying the warm
Nancy Brussat, Linda Califiore, Ann
Yonkers, and Dorene Centioli-McTigue
F all Q u a r t e r l y 2 0 1 5 breezes of an
impending Tuscan
summer, I was mesmerized. And
not just by the physical beauty
of the landscape, the sunset that
was gathering to our west or the
perfection of the crisp rosé wine
that I was drinking.
Dorene and Terry’s villa, rented
for the year, was near the town of
Cortona. They had long settled
in and were well acquainted with
the secrets of not only Cortona
but all the little towns and villages in the area—the best markets,
gift shops, worthy nearby sites
and of course, the local coffee
shop just a brisk morning walk
from their villa. Each morning
after breakfast, we would stroll
down the cypress-clad hillside
for an espresso or cappuccino
and sit outside to enjoy the early
morning air and to read the International Herald Tribune, every
American traveler’s thread to the
rest of the world.
We knew the food and wine
experience in the next few days
would be nothing short of spectacular. The group’s connections
to Italy, to food and wine, and to
one another were long and deep.
Our original association was a
direct result of our affiliation to
LDEI. Ann Yonkers (Washington), Dorene, and I had all served
as LDEI Presidents, and Linda
Calafiore (Chiacgo), now living
in Carmel, California, had served
as an LDEI Vice President. Charlie, Ann’s husband, and Terry had
always been very much a part of
our group. We all got to know
one another through our LDEI
connection, but now our friendship had evolved beyond that
original association.
But it was the dramatic
reading of a product label from
a package of beef that captured
our attention. Charlie and his
Ann were also staying at the villa
and had purchased this apparently very-special roast from
the famous butcher at Antica
Macelleria in Panzano in Chianti
for the occasion of our group’s
“Italian reunion.” It was a huge
cut of Galician beef (“from the
butt—nice & high” he was told
when he picked it up) flown
into Panzano from Spain for the
supreme honor of being butchered precisely and perfectly by
the great Dario Cecchini, famous
throughout the world for not
only his butchering skills but
also for promoting of traditional
Tuscan food.
To read more about Nancy Brussat’s food experiences in Tuscany, go
to https://nancybrussat.wordpress.
com/2015/. Nancy is the owner
of Convito Café and Market in
Chicago.
17
A quick turn
from
to
Since 2008, O Wines has
raised more than $300,000
and awarded 52 college
scholarships to low income
capable young women.
How do you get there?
Ask for Alaska.
If you’re passionate about
what you cook, satisfy your
wildest desire with the
enticing taste of succulent,
and sustainable seafood
harvested from the purest
Alaskan waters.
Learn more about the
O Wines Opportunity for
Success Scholarship at
owines.com
or
oscholarship.org
18
ITEM 127 © 2014 O WINES, WOODINVILLE, WA 98072
For this Vietnamese
Wild Alaska Black Cod
recipe and more tempting
seafood ideas go to
wildalaskaseafood.com
Les Dames d’Escoffier International
Nashville Chapter Update
Dames on the Move
By Mindy Merrell
(Nashville)
Renie Steves Makes it Upstairs!
The Founding Members of the new
Nashville Chapter have dedicated the
year to getting to know one another and
establishing a platform for networking
and achieving the chapter’s educational
and charitable goals.
Sylvia Ganier, proprietor of Green Door
Gourmet, a picturesque farm, market and
event venue, hosted the May 26 meeting
planned by Vice President Merijoy Lanz
Rucker of Whole Foods cooking school,
“Salud.” We were honored to have LDEI
President Lori Willis (St. Louis) attend
the meeting along with Grande Dame
Nathalie Dupree (Charleston) who
inspired the group with stories about her
career and emphasized the importance
of Les Dames connections in developing
professional and personal relationships.
Nathalie said when she was growing up
her mother told her, “Ladies don’t cook
(because you would work late and be
around men). I decided I did not want to
be a lady anymore!”
During the discussion, Lori shared an
old African proverb: “Educate a man and
you educate an individual. Educate a
woman and you feed a family, a nation.”
President Nancy Knoepful was there
to greet the members and guests, and
everyone admired how this new chapter—founded in 2014 with 46 members,
had bonded so quickly. Sylvia’s Chef
Richard Jones served a gorgeous southern
buffet featuring cold fried chicken and
his interpretation of some of Nathalie’s
own recipes. A diverse professional group
of about 30 women attended to celebrate
the new chapter. The group included
Chef Lisa Ramsay, a 2014 Legacy Award
winner who was able attend the Boston
Conference and witness the new Nashville
Chapter approval.
FA L L Q u a rt e r ly 2 015
Merijoy Rucker
President
Anne Byrn,
Vice President
Billie Joyce Helmkay,
Treasurer
Jessica Collins,
Secretary
Billie Joyce Helmkay organized the
July 13 gathering at City Winery, a lively
restaurant and music venue. Dames and
guests enjoyed the winery tour, wine tastings, and colorful finger foods. Both venues generously donated the food, making
it possible for a portion of the proceeds to
help benefit our chapter’s philanthropic
causes. Our founding members have also
started an altruistic tradition of donating
raffle items at each meeting.
The August 10 business meeting and
ratification of slated board members was
hosted by Tasha Kennard, executive
director of the Nashille Farmers’ Market.
We are pleased to announce the new Les
Dames Nashville officers: Merijoy Rucker, President; Anne Byrn, Vice President;
Billie Joyce Helmkay, Treasurer; and
Jessica Collins, Secretary. In addition,
former treasurer Robin Jones will stay on
to help with the transition. We’re looking
forward to a great year.
A few days after
attending the
Boston LDEI
Conference, LDEI
Past President
Renie Steves
(Dallas) fell down
her stairs at home
and fractured her
neck. She spent
the next 8 1/2
months wearing a “halo” and couldn’t turn her
head. In July, Renie was liberated from her collar
and made it to the second floor of her home, but
she still wears a bone stimulator four hours a day.
Numerous Dames became her support system,
and she credits them for her recovery. Loyal Renie
is planning to attend the Charleston Conference!
Jerry DeVecchio Honored
Vintage recipes
drew nearly 100
guests to a private
lunch in midJuly under the vast
eaves of Sunset
Magazine’s patio.
The celebration
was for those
vintage recipes
and their creator,
Sunset’s quasi-retired food editor, Grande Dame
Jerry Anne DiVecchio (San Francisco). The
planning committee comprised Sunset’s current
food editor Margo True, Linda Anusasananan,
Georgeanne Brennan, Mary Gassen, Eileen
Joy Spitalny and Elaine Corn. After 64 years in
Menlo Park, Time Warner sold Sunset’s sevenacre campus and will relocate the staff to Oakland; the test gardens, to Sonoma.—Elaine Corn
Dames Explore Alaska’s FemaleDominated Food Scene
This spring Vanessa Parker McIntyre (Atlanta)
and Maureen Petrosky (New York) attended a
“Foodie” press trip hosted by the State of Alaska
Tourism Office. To their surprise, strong, innovative, and successful women were at the helm
of many of Alaska’s food establishments and
distilleries. Vanessa
wrote, “Not only
did Alaska dazzle
us with its breathtaking landscape
and supreme
hospitality, the
empowerment we
felt through the
women in our
field was nothing short of awe
inspiring.”
19
Five New Chapters
= Big News!
“I told one of our Dames about our five new chapters,
and she actually whooped on the phone! She said this is
amazing, unbelievable!
“The important thing to note is that in a time when
other organizations are struggling, LDEI is attracting
women leaders from across the globe. Our forwardthinking is being rewarded by growth in chapters, in the
number of high performing women, and in diversity of
race, culture and profession.
“Kentucky, as an example, brings in added talent in fine
beverages with rich bourbon history, and their members are
also strong on hospitality. Hospitality is also key for Ann
Arbor, founded on the passion of Dr. Sandra Arlinghaus
for preserving her late mother’s culinary legacy. Two chapters, Portland and Sacramento, were influenced by other
Dames which helped to create amazing depth in their charter packages. We feel as if we know them already just from
their testimonies on why they want to become Dames.
“Deb Kaminski knows many Dames from around the
country and LDEI Secretary Sharon Olson had been
encouraging her to start a chapter in Portland for over
a year. She really started her efforts from scratch and
carried the message of LDEI into an important market
where other culinary leaders had long ago formed a networking group and there was little interest or awareness
in LDEI. Well, that’s changed!
“The North Carolina region is riding the wave of culinary excellence right now and no one was more aware of
that than Grande Dame Nathalie Dupree. She and CiCi
Williamson amped up their efforts this year to bring
in our first core group of North Carolina Dames. They
worked closely with this group to deliver the information
and education that is so important for a great start.
“On the horizon: Mexico. We are also in talks with
Memphis and Scotland.
“I see it this way — Dames are like seeds in the wind.
They carry our vision forward wherever their professional or personal goals lead them. Finding fertile soil,
like-minded women who want to make a difference, they
take root and our organization grows. Without growth,
we risk withering on the vine. With our 30th anniversary
looming, we constantly work to stay relevant to our membership and to be a positive force in the lives of women.
Of all of our priorities as an organization, meaningful,
strategic growth is, perhaps, the most critical to LDEI’s
continued success.—LDEI President Lori Willis
Location of LDEI Chapters. Graphic designed by CiCi Williamson.
20
The excitement is higher than the dwarf planet Pluto that LDEI
has added five chapters. Before 2015, the largest number of chapters
admitted in one year was 2003 when three were chartered: Austin,
Colorado, and San Diego. Now there’s a new figure to top: FIVE!
Here’s some background on our newest chapters.—CiCi Williamson
ANN ARBOR,
MICHIGAN
Ours may be the first chapter to have a home base. It’s at the Ann
Arbor City Club where we are members, but we held all our chapter
organizational meetings via electronic networks.
My mother, Alma Lach, was a great Chicago chef, cookbook author,
newspaper food editor, and a charter member of the Chicago Chapter.
Alma moved to Ann Arbor near me in 2007 after my father died. By
the time Alma died suddenly in 2013 at age 99, she and I had been
working for several years to create a chapter of LDEI in Ann Arbor.
This year, I met in Chicago for dinner with Sharon Olson and Toria
Emas (2007 LDEI President). Toria is our mentor and I have had
frequent discussions with her. In addition to Toria, both Sharon and
Lori Willis have been extremely helpful to us. Donna K. Tope and
Raquel B. (“Ricky”) Agranoff did one-on-one recruitment, and the
result of this four-way collaboration is the new Ann Arbor Chapter of
17 charter members.
Our burgundy and green logo was made on the computer by my
mother and holds fond memories for both Sharon, Toria, and, I think,
many others. We have the original and plan to hang it at the City Club,
so in many ways, its photo symbolizes the interaction between Chicago
and Ann Arbor that was one important element in establishing this
chapter. —Sandra L. Arlinghaus, Ph.D., President
KENTUCKY
I totally blame Nathalie Dupree and Jennifer Goldman (Charleston)! After attending a couple of Charleston LDEI events and numerous “inspirational” talks with Jennifer and Nathalie over the past three
years, I wanted the women in Kentucky to have that network that
LDEI creates. So after a few cocktails on the beach in South Carolina this spring, my friend, Michele Bowling and I decided to start
a chapter. Because the conference was being held in Charleston in
2015, we felt the timing was perfect. Nathalie and Lori Willis came to
Louisville to talk to interested women in May at Sullivan University’s
National Center for Hospitality Studies.
We have 39 women approved for membership. The women serving
on the board have the experience and dedication to build a foundation
for success. The application process was a long one and I could have
not done it without the board which includes
Michele Bowling, Lisa Windhorst, Elizabeth
Weimer, Katie Payne, Meredith Moody, and
Judy Schad (Chicago).
We have already had two events: “Dames
who Drink” at Ramsi Café on the World,
and a Julia Child Birthday Celebration
Nathalie Dupree, Lori
Brunch at Holly Hill Inn. Other fall events
Willis, and Jamie Estes
include a potluck at Capriole Farms and a
brandy testing on the roof of the Copper & Kings Distillery.
“I cannot say enough kind words about the support from Lori,
Jennifer, Sharon, Nathalie and Greg and his team have given me
personally and our chapter in helping make our chapter a reality!!—Jamie Estes, President
Les Dames d’Escoffier International
PORTLAND, OREGON
NORTH CAROLINA
A number of women in our area have been thinking about a Les
Dames chapter for some time. Our kick off meeting was finally
prompted by Nathalie Dupree (Charleston), but there were many
who were interested and supportive. Our organizing event was held
in April at Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. LDEI
Secretary Sharon Olson (Chicago), Nathalie, and LDEI Quarterly
editor CiCi Williamson (Washington) gave presentations and
answered our questions. We included 39 highly qualified women in
our request for charter. I am honored to serve as the North Carolina
Chapter’s first president.
Women in food and hospitality are flourishing in our region. We
are excited to start a chapter that will create a strong and supportive network committed to encouraging our members in continued
success, offering more opportunities for professional growth, and a
chance to contribute to our community in a meaningful way.
Southern cooks and hospitality have been nationally recognized
and continue to get a lot of attention. We want to continue to put
the spotlight on the amazing positives that go hand in hand with
our region’s rich cultural heritage!—Colleen Minton, President
SACRAMENTO,
CALIFORNIA
At Lina Fat’s
home, glasses are
raised to toast
the new chapter.
Clockwise
from bottom
left: Patricia
Murakami, Kathi
Riley, Roxanne
O’Brien, Smith
Ann Evans,
President Shannin
Stein, Joni Stuart,
Dani Luzzatti,
Lina Fat, Andrea
Lepore, Debbie
Arrington,
Elaine Corn,
Amina Harris.
Not pictured:
Teresa Urkofsky,
Shankari
Easwaran, Carolyn
Kumpe, Elise
Bauer, Suzanne
Ashworth, Brenda
Ruiz, Amber Stott.
Photo by Elise
Bauer
What may seem impossible is no
problem for the dynamic women
who became the founding members
of LDEI’s Sacramento Chapter.
This new chapter of 21 women
was created in three weeks with all
membership requirements, every
significant piece of documentation,
and new bylaws. I live in Sacramento
but was an active member of the San
Francisco Chapter since 2000. I’d
been on the board for many years,
was chapter president, came back on
the board, and continue to attend
lots of our Bay Area events.
Meanwhile, Sacramento had been
growing as a culinary force. Surrounded by land that feeds the world, we’d
FA L L Q u a rt e r ly 2 015
The idea to start the Portland Chapter began
with an informal discussion with Sharon
Olson, LDEI Secretary. Sharon knew that it was a dream of
Debra Kaminski to become a member of LDEI. Working
in Chicago earlier in her career, Debra had always admired
the Chicago members of LDEI. So, when Sharon began her
role as new chapter mentor, she encouraged Debra to start
a Portland Chapter. The chapter was organized on a tight
timeline, so, Portland will
plan to host its first group
event, their official launch
event, when LDEI officers are
able to attend.
The founding members will
be a diverse group of talented
women that include chefs,
food writers, publishers,
cookbook authors, as well as
food company and not-forprofit executives. Many
members are award winners
Behind the
in their area of focus. In addition to the
skyline of
23 founding members, the chapter is excited to
Portland,
welcome one dual member with Seattle, Anne
Oregon, is
Nisbet, a former Seattle Chapter President.
Mount Hood,
the highest
Debra will be the new chapter’s president.
mountain in
The Portland membership will most look
Oregon.
forward to the opportunity to support,
collaborate, and exchange ideas with each
other and across LDEI membership.
—Deb Kaminsky, President
always had a connection to the earth.
For too long we’d taken for granted
agricultural proximity to just about
any fresh ingredient or wine grape you
could name.
We were local before local was cool.
When civic leaders realized that the
same agricultural elements that made
people think “cowtown” were now
the envy of chefs everywhere, they
proclaimed Sacramento as “America’s
Farm-to-Fork” capital.
Sacramento’s women chefs, restaurateurs, caterers, child nutrition advocates, writers, teachers, wine professionals, beekeepers and bloggers are
a big part of Sacramento’s culinary
momentum. Their talent and power
as professionals could be denied no
longer. That’s why I worked to start
this chapter.
Sacramento Dames will not
disappoint. Create a chapter in
three weeks? It’s how we roll.
Four Sacramento-area women
who are members of the San
Francisco chapter are expected
to maintain dual memberships—Elaine Corn (Sacramento and San Francisco)
Team Effort
Inspires New
Chapters
“It has been
Sharon Olson and
an honor
Nathatlie Dupree
to support
the brilliant,
passionate, and committed
women who have emerged
to lead the new chapters
we welcome to Les Dames
d’Escoffier International. We
have grown tremendously
with five new chapters and
140 diverse and immensely
qualified new members. Our
growth has been strategic and
mindful to support the future
of our organization. Special
thanks go to our incomparable Dames from around
the country, a very special
Grande Dame, two LDEI past
presidents, and our executive
director, who ignited and inspired this unprecedented effort.”—LDEI Secretary Sharon
Olson, who serves as Chair of
the Expansion Committee
21
Touring Chateau Hough
Vineyards and BioCellar
By Elaine Cicora
Nearly 20 Dames and guests paid a July 14 visit to
Chateau Hough, the ambitious urban-agriculture project
of journalist and community activist Mansfield Frazier.
Settled at the intersection of East 66th and Hough, the
reclaimed property is home to nearly 300 vines growing
red and white grapes. Planted in 2010, the vines were
specially selected for their ability to withstand cold
Ohio winters; and if the bounty of beautiful bunches
hanging from the vines is any indication, they have surely
acclimated to their Northern home.
Our gracious and gregarious host told us that his first
wines (supplemented by grapes from other vineyards) were
bottled in 2013, and earned praise from Oprah Winfrey’s
O Magazine as well as snagging a second-place ribbon in
the Great Geauga County Fair. While the wine is currently
made off site, plans call for eventually transforming a
nearby abandoned building into a working winery. We
enjoyed samples of both the red and white wines. As Mr.
Frazier joked, “No wine snobs allowed! It’s all so subjective.
Just drink what you like!”
We also had a tour of the one-room BioCellar, a
beautifully constructed, below-grade space built on the
foundation of an abandoned home. The first of its kind in
Ohio, the BioCellar uses passive solar heating to maintain
a steady year ‘round temperature; the addition of a rain
garden, and water-recycling system keeps large quantities
of runoff out of the city sewers. Although plans originally
called for growing mushrooms in the biocellar, Mr. Frazier
says that tests have shown the space is too airtight, and that
mushroom spores in the air could create health hazards.
Currently tests are underway to determine what crops can
be safely grown in the space.
As impressive as all of this is, the real story, we learned,
is that Chateau Hough is a nonprofit organization
with a mission to improve the economic health of the
neighborhood. Mr. Frazier’s goals are to foster urban food
production; employ local residents with disadvantaged
backgrounds; and re-purpose vacant homes and idle urban
lots to create wealth-building opportunities. As the venture
begins to make money, Mr. Frazier hopes to turn the
property into a cooperative, turning over ownership of the
facilities to the workers. Meantime, vineyard construction
and maintenance, along with various learning programs,
has provided work for many neighborhood residents.
Photos by Shara Bohach
22
Les Dames d’Escoffier International
tes
ra
b
le
e
C
r
te
p
a
h
C
n
o
Houst
esson
L
sa
a
M
a
h
it
w
o
y
a
Cinco de M
course, the forming
ing process; and, of
rtillas.
and cooking of the to from Mexico
B y A nd re a A lb in
na
Veronica, origi lly
sa harina (corn
several years
How do you make ma the chapter
ty, has spent the last
g,
Ci
rin
sp
is
Th
)?
ur
flo
dough
recipe. She follows
perfecting her masa
Mayo with an
de
o
nc
Ci
ed
rat
of “nixtamalizaleb
ce
the traditional process ing corn in an
taining meeting
ok
informative and enter
co
tion” (soaking and
other, Veronica
at the home of my m
en hulling it to
sa,
ma
e
ak
m
to
alkaline solution; th
w
ho
ed
rn
lea
e
W
.
Then she uses
Albin
make grinding easier).
used, for example,
ur
flo
rn
co
sic
ba
e
th
essor to grind the
an electric food proc cessible to
es, and tamales.
ac
to make tortillas, sop
e
or
corn, making it m
Mexican street
the handster
Sopes are traditional
Af
.
ok
usually thick
e modern co
th
un
an
e
lik
ks
loo
at
ames enjoyed
food th
on demonstration, D
sides topped with
ed
ch
pin
th
wi
lla
rti
tic Mexican
to
sangria and an authen ca and her
getables, and salsas.
ni
ro
a variety of meat, ve
Ve
meal prepared by
ames gathered to
d tortillas
an
About 15 Houston D
es
sop
g
tortillas from
family featurin
g
in
ak
m
of
art
e
th
learn
emade masa.
made from the hom
t the different
ou
ab
g
in
rn
lea
h:
atc
scr
ving how to soak ¡Delicioso!
varieties of corn; obser lime; the grindked
the dried corn in sla
GLOBAL
CULINARY
postcard
F all Q u a r t e r l y 2 0 1 5 Veronica Albin grinds the corn for masa as Dame Yvonne Sternes looks on. Dames
Julie Hettiger and Yvonne Sternes. Dames Diane D’Agostino and Beverly Kakuda.
23
chapter NEws
Janet Burgess (LA/OC)
Atlanta | Austin | Birmingham | Boston | British Columbia, Canada | Charleston | Chicago
Cleveland/Northeast Ohio | Colorado | Dallas | Hawaii | Houston | Kansas City/Heart of America
London, England | Los Angeles/Orange County | Miami | MINNESOTA | Monterey Bay Area | NASHVILLE
New York | Northeast | Palm Springs | Philadelphia | Phoenix | San Antonio | San Diego
San Francisco | Seattle | St. Louis | Washington
ATLA NTA
Gayle Skelton
In March, Molly Gunn hosted us at her restaurant, the
Porter Beer Bar. In her private cellar, we paired a threecourse dinner with beer. At our April chapter meeting, we
learned all about olive oil. A reception and olive oil tasting
at Strippaggio was followed by olive oil education and
dinner across the street at The General Muir, hosted by
Shelley Sweet.
In June, we hit the road with an unforgettable trip to Summerland, Anne Quatrano’s five-generation family farm.
Dame authors Jennifer Booker, Millie Coleman, Cynthia
Graubart, Doris Koplin, Rebecca Lang, Susan Nicholson,
Carolyn O’Neill, Kathleen Perry, and Anne shared their
favorite recipes and tastings. Anne is the author of Summerland: Recipes for Celebrating with Southern Hospitality.
At our Annual Business Meeting in July at the Atlanta
Community Food Bank, following a delicious potluck of
family favorites, we voted in our new, talented Dames.
We cannot wait to see them contribute to our mission of
Education, Scholarship and Philanthropy.
A U STIN
Beth Vlasich Pav
Our Annual Spring Meeting was at the newly opened
and beautiful Fall Creek Vineyards at Driftwood, Texas.
Owner Susan Auler gave us a tour of the facility, tasting room and elegantly remodeled apartments. Susan,
husband Ed—royalty and pioneers in the Texas wine making industry, and winemaker Sergio Cuadra presented a
fabulous wine tasting seminar. Then Chef David Garrido,
currently at the helm of Dine restaurant at the Austin
Radisson, treated us to a buffet dinner.
In this idyllic vineyard setting, we inducted seven new
members and awarded two $4,000 scholarships; one scholarship recipient starting her career and the other changing
to service/hospitality.
In June we held our second Annual Kitchen Sale. We
partnered with one of Austin’s premier Texas Farmers’
Market at Mueller. Chaired by Tracey Evers and guided
by Kelly Ann Hargrove along with dedicated Dame
volunteers, we met our goal of $3,000 for scholarship
recipients, doubling our sales from last year.
B irmingham
Martha Johnston
Alabama produce starred in a series of Kids Cooking
Demonstrations at Pepper Place Market this summer.
Angela Schmidt, Beba Touloupis, and Kay Bruno Reed
recruited daughters, nieces and friends to assist them
as they made recipes using fresh veggies and fruits. The
samples were a big hit!
On July 18, our chapter partnered with the Market and
Stone Hollow Farmstead for the Alabama Tomato Festival.
Featured were a recipe contest, tastings tomato varieties,
talks by a leading tomato breeder, an afternoon festival,
and an early evening farm dinner.
24
Chapter president Angela Schmidt and Deborah Stone appeared on local media promoting the event and LDEI. The
tomato celebration was an excellent and tasty way to advocate
for local growers, markets, and home cooks while educating
the public about culinary traditions involving tomatoes. Others
contributing to the success of this event included Kay Reed,
Maureen Holt, Rosalyn Bloomston, Linda Godfrey, Pat
Terry, Susan Swagler, Jan Gautro, Becky Stayner, Jen Barnett,
and Alexis Douglas.
Our June social/luncheon gave members the opportunity to
get to know three candidates for membership. The Nominating Committee was chaired by Becky Satterfield along with
Susan Nash Gilpin, Sherron Goldstein, Martha Johnston,
Mary Esther Mathis, Kathy Mezrano, Angela Schmidt and
Annette Thompson.
BO S TO N
Lucille Giovino
Something new, easy going, fun, and informative was at the
forefront for the Boston Dames this past spring: “Table in the
Back” at Citybar in the Hotel Lenox where Nina Senatore is a
Guest Experience Ambassador. Eight Dames sipped beverages
and discussed fundraising and future event ideas and imparted
advice to new members concerning interviews and hiring staff.
Resuming in late August on a monthly basis, this will continue
as an informal gathering at one of a myriad of upscale bars in
the Boston area. We look forward to more Dames dropping in
to share experiences and stories.
C leveland
Shara Bohach
In April, Cleveland
Dames spoke as part
of a women’s series
at Felice Urban Cafe.
They introduced
guests to LDEI
and its educational
and philanthropic
mission, and shared
Joan Pistone, Cynthia Schuster Eakin,
Bev Shaffer.
stories of their own,
women-owned businesses. Chapter president Shara Bohach, Carol Hacker, Paula
Hershman, Beth Knorr, and Marilou Suszko spoke.
In May, Crickett Karson hosted a membership drive and
potluck at her home, which was well attended by Dames and
potential members. In June, we gathered for a happy hour at
Petite Triangle Cafe after a visit to Paula Hershman’s new Storehouse Teas facility. In July, we visited Chateau Hough Urban
Vineyards and BioCellar (see page 22).
D allas
Jennifer Brightman Moschel
Dallas Dames gathered for our annual potluck picnic in June
at restaurant Mint, hosted by owner Nikky Phinawatana. What
great venue for us to reconnect and meet our new Dames, not to
mention our beloved Renie Steves who was able to join us.
Les Dames d’Escoffier International
Our biggest news comes from the University of Texas at Austin, Department of American Studies. Our chapter has contributed a total of
$80,000 towards our $100,000 commitment to the Presidential Endowment at UT. This endowment is to help support graduate research in
Texas, women food and culture in the Lone Star state. When Dallas
Dames who are members of Foodways Texas learned of the relationship
between the department at UT and Foodways, the decision was made
to support these American Study graduates. Department chair Steve
Hoelscher, said “American Studies is well situated to study the relationship between food and humanities.”
We are looking forward to Steve joining us for our general board
meeting in November to discuss the program with our members. Our
philanthropy team, chaired by Lynn Mattie has said this is “important
to LDEI Dallas to preserve the history of Texas food culture. Way to go
in helping preserve our history in food!
H AWA I I
Kathi Saks
July 26th was the 2nd Annual MW
Tea & Bakers Faire sponsored by Michelle Karr-Ueoka. At this event was a
fundraiser for our local Hawaii Chapter.
Dames selling
their own baked
goods, drinks and
associated yummies
were Abi Langlas
from Cakeworks,
Satomi Goo from
The Tea Chest,
Jacquie Lau, Lee
Anne Wong from
Koko Head Café,
and Michelle
presenting her
incredible desserts
from MW Restau- Kathy Masunaga, Krystal Kakimoto, Abi Langlas.
rant. At our Dames’
table, we sold savory
and sweet pies by Kathy Masunaga of Sweet Revenge; nougat by Liz
Anderson of Hawaiian Nougat Co.; fresh nutmeg and cloves from Lesley Hill of Waialea Agricultural Group on the Big Island; jams & curds
from Aletha Thomas’ Monkeypod Jam collection; and organic honey
from Whendi Grad’s Big Island Bees Honey.
Patrons arrived 45 minutes early for this very popular two-hour event.
Customers purchased dollar tickets, and vendors collect the amount
of tickets from the customer, so no actual money changed hands and
we didn’t have to mess with currency, tax, credit cards, etc. Michelle
handled all this at the end. Vendors decided how much to contribute to
LDEI Hawaii. Of course, all the Dames at our table graciously donated
all their goods!
Many thanks to Krystal Kakimoto, Janice Yap, Kathy Masunaga,
and her “elf,” Kaila for working the tables and to all the Dames who
participated and attended.
K AN SA S C I TY
Kimberly Stern
Dames helped make successful Cultivate
KC’s birthday bash on June 27 by collaborating with the nonprofit during the week
of Kansas City’s annual Urban Farm and
Garden Tour. Lisa Farmer and Rebecca
Miller baked five Texas sheet cakes to feed
350 guests, and Kay Benjamin designed
a striking centerpiece cake for the cakecutting ceremony.
FA L L Q u a rt e r ly 2 015
On July 11, we toured the “Ferran Adrià: Notes on Creativity”
exhibit at the Nelson-Atkins Museum. Lunch in the Museum’s
Rozzelle Court that boasts an ancient Roman tub turned into a
fountain preceded a personal tour of the world-famous exhibit
by Catherine L. Futter, Louis L. and Adelaide C. Ward, Senior
Curator of European Arts at the Nelson-Atkins. Before the
exhibit opened, Kimberly Stern spent an afternoon exploring
Kansas City’s rich local food scene in the East and West Bottoms
with the legendary chef.
We are planning a fundraiser on November 4, “Shop for Sheffield: An Evening at Function Junction in Crown Center.” Mary
Merola, owner of Function Junction, will host cooking demos,
food and drink, and shopping with a discount. A percentage of
sales will go to Sheffield Place, a Kansas City-based nonprofit
organization that helps traumatized homeless mothers and their
children. Residents maintain a garden onsite where they pick
afternoon snacks.
Los Angeles/Orange County
Alison Ashton
In July, Nancy Eisman, Miki Hackney, and Ida Rodriguez of
Melissa’s Produce welcomed LDEI Legacy Award Winner Jenn
Moniz, a lead-event chef with Bold American Events in Atlanta.
She spent the week at Melissa’s learning about farm-to-table produce and cuisine, and toured the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market
with Amelia Saltsman.
Co-President Phyllis Ann Marshall organized a unique May
tour of the private coffee “farmette” at the Costa Mesa home of
Martin Diedrich, founder of Kean Coffee. Diedrich introduced
Dames to the complex process of crafting the perfect cup of joe.
He showed them how to pick ripe coffee “berries” from plants he
has brought back globally. “Coffee has as much distinction and
character as fine wine,” said Diedrich. “I’m looking for coffee with
personality. Coffee that excites me, because it will excite you.”
Chef Melissa Ward, who specializes in organic and healing
cuisine, has organized Healthy Bites, a monthly nutrition group
at the Downtown Women’s Center in Los Angeles, which our
chapter supports. The center offers homeless women shelter
during the day, including free meals. “I teach them ways to
eat healthy and stay away from junk food,” said Ward. “Most
women desire to take care of themselves, and homeless women
are no different.
Phyllis Ann Marshall and Martin Diedrich. LDEI legacy award winner,
Jenn Moniz, on a Melissas tour. Left to right: Kate Meyer, Dame Miki
Hackney, LDEI Legacy Award Winner Jenn Moniz, Dame Ida Rodriguez,
Dame Nancy Eisman, Dame Amelia Saltsman, and Chris Dionne. Photos
by Alison Ashton.
M I AM I
Ellen Kanner
Summer swelter didn’t stop Miami Dames. We started May our favorite way—with our annual Legacy Awards Scholarship Luncheon
at Smith and Wollensky. Education Director Ana Plana awarded
$5,000 each to Shara Bethou, a young culinary student, and Guirlande Andre, a single mother of two who has been homeless and is
now training to enter the culinary field. We are proud to honor and
support these two women and make a difference.
25
In July, our Outreach Committee, chaired by Nancy Ancrum,
hosted our third annual Bastille Day Brunch at l’Epicerie in
Wynwood. Over 40 new and existing members enjoyed what has
become a boisterous, beloved tradition.
Summer also marked our largest membership drive. Thanks
to Membership Director Irene Moore, the Miami chapter
welcomed 35 new members. We celebrated the new even as we
honored the old. We will toast the Miami chapter’s 15th anniversary at our annual Escoffier Dinner. Chaired again by Alejandra
Bigai, this year’s gala takes place on October 10 at the Mandarin Oriental. This year, we will present an award to Miami chef
Cindy Hutson.
M onterey B ay
Carol S. Hilburn
In addition to making our annual donation to the Escoffier
Museum in France, we provided a $5,000 scholarship to Christina Morales. She graduated on June 18 from the Rancho Cielo
Drummond Culinary Academy, a non-profit learning and social
services center for under-served and at-risk youth in Monterey
County. Christina received a total of $15,000 in scholarships
and will continue her culinary studies at the Escoffier School in
Austin, Texas.
On March 15, members enjoyed a beautiful day and lunch at
Stonepine Estate in Carmel Valley. “How to Set a Memorable
Table” was presented by Anna Vandenbroucke, owner of Set
in Your Way, Suzanne VonDrachernfeis, author of The Art of the
Table, and Don Hilbrun, on the Valentino approach to table décor. We were fascinated to hear about the history of table setting,
and the importance of table decorating, whether it’s for six or six
hundred guests.
On July 12, Dorothy Maras-Ildiz, Senior Culinary Liaison/
Event Coordinator for Pebble Beach Food & Wine and L.A.
Food & Wine, spoke to the group about her experiences working
with over 2,000 chefs around the world. A fabulous luncheon
was provided by Cheryle Pisto and her husband, Chef John
Pisto, at their beautiful home and gardens in Monterey. Specialty
cocktails from the Bar Cart Cocktail Company, added to the
day’s festivities, along with wines donated by Hunter Lowder of
Holman Ranch and Kathleen Karlsen of Chock Rock.
PA LM SP RINGS
Pamela Bieri
More than 30 people attended the chapter’s Spring Farm Tour
on April 20, narrated by our own Nancy Cohee. We visited Blair
Ranch for a close up of grapes, citrus and dates. Letty Basquez
of Burrtec’s Commercial Compost center explained how green
waste is turned into dirt. Bob Keeran at the Coachella Valley
Water District took guests into the control room for a first-hand
Seated from left: Kelly McFall, Sue Rappaport, Diane von Welanetz Wentworth, Gail Nottberg, Nikki Bianchi, Felicia Benavides,
Jennifer Town, Nancy Cohee, Kristy Kneiding, Ellen Spencer, Lisa
Wherry, Bonnie Barkley, Dawn Rashid, Andrea Rosenblatt.
Bottom photo, from left: Pam Bieri, Nancy Cohee, Lisa Wherry,
Mindy Reed, Gail Nottberg, Janet Harris.
peek at how water is distributed to farms and urban areas.
Adrian Zendejas, GM of Desert Mist, talked about the bell
pepper harvest as the group watched field workers pick and
pour their peppers into bins. The tour ended with a fabulous farm-to-table lunch at the Cafe at Shields. This event
benefits LDEI’s Green Table Initiatives.
On May 4, our annual membership meeting was held
at Zin American Bistro, hosted by Mindy Reed. Several
prospective members attended. Nancy Cohee gave a brief
presentation on what LDEI chapters do locally and in
Canada and the United Kingdom.
On June 1 we held our last meeting for the season at
State Fare at the Ritz Carlton Rancho Mirage. Four new
and prospective members joined in the festivities. Looking
forward to next season’s events. Planning sessions over the
summer included our signature “L’Affaire Chocolate” in
February 2016.
PH oenix
Marianne Belardi
Arizona C-CAP Director Jill Smith arranged a luncheon
and tour of the impressive kitchens at Metro Tech Vocational School, integral to C-CAP’s one-year program for
underserved teenagers at risk of graduating with neither
job nor college prospects. With the school calendar’s “April
in Paris” theme, students practiced C-CAP competition
recipes including Tomato Cucumber Salad with Lime
Vinaigrette, Poulet Chasseur, and Crêpes Sucrees.
Late Breaking News! MEXICO CHAPTER
Ann Stratte
This just in from South of the Border: “Las Damas” d’Escoffier
Mexico has arrived! Just as the fall Quarterly is headed to the
presses, LDEI President Elect Maria Gomez (San Diego and LA/
Orange County) reports the formation of a Mexico Chapter of
LDEI—our third one outside the country. After three years and
the extraordinary efforts put forth by Maria, Rocio Mejia Diaz
(proposed President of the Mexico chapter), and many others, the
charter is nearly finalized. A total of 16 accomplished women have
joined together to form this fantastic addition to our organization.
Read the winter Quarterly for more about our Mexico Chapter.
26
Verónica Castro, Eleonora García, Erika Jimenez,
Rocio Mejia Diaz, Alicia Paramo, Antonieta Gámez,
Maria Gomez, Romina Kayachanian.
Les Dames d’Escoffier International
Craft cocktails with infused spirits and garnishes using Maya’s Farm
herbs grown 50 yards away kicked off a memorable al fresco evening at
Quiessence at the Farm, Pat Christofolo’s iconic Arizona restaurant. Pat’s
son, Chef/Owner Dustin Christofolo, prepared a stunning salad, microlocal antipasti array, grilled hamachi collar tacos with hand-made tortillas,
and a not-too-sweet finale of light, inventive apple/marscapone cannoli.
Kelly Bostock coordinated a Southern Arizona wine country tour
and greeted us at Dos Cabezas Wineworks, the award-winning Soniota
Vineyards winery and vacation rental she and winemaker husband Todd
own. Chapter president Charleen Badman laid a picnic-style feast as we
sipped and heard talks of Todd’s empty bottle collection. At Callaghan
Vineyards, renowned Arizona wine pioneer Kent Callaghan fielded
questions. Just a few miles away, hardworking winemaker and prospective member Ann Roncone briefly abandoned her tractor to pour us
tastes of her all-Italian varietals.
fermentation bar. The group was treated to a shrub demonstration
(a concoction made from fruit, sugar, and vinegar) by fermentation guru Gillian Helquist. Then we had a delicious lunch made
from local ingredients—many from Cindy’s farm. The Shed was a
winner of a 2014 James Beard Award for restaurant design.
A group of Dames convened on June 1 at Central Milling in
Petaluma, a company that sources wheat and other grains from
organic farms in the Midwest. The company supplies many noted
bakeries and restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area. Following a tour and a video, Kathleen Weber, who uses their flour,
led the way to her nearby ranch where she and her husband Ed,
started their Della Fattoria bakery over a decade ago. They saw
their original wood-fired oven, built by noted brick-oven builder
Alan Scott, then enjoyed a lunch at a long table in the shade of a
towering oak tree.
S an A N TO NIO
S eattle
It’s not easy starting any innovative business. Women facing the challenge in culinary industries have the added burden of being a minority
within their field, which often makes it tough for them to finance their
revolutionary work.
On September 30, our chapter hosted a fundraiser designed to provide
support to such pioneering women. Proceeds from the inaugural “Plate
Changer” luncheon will fund the “Aspirations Grant,” created to empower and further the business improvements or culinary innovation of
female entrepreneurs in South Texas and the Hill Country.
“Our chapter is excited to present the two Plate Changers to San
Antonio and introduce people to the profound effects they are having
on wellness through nutrition,” says incoming chapter president Blanca
Aldaco. “Their innovation, focus, drive and success is sure to spur other
women to reach for the stars with their own ideas.”
This quarter our chapter reviewed governance practices by completing a board assessment. As part of this process, we are creating a chapter mission statement that we expect to formally adopt
at our September Annual General Meeting. Our meetings have
focused on the value of our Green Tables work. The summer
months are quieter for the Seattle chapter but we are creating a
new website to support our growing membership, bolstering our
public awareness and hosting the 3rd Annual Summer Supper
and Farm Tour.
Julia Rosenfeld
S an D iego
Teresa Palzkill
In April, more than 20 members and guests participated in a
very special cheese-making class
held at The Cheese Store of San
Diego. The owners, Aaron and
Marci Flores, arranged to have
Tamara Hicks, owner of Tomales
Farmstead Creamery, fly in from
Glennalie Coleman_Carol Blomstrom,
Pt. Reyes to share her experiences Brenda Hollis, and Marie Kelley at the
in creating her farm, creamery and San Diego County Fair.
company. We were fortunate to
taste all six of her seasonal cheese offerings.
Members visited Scrumptious Schoolyard, Cardiff. The chapter donated the garden in memory of the late Katie Rosenblatt. It was wonderful to see the garden and plaque placed by Scrumptious Schoolyards to
honor Katie and our chapter.
In June our chapter funded to buses to take low-income students to
the San Diego County Fair. Students participated in the agriculture
education program by learning how to plant and nurture edible plant
seeds at their schools. The students brought their crops for judging at
the fair. Marie Kelley and Carol Blomstrom served as judges for the
event. Topping off June was the annual New Member Cocktail Party.
The chapter welcomed 13 new members at the event held at Teddie
Lewis’s beautiful home. Members shared stories, learn about the new
members and nibble on treats prepared by all.
S an FR A N C ISCO
Fran Gage
Cindy Daniel led a group of Dames on an April tour of the Healdsburg
Shed, her modern grange that includes a market, cafe, event space, and
FA L L Q u a rt e r ly 2 015
Nicole Aloni
WAS HI NGTO N
Ann Stratte
The chapter welcomed new members April Fulton, Bette Alberts, Laurie Bell, Susan Barocas, and Julia Dowling Rutland
at a rousing general membership meeting.
Our chapter’s annual summer potluck was held on July 13 at
CiCi Williamson’s home. Of course, delicious food and drink
flowed. More
than 40 members attended
including a guest
from LDEI’s
new Nashville
chapter, Nancy
Vienneau.
Nancy read
about our event
in the LDEI
e-newsletter and
happened to
be visiting her
daughter in the
DC area. Linda
Joyce Forristal
and Theresa
Morrison gave
her rides to and
from home.
Nancy is an
author whose recent cookbook, Theresa Morrison, Nancy Vienneau (Nashville) and
Third Thursday Linda Forristal. Charter member Carol Cutler and
Community Pot- Najmieh Batmanglij. Photos by CiCi Williamson.
luck Cookbook,
was entered in LDEI’s M.F.K. Fisher Awards contest.
As always, it was a delightful evening with much camaraderie,
laughter and darn good food. It was a special treat to have our new
members join us for the convivial evening.
27
Member Milestones
Atlanta
Susan Nicholson,
RDN, celebrates
the 20th anniversary of her "7-Day
Menu Planner"
that appears on
the Universal
Uclick syndicate. Susan Nicholson
Her column first
appeared in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on August 10, 1995. Her
Nicholson’s 7-Day Menu Planner
brings practical, nutritious,budgetfriendly and easy meals to the table.
AUSTIN
Beth Vlasich
Pav launched
her new website
and brand Beth
Pav’s “Cooking by
Design” offering food styling,
culinary instruction, and personal
chef services. See
her food journal
“Fresh-fromBeth” at www.
cookingbydesign.
com/fresh-frombeth/
28
Becky LuigartStayner, Photographer/Owner,
Sunny House Studio,
attended the Bread
for the World Lobby
Day in Washington
in June. The Alabama team met with Becky Luigart-Stayner
all four Alabama
congressmen’s offices to push for hunger
legislation.
Maggie Kennedy, photography director
at Garden & Gun magazine, produced
and art directed the photography for The
Southerner’s Cookbook, from the editors at
G&G debuting Fall 2015.
CHICAGO
Beth Vlasich Pav
Birmingham
Kathy G. Mezrano, Founder/
President, Kathy
G. & Company,
was named to the
Top 50 Over 50
List. These awards
were introduced
in 2014 by
Positive Maturity to show that while
growing older is unavoidable, growing up
is optional.
CHARLESTON
Cathy Strange
received The
American Cheese Cathy Strange
Society’s (ACS)
Lifetime Achievement Award for over
30 years of leadership in the cheese
industry at Whole Foods Market.
ACS is dedicated to the craft of highquality cheese making and educating
Certified Cheese Professionals.
Katherine
Cobbs, food
writer/author/editor, has accepted a
position as Senior
Editor/Brand
Leader with Time
Inc. Books in Birmingham. www.
katherinecobbs.
com
CiCi Williamson (Washington)
Barbara Glunz’s The House of Glunz
was named the “Best Wine Shop in
Chicagoland” by Chicago Magazine. Five
generations of Glunzes have curated the
selections by long-standing relationships
with vintners from France to Lebanon.”
Ina Pinkney’s self-published memoir
Ina’s Kitchen is being reprinted by Agate
Publishing in paperback. A documentary about 31 days in Ina’s business will
have its world premiere screening at the
Chicago International Film Festival in
October. Ina is the author of the monthly
column, “Breakfast With Ina,” in the
Chicago Tribune.
CLEVELAND
Bev Shaffer will be filling the volunteer
Culinary Instructor Role for First Lady
Michelle Obama’s pilot program through
Share Our Strength’s “Cooking Matters
No Kid Hungry” program that teaches
low-income adults
very basic kitchen
skills to make healthy,
easy, cheap meals at
home.
Colorado
Katherine Cobbs
Kathy G. Mezrano
Megan Gray
Stromberg’s BARley
Colorado Craft &
Megan Gray Stromberg
Draft celebrated the
Steamboat Springs drafthouse’s first anniversary in August. Recognized by The New
York Times, and Delta Sky Magazine, they
offer 31 craft beers on tap, and focusing
on all Colorado spirits and food products,
it’s truly a farm to foam experience.
HAWAII
Jean Hull is the catalyst for the largest
endowment to Hawaii Community
College in its 50year history. The
result of 26 years
of fundraising, the
ACF Kona Kohala
Chefs Association
& Jean Hull, CCE,
AAC Culinary Endowment will support the culinary
program at the new
HCC-Palamanui
campus.
Jean Hull
Kansas City
Karen Adler and
Carolyn Wells
appear on Thrillist’s recent “12 of
Karen Adler
the Most Important Women in
BBQ” list. Carolyn
is founder and
executive director
of the Kansas City
Barbeque Society,
boasting more than
21,000 members.
Carolyn Wells
Karen co-wrote the
best selling Gardener & The Grill with
Judith Fertig. Karen and Judy recently
published a book of French bistro inspired recipes, BBQ Bistro.
Kimberly Winter
Stern, president
of the chapter, was
named as Editor-inChief of KC Magazine, Kansas City’s
leading monthly
lifestyle magazine
She can be heard
Kimberly Winter Stern
weekly on KCMO
710/103.7 as Chef Jasper Mirabile’s cohost on his popular food show, “LIVE!
From Jasper’s Kitchen.”
Roxanne Wyss and Kathy Moore’s
newest cookbook, The Newlywed
Cookbook: Cooking Happily Ever After
(St. Marten’s Griffin Press), was recently
released. It’s geared for today’s contemporary and anything-but traditional
newlyweds.
Los Angeles/Orange County
Carole Bloom,
CCP, contributed an essay to the
newly published
Oxford Companion
to Sugar and Sweets
(Oxford University
Press, 2015). www.
carolebloom.com.
Carole Bloom
Les Dames d’Escoffier International
Janet Burgess taught
five weeks of cooking
camps in the San Diego
area to 125 students
ages 7-12 who learned
about healthy food
and participated in the
famous Iron Chef Series
on the last day of camp. Janet Burgess
Each received a copy of
her cookbook for children, CHOP, COOK,
MUNCH!
Amelia Saltsman
announces the publication of The Seasonal
Jewish Kitchen: A Fresh
Take on Tradition (Sterling Epicure, August
2015) with foreword
by Deborah Madison
and an endorsement
by Grande Dame Alice
Waters. Her agent is
Lisa Ekus (Boston).
Amelia Saltsman
Nashville
Jessica Collins is the
new pastry chef at The
Farm House Restaurant
in the SoBro District of
Jessica Collins
downtown Nashville.
She specializes in creating beautiful farm-to-table desserts.
New York
Lidia Bastianich was interviewed at the
USA Pavilion at Expo Milano 2015 on July
7, on “An Italian in America—Food, Family,
Traditions and Change” by Dorothy Cann
Hamilton, president of Friends of the USA
Pavilion and CEO of the International Culinary Center in New York City.
Linda Pelaccio celebrated the 200th episode
of her radio/podcast, “A Taste of the Past,” on
HeritageRadioNetwork.org. The half-hour
interview show focuses on topics of culinary
history and has included interviews with more
than 24 Dames in various chapters.
Hiroko Shimbo helped to open a Japanese cafe restaurant MOCU MOCU, nyc.,
specializing in new dishes such as okonomiyaki (Japanese savory pancake) and obanyaki
(sweet, stuffed pancake). She developed the
menu, trained the kitchen staff, and was featured on several video and print interviews.
Karen Benvin Ransom was awarded “Volunteer of The Year” by
the Katonah Museum of
Art in Katonah, Town of
Bedford. For 25 years,
Karen has been the coowner and founder of
Homarus Inc., Seafood
Smokehouse in Mt.
Kisco.
Karen Benvin Ransom
FA L L Q u a rt e r ly 2 015
Northeast
Karen Cook was chosen 2015 Marketer of
the Year Award by the North American Agricultural Marketing Officials. Karen and her
family own and operate the 145-acre Cider
Hill Farm in Amesbury, Massachusetts.
Virginia Willis visited
New England for some
down-home conversation about classic American foods from across
the Mason-Dixon Line.
Over 50 guests were entertained by the conversation facilitated by chef,
food, wine, and travel
writer Annie Copps and
hosted by the executive
director of the BCAE
Susie Brown.
Lisa Webster of NorthStar Sheep Farm, and
Catherine Frost, of Folio
Marketing/Creative,
hosted Outstanding in
the Field which, in 15
years, have visited 45 of
the United States and
nine countries creating dinner events that
celebrate the farmer.
Joanne Chang of Flour
Bakery joined writer/
cookbook author Dorie
Greenspan for a unique
conversation/reception
called “Baker to Baker,”
where they shared personal and professional
experiences as bakers.
The event was hosted
by Susie Brown of the
Boston Center for Adult
Education.
Susan Jaime
Virginia Willis
Annie Copps
Susan Jaime participated in three White
House roundtable discussions in May on
the future of the Export/Import Bank.
Seated directly next to President Obama,
Susan represented small, minority businesses
which the bank assists. Jaime’s Ferra Coffee
International works directly with small-batch
organic coffee and cacao growers.
Maureen Weissman and her husband Chef
Andrew opened Moshe’s Golden Falafel.
They prioritize food and service like all their
other establishments but started building
Moshe’s with the idea that it could someday
become a franchise.
SAN DIEGO
Lisa Webster
Kate McDevitt has
received the 2015
“Outstanding Community Partner of the Year”
award from the California Association for
Health, Physical Educa- Kate McDevitt
tion, Recreation and
Dance (CAPHERD) Unit 47-412. The award
recognizes her commitment to improving the
health of the children in San Diego County.
San Francisco
Joanne Chang
SAN ANTONIO
Crystal Z. Dady has
opened Shuck Shack
with her husband Jason.
Their newest restaurant
has become a fast hit
Dorie Greenspan
with couples looking
for a decadent meal of
oysters, lobster rolls, wine and craft beer and
with young families taking advantage of the
restaurant’s playground and kids’ menu.
Julia Rosenfeld has
launched Food Chick
Tours. The veteran
dining reviewer offers
chauffer-driven, smallgroup visits to culinary
producers, chefs and
restaurants designed to
be intimate, fun and informative. Tours include
visits to a molino, a gelateria, barbecue pits,
and independent restaurants.
Julia Rosenfeld
Amy Myrdal Miller,
MS, RDN, was selected
by the Academy of
Nutrition and Dietetics to give the 2015
Lenna Frances Cooper
Memorial Lecture at the
2015 Conference and
Expo in Nashville. The
speaker’s talk is titled,
“Success in Dietetics:
Inspired by Farmers,
Flavor, and Fun!”
Amy Myrdal Miller
Suzette Gresham
received a second
Michelin star for
Acquarello, becoming
Suzette Gresham
the third woman with
the designation in the
U.S. Acquarello—now celebrating 25 years,
was listed by Gayot.com in the Top 10 Italian restaurants in the U.S., and received the
2015 Grand Award from The Wine Spectator
Jeannette Ferrary had her photography
exhibited at the Grape in the Fog gallery in
Pacifica, of her collection “Flowers in Our
Hair;” The Streets of San Francisco, in May.
29
Janet Fletcher announces the publication of
Yogurt: Sweet and Savory
Recipes for Breakfast,
Lunch, and Dinner (Ten
Speed Press). The book
has been featured in Sunset and Family Circle.
Janet Fletcher
Linda Anusasananan
was featured in “Dandelion Cuisine” about
her experience writing The Hakka Cookbook,
Chinese Soul Food from around the World
in The Cleaver Quarterly. Her Pounded Tea
(lei cha) recipe is featured online for Expo
Milano 2015.
Alice Medrich’s 10th
book, Flavor Flours: A
New Way to Bake with
Teff, Buckwheat, Sorghum, Other Whole &
Ancient Grains, Nuts,
and No-Wheat Flours,
was published by Artisan
Books and won the 2015
James Beard Award for
Best Baking Book.
Alice Medrich
Joyce Goldstein’s 80th
birthday was honored
by a crew of her former
chefs—including Amaryll Schwertner—who
resurrected her groundbreaking restaurant,
Joyce Goldstein
Square One, for a night
as a pop-up diner. Held on July 26, tickets sold
for $250 as a benefit for families of children
with disabilities.
Joanne Weir launched
a new television series,
“Joanne Weir Gets
Fresh,” nationally syndicated on PBS. Her food
memoir Kitchen Gypsy,
Recipes and Stories from
a Lifelong Romance with
Food (Oxmoor House/
Sunset) was released in
September.
Kathy Strahs announces
The 8x8 Cookbook of
right-sized square meals
for family-friendly
weeknight dinners, the
first release from her new
independent publishing
company, Burnt Cheese
Press.
Joanne Weir
Kathy Strahs
Joyce Goldstein, Margo True, and Andrea
Nguyen were spotlighted in a July 7 New York
Times feature on drought-tolerant cooking
in California, “California’s Drought Changes
Habits in the Kitchen” by Kim Severson.
Emily Kaiser Thelin, recipient of the San
Francisco chapter’s Karola Saekel fellowship,
launched a Kickstarter campaign with Andrea
Nguyen to fund a biographical cookbook
about Paula Wolfert, now living with
Alzheimer’s Disease, and raised more than
$91,465 for Unforgettable.
SEATTLE
Jerilyn Brusseau, Co-Founder of Peace
Trees Vietnam, was invited by Vice President Joseph Biden to his luncheon on July
7 in honor of Vietnam General Secretary,
Nguyen Phu
Trong, at the
State Department. She was
the keynote
speaker for the
“Conference
on Women’s
Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joseph Biden, Jerrilyn Brusseau, and U. S.
Empowerment through Ambassador to Vietnam, Ted Osius.
Entrepreneurship” in Yangon, Myanmar, and
the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi invited Jerilyn to
meet Second Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, for a private
briefing on Peace Trees humanitarian work.
Danielle Custer is the co-creator of Mobile
Mavens, a fleet of unique, pop-up food trucks
and bike carts owned by Bon Appetit Management and launched June 30. The lineup includes L’ilBlu (cocktails), Biscuit Box, GaiBox
(Asian chicken & rice), Picnic and more.
Kathleen Flinn has
been named Chair of
the Board of Trustees for
The Culinary Trust. The
nonprofit was co-founded by Grande Dames
Julia Child and Shirley
Corriher to serve as the
non-profit foundation
for IACP.
Thoa Nguyen competed
on the Food Network
program, “Beat Bobby
Flay.” She beat the star
with her version of
Bibimbap, a Korean rice
bowl dish. Thoa is the
chef and restaurateur
Kathleen Flinn
Thoa Nguyen
in memoriam
Lea Brueckner (Atlanta)
Lea Rae Brueckner died at home on July 7, after a long battle
with cancer. She was 46. Lea was born on Valentine’s Day
1969 in Fargo, North Dakota while her father was deployed to
Vietnam. A proud “Army Brat,”
she and her family called seven
different states “home.” Lea also
lived in and loved Germany
where she spent a part of her
childhood, teen and college
years. She easily related to
the European way of life. Her
exposure to a wide variety of
cultures early on helped shape
the woman of class, grace and
beauty she became.
Lea graduated from Enterprise
High School in Alabama in
1987 and from the University
of North Dakota in 1991 with a degree in Advertising and
Photography with a German minor. She met her husband,
Christopher Brueckner, at college. They were married in 1994
30
in Fairfax, Virginia, and settled in Atlanta. Here they built a life
together with their careers, their dogs, their garden, and eventually, in 2008, their beloved daughter, Emerson.
A natural and enthusiastic gourmet, Lea made everything she
touched look and taste divine. Her career evolved from this arena to the event management business which required a blending
of her God-given gifts of vision, design, forecasting, resilience
and style. At the time of her death, she was the global event
manager for the law firm Kilpatrick, Townsend & Stockton.
More than a devoted professional, Lea was also a woman of
simplicity. Though she lived a fast-paced life in the city, her
heart belonged to the mountains of Montana where she had
hoped to move her family someday. She loved nothing more
than the hum of the breeze, the fragrance of the flowers, the
snort of a horse, and the giggle of her daughter.
Gayle Skelton, Atlanta Chapter President, said, “Lea’s passion was the Atlanta Chapter’s ‘Afternoon in the Country.’
She was very involved. She chaired it for some time and was
instrumental in its growth, taking it to where it is today—raising over $100,000 yearly. She laid the footprint for sure. I
worked with her for several years on it as did Barb Pires and
Stacy Ziegler. Her family told me at the funeral that she was
so very proud to be a Dame.”
Les Dames d’Escoffier International
of Chinoise Café and Wabi Sabi Sushi Bar—
opening her 3rd restaurant, Sushi Chinoise, in
late 2015.
Holly Smith re-opened her iconic Cafe Juanita
in Woodinville on July 14th after a thorough
“facelift” that took nearly six months. It boasts
a Chef ’s Table, private dining room for 30,
a lounge, elegant bathrooms, and a generally
fresh new face.
WASHINGTON
Najmieh Batmanglij has written a new book,
Joon*, Persian Cooking Made Simple (Mage
Publishing, 2015). The book includes 75
Persian recipes made simple—many requiring only one pot and less than an hour to
cook. It contains many vegan and vegetarian
options.*Joon means “life” in Farsi.
Amy Brandwein was featured on the front
page of the Washington Post’s Food Section
on June 17 on her experience and history of
cooking in DC. It highlights her new venture,
Centrolina Osteria and Market, in City Center’s Palmer Alley.
Susan Callahan produced an art show titled
“Women Chefs: Artists in the Kitchen” in
collaboration with Strathmore Center for the
Arts in Bethesda, Maryland, that runs until
November 4. Featured chefs include Ruth
Gresser, Carla Hall, and Kate Jansen. Special
exhibits include vintage kitchen materials and
an edible portraiture exhibit.
Christiana Chiang has opened a new restaurant, Kizuna Sushi & Ramen, in Tysons
Corner, Virginia.
Susan Delbert is the cover feature story in the
July 2015 edition of Food Service Monthly. The
article delves into Susan’s style of cooking as
executive chef at the National Press Club.
Ruth Gresser’s Pizzeria Paradiso took home
the award for Best Beer Program at the 2015
RAMMY awards (Restaurant Association of
Metropolitan Washington), and Polly Wiedmaier and husband, Chef Robert Wiedmaier,
won the award for Best Service Program of the
Year for their restaurant Marcel’s by Robert
Wiedmaier.
Carla Hall graced the cover of Parade Magazine
(circulation 32 million) with her ABC “The
Chew” co-hosts and recipes for a “Southern
Soiree.” Partnering with OTG Management,
she will open Page, a new 110-seat restaurant in
National airport’s historic Terminal A, serving
locally inspired fare.
Ris LaCoste received Industree’s “Hail to
the V” award. The annual award recognizes a
woman who stands out in our male-dominated
food and beverage industry and who continues
to innovate and inspire her peers.
Paula Shoyer is being honored on December 7
by Jewish Women International as one of their
10 Women to Watch 2015 because of her entreprenuerial achievements and dedication to the
preservation of Jewish heritage through food.
FA L L Q u a rt e r ly 2 015
Submission Guidelines
Deadlines
2016 WINTER ISSUE - November 9, 2015
2016 SPRING ISSUE - JANUARY 10, 2016
2016 SUMMER ISSUE - APRIL 10, 2016
Photography/Images
Electronic images must be properly focused and in color with a minimum
resolution of 300 dpi (TIFF or JPEG). Cell phone photos are acceptable if they
meet resolution requirements. Do not send photos taken off the Internet
or embedded with text in Word files or PDF files. Please identify individuals
in photos from left to right in the message of your email. Include photo
credits, if required, and captions. ALL PHOTOGRAPHS MUST COME WITH
CAPTIONS TO BE PUBLISHED.
Member Milestones
LIST DAME’S NAME and XXX CHAPTER. Each Dame may submit up to 50
words about honors or important business-related activities, as preferred, to
appear in print. Please include a website URL, if applicable. You may email
a quality headshot to accompany your news. Press releases and cookbook
covers are not accepted. Email your Member Milestone and photo to
Member Milestone Editor, Dottie Koteski at membermilestones@aol.com by
the deadline listed above. Entries received after these dates may appear in a
following issue. Photos of Dames networking at conferences or other chapter
events may also be sent to this section. Note: Due to space constraints, only
two Member Milestones will be published per Dame per year.
Chapter News
CHAPTER XXX (By, the submitter's name, office-or title, if any). Each
chapter may submit 250 words as you would like to see it in print. You may
include photos to accompany your news, noting photography requirements
above. Submissions that exceed the word count will be edited. (A lengthy
submission on a special chapter event could be considered for a feature;
contact the editor in advance.) Press releases are not accepted. We regret
we don't have space to print full menus but menu items can be included
in the copy. Submissions not conforming to this format may not be printed
due to deadlines and volunteer’s lack of time. Email to Janet Burgess at
chapterprograms@aol.com by the deadline date. Entries received after
this date may appear in the following issue. Note: "Chapter News" and
"Member Milestones" may be dispersed through LDEI social-media
channels, as well as in print and online.
E-News
This bimonthly publication will keep you informed about events in other
chapters and encourages networking. Press releases are not accepted.
Include an email contact, date, time, and cost for chapter events. Lack
of space prevents member milestones, product news, listing of cooking
classes, or tours. You will receive a reminder call for “E-News” email.
Respond to E-News Editor, Shelley Pedersen, at ldeinews@gmail.com
Upcoming
in the
winter issue
• Charleston Conference Coverage
• London Dame First Woman to Head Kitchen at Savoy Grill
• Washington, D.C. 2016 Conference
31
Ann Arbor
Atlanta
Austin
Birmingham
Boston
British Columbia, Canada
Charleston
Chicago
Cleveland/Northeast Ohio
Colorado
Dallas
Hawaii
Houston
Kansas City/Heart of America
Kentucky
London, England
Los Angeles/Orange County
Miami
Minnesota
Monterey Bay Area
Nashville
New York
North Carolina
Northeast
Palm Springs
Philadelphia
Phoenix
Portland
Sacramento
San Antonio
San Diego
San Francisco
Seattle
St. Louis
Washington
PREsorted
First Class
u s Postage
paid
Louisville KY
Permit #1051
P.O. Box 4961
Louisville, KY 40204
Photos by Margaret Houston
A u t u mn A ffa i r
By Paige Crone (Charleston)
As you register for the LDEI conference
this year, you’ll want to make sure you sign
up to partake in the Charleston Chapter’s
annual fundraiser, “An Autumn Affair.” On
what may likely be your first evening in
the “Holy City,” you will board a boat just
across the street from the hotel, and enjoy
an early evening cruise on the Ashley River
to your destination. As Citadel sailing crew
teams pass you by—and perhaps a sailboat
or two—you will be transported by the setting sun, the beautiful Lowcountry marshes
and wildlife, and the hush of it all.
As you arrive by boat, landing on the
banks of the Ashley, you will be greeted by
the Charleston Dames at the front door of
the beautiful 1786-era plantation home at
Lowndes Grove. This beautifully restored
National Historic Landmark offers an
unparalleled backdrop for our Charleston Dames fête. Within this relaxed and
refined setting, you’ll enjoy live music and
a fall festival feel. But that’s not even why
you’re here!
The real showstoppers are the local chefs
and purveyors, many of them Dames, who
will be offering up their finest tastings.
The local flavors will speak to your “inner
Southerner,” as you enjoy culinary creations
from the crème of our Charleston crop. As
you carry around your wine glass, prepare
to celebrate with wine makers and distributors, as well as local distillers and craft
brewers. You’ll probably want to try a little
sweet tea vodka, too!
You will also find a plethora of live and
silent auction items and experiences with
all proceeds benefitting local LDEI scholarships. Think cooking with Nathalie
Dupree, or a Charleston sweetgrass basket,
or one year’s worth of fine wine. And don’t
worry, we can always ship your purchases
home for you! In any event, don’t miss this
totally wonderful experience. Check the
box on your registration form and prepare
for an Autumn Affair!