Grande Dame Shirley Corriher - Les Dames d`Escoffier International

L E S D A M E S D ’ E S C O F F I E R I N T E R N AT I O N A L
FALL
2 O O 9
2009
Grande Dame
Shirley Corriher:
Cooking Charisma
through Chemistryy
4-7 2009
8 In
9-13
Grande Dame Shirley Corriher
F A L L • 2 OO 9
Honor of Carol Brock
French Potluck Picnic:
First LDEI Regional Gathering
14-15 Green
Tables: Fire Destroys
Farm Stand, Not Spirit
16 LDEI’s
17 Unusual
Food Careers: Dr. Marsha Echols
3 President’s
18-20
Global Initiative
21
22
Message
Chapter News
Member Milestones
Submission Guidelines
On the Cover:
Photo by Robin Nelson
Shirley O. Corriher, Bakewise, Scribner
Back cover:
First Regional Gathering
Delayed by unforeseen circumstances,
this exciting Quarterly issue was well
worth the wait. It highlights the organization’s first regional gathering at
Peg Rahn’s home in San Clemente and
our new Global Culinary Initiative. A
Green Tables story features Jennifer
Verrill-Faddol (Boston) who, with determination, helped rebuild her family’s farm stand after a destructive fire.
It also focuses on esteemed members
Grande Dame Shirley Corriher (Atlanta) and visionary founder Carol
Brock (New York) and also Food Trade
Attorney and Law Professor, Dr. Marsha Echols (Washington D.C.).
Congratulations Shirley! You have exactly the right chemistry to be LDEI’s
newest Grande Dame. With a pinch of
curiosity and a full measure of humor,
Shirley “cooks up chemistry” in the
kitchen, explaining why recipes can fail
for reasons beyond cooking skills. She
knows that with one false move, like in
chemistry class, your recipe can go from
dinner to disaster! Through the lens of
science, Shirley explores and demystifies the principles of cookery, providing
the tools needed to solve every culinary
dilemma. Her expertise has helped
everyone from the home cook to Julia Child to major corporations. Read
more about Grande Dame Shirley in
the article on page 6 Nathalie Dupree
(Charleston) paints a portrait through
essay, capturing Shirley’s spirit, her
personality and her passion for helping
novice and expert cooks understand the
science behind cooking.
Susan Fuller Slack, Editor
Teresa J. Farney C.H.E., C.C.P.
Susan Fuller Slack CCP
Dorothy R. Koteski
Kathy Gottsacker
Sandra Matsukawa Hu
Marie G. Kelley
Mary S. Moore
Aliza Miriam Green
Food Editor
The Gazette
7220 Delmonico Drive
Colorado Springs, CO 80919
(719) 636-0271 (w)
[email protected]
Principal
Sandy Hu Food Marketing LLC
380 Roosevelt Way
San Francisco, CA 94114
(415) 626-1765 (w)
[email protected]
Food Writer/Culinary Educator
Culinary Bouquets
116 Hurlingham Drive
Columbia, SC 29223
(803) 736-7103 (w)
[email protected]
President/Owner
Kelley Productions International
2047 Caminito Capa
La Jolla, CA 92037
(858) 456-6609 (w)
[email protected]
Professor, Allied Health Department
Community College of Philadelphia
27 Cooper Run Drive
Cherry Hill, NJ 08003-2244
(856) 489-0052 (h)
[email protected]
Founder/CEO
The Cook’s Warehouse
1095 Zonolite Road NE, Suite 104
Atlanta, GA 30306
(404) 492-9018 (w)
[email protected]
Retail/Education/Television/Food Writer
Schnuck Markets
12550 Falling Leaves Court
St. Louis, MO 63141
(314) 994-2266 (w)
[email protected]
Chef/Author/Consultant
640 Green Briar Road
Elkins Park, PA 19027
(215) 635-0651 (w)
[email protected]
Mary Ellen Griffin
Partner
Continental Consulting Group
320 Strawberry Hill Ave., #58
Stamford, CT 06902
(203) 975 7610 (w)
[email protected]
Suzanne J. Brown
Principal
Brown Marketing Communications, LLC
5415 Northland Drive NE, #203
Atlanta, GA 30342
(770) 377-3488 (c)
[email protected]
Greg Jewell
President
AEC Management Resources
P.O. Box 4961
Louisville, KY 40204
(502) 456-1851 x1
[email protected]
LDEI Legacy:
Enhanced Communication,
Cooperation and
Collaboration.
Dear Dames,
Autumn is my favorite time of year; cooler weather, seasonal
colors, the aroma of mulled cider, and spice scented candles. Fall
is the time for traditional events; school starts, communities hold
annual festivals, and organizations resume scheduled activities.
While LDEI is a year-round organization, fall traditionally
signals changes in Board of Director positions at the chapter
and international levels. We reflect on the past year, determining
the successes to carry forth in the coming years.
Serving as your LDEI President this year has been soulfully
rewarding. Starting with the induction of the St. Louis Chapter
Board of Directors, to working with conference Co-Chairs
Dottie Koteski and Anita Pignatoro to plan our Philadelphia
conference, I have talked and met with some of the most talented,
intelligent and incredibly successful women in my life. Starting
with our LDEI Board: Teresa Farney, president elect, Susan
Slack, 2nd vice president, Wendy Taylor, 3rd vice president,
Marie Kelley, secretary, Mary Moore, treasurer and our three
directors at large (DAL) Alice Gautsch Foreman, Sandy Hu,
and Zola Nichols, I would like to extend my appreciation
for your persistence, creativity and support. Organizing our
committees at the beginning of this year informed members
of volunteer opportunities and related tasks.
Our objective this year was to better brand LDEI through
enhanced and increased communication, cooperation and
collaboration. Always a work in progress, as your President,
I’ve been amazed at all we have accomplished:
Here’s a brief overview:
Communication: The LDEI Board established a new Board
mission, giving the organization specific direction, added a
headline to the LDEI e-newsletter, enhanced our LDEI web
site through additions and upgrades including e-commerce
capability, extended topics covered in the Quarterly to the web
site and revamped the Green Tables web site. Answering the
need for more networking through communications, I started
the Chat du Jour, a sporadic email to members on whatever
topics came to mind.
Cooperation: Chapter Presidents have shared their ideas,
events, issues, and challenges through DAL (Director At Large)
calls. In fact, all messaging, except for e-blasts to the entire
membership, has been via the DAL’s.
The first regional event was held with the Palm Springs, LA/
Orange County and San Diego Chapters at the home of Dame
Peg Rahn in San Clemente, CA. As a result of Green Tables
efforts, a new category of Dame membership has been established
to include farmers and food/beverage manufacturers.
Collaboration: With a committee chaired by Lila Gault, the
Legacy Awards were initiated this year to offer non-Dames at
the beginning or mid-career an opportunity for a one-week
internship with accomplished Dames in culinary, beverage
and hospitality industries. In an effort to truly become more
international, we started the Global Culinary Initiative to
embrace more ethnic communities into our chapter activities
and membership.
You, the chapters, are the leaders of LDEI and we’ve had
an action-packed, productive year. I look forward to moving
aside to the immediate past president board position as I hand
over the gavel to President Teresa Farney. We’ll have a healthy
transition Board of Directors including Sandy Hu, president
elect, Susan Slack, 2nd vice president, Marie Kelley, 3rd vice
president, Dottie Koteski, secretary, Mary Moore, treasurer,
and the following directors at large; Aliza Green, Mary Ellen
Griffin, and Kathy Gottsacker.
Thank you for the privilege of serving LDEI this year. To
quote the name of the book I’ve tried to follow this year, “To
Lead is to Serve,” and I truly adhere to that concept.
Warmest regards,
Suzanne Brown F A L L Q u a r te r ly 2 O O 9 3
Photo by Robin Nelson
B y N athalie D upree (C harleston C hapter )
4
Les Dames d’Escoffier International
F A L L Q u a r te r ly 2 O O 9 5
career description written for
Shirley Hecht
when, in 1975,
Photo: The James Beard Foundation
she won lessons at the cooking school
at Rich’s Department Store in Atlanta.
Like many women of her era, to support
herself she had to invent herself.
Imagine the ad:
Wanted - one food scientist capable of describing the characteristics of gluten by waving her
hands, laughing, and simplifying knowledge
heretofore expressed only in scientific ways to
a whole new audience of cooks who didn’t
know what they didn’t know.
Or,
Help Wanted. Brilliant communicator
with disarming, charming, soft Southern
accent to write best-selling books explaining the science of food to the general public
and academicians, appear on television
shows, be quoted in The New York Times
and other top newspapers and magazines,
and entertain large audiences.
6
SHIRLEY WAS A DESPERATELY BROKE SINGLE MOTHER
when I met her at Rich’s Cooking School (Ed. Note: Founded by Nathalie). She had
been forced out of Brandon Hall, the boy’s boarding school she started with a former
husband. With the help of her three children, she ran a newspaper route and was casting
around for a better way to support them all.
It was immediately obvious Shirley would do anything to continue working at Rich’s
full-time as long as she was learning something. It was also immediately obvious that she
knew things I wanted to know that no one else could tell me.
That was because Shirley had graduated cum laude from Vanderbilt University with a
bachelor’s degree in chemistry; she knew the science behind why food behaves as it does
during cooking. However, because she was a woman, if she had worked in a chemistry
lab in those days, she would have been the lowest person on the totem pole - probably
washing beakers and test tubes. (Shirley admits she could have gotten one job testing
fertilizer left over in railroad boxcars in a shack on the tracks.)
She went from chemistry to putting the now ex-husband through graduate school while
helping with the boy’s school, winding up cooking for 140 teen-aged boys and teachers.
(He did not help her go to graduate school, by the way, and it took six people in the
kitchen to replace her when she and the children left the school and the husband.)
Shortly after taking the cooking lessons, Shirley was on Rich’s payroll. It was apparent
her talents would best be used in ways other than washing dishes and setting up trays.
She ferreted out answers from, “Why are people so concerned about eggs in mayonnaise
and not in chocolate mousse?” to “Why and when is lemon curd safe?”
Taking lessons from everyone who knew more than she did, Shirley was able to give up
the paper route and demonstrate everything from omelet pans to Cuisinarts in department
stores. A natural teacher and story-teller, she became sought after to teach week-long
food science courses to corporate big wigs, scientific conventions and any other inquiring
minds she encountered in the United States and abroad.
Les Dames d’Escoffier International
Shirley hopped on the computer research
bandwagon long before most in the cooking school industry. She has been integral
to many organizations. For example, she
helped the International Association of
Culinary Professionals write its bylaws and
conceptualize the scholarship foundation.
Shirley served on IACP’s board during two
widely divergent periods, describing herself
in one election as “a square peg in a round
hole.” (She won.) An active Dame, she was
one of the first members of the Atlanta
Chapter, and she volunteers her time and
service to many chapters.
Importantly for me, Shirley invented
“The Pork Chop Theory.” In the 1970s,
professional women competed viciously
with each other. Not Shirley. She explained
that one pork chop in a pan would go dry,
but the fat from two or more pork chops
would feed the others. With this theory as
our guide, we were both able to reach out
to other women and mentor them as well as
each other. She has taken it further, appearing frequently with famed author Harold
McGee, for instance, whom she views as,
perhaps, just another pork chop.
Shirley added Corriher to her name after
marrying Archie Corriher, who had been
coming to her house for dinner every night
for five years before he popped the question.
He also brought his two children along to
live with her.
Shirley Corriher -- who once didn’t have
a career, didn’t know where she was going,
and was dead broke -- became a culinary
bombshell. She taught, taught, taught all
over the world and consulted for top businesses. She was the first person to make
food chemistry understandable to many
lay people and cooks.
She was also a good enough cook to convince
food scientists to hang on her every word.
The scientists who would have rejected a
woman in their labs were pounding down
F A L L Q u a r te r ly 2 O O 9 the door to learn from her. For example, if
you eat a certain company’s biscuits, you’ll
recognize her grandmother’s recipe she
taught to a Ph.D. food scientist who couldn’t
make a biscuit until she forced him to learn.
Chefs who wouldn’t welcome a woman in
their kitchen when she cooked for
Brandon Hall lined up to hear her
in packed audiences.
Her first book, CookWise, survived
rejection from a vicious editor who
told her she didn’t know a thing
about flour. That editor had just
written a cookbook on bread and
didn’t even understand about all
the various kinds of flour available.
After a revolving ferris wheel of eleven
editors, CookWise went on to become a bestselling “evergreen” book, having sold over
300,000 copies. With her release in 2008
of BakeWise, she won her second James
Beard award.
Other awards are stacked on the floor sharing
space with fan letters and scientific journals,
newspapers and magazines for which she’s
written. Although now famous, her phone
number hasn’t changed, so you might see
her answering her home phone patiently
explaining why someone’s cake failed.
If she isn’t appearing as the “Mad Scientist” on Alton Brown’s TV Food Network
Show “Good Eats” (among many others),
lecturing, or consulting, she is sitting with
(Top right)
Shirley’s first book,
CookWise
(Right)
Shirley’s second book,
BakeWise
Archie, entertaining a group of peers and
friends, telling jokes and making everyone
happy. (It is hard to know whose jokes are
better.) Her e-mail has over 200 questions
on it when her beloved Archie boots up the
computer every morning. Recently she was
the head speaker for a group of church and
school cooks, sharing yet again what she
knows, yet again, to people who knew she
had “been there.”
That’s Shirley Corriher, our Grande
Dame. We’re lucky to have her -- and her
“pork chop theory.”
Photo by Robin Nelson
T
here was no
7
Fales Library
“New Acquisitions Program”
by
R ozanne G old (N ew Y ork C hapter )
TO:T he chapters and members of L es D ames d ’E scoffier I nternational
As past President of Les Dames New York, and a member for 27 years, I have watched, in
fascination, one woman’s dream grow into a resounding success story. Today, thirty-five years
later, every member of Les Dames d’Escoffier benefits, both professionally and personally,
because of Carol Brock, the visionary who founded LDEI. For years we’ve been searching for some meaningful way to honor Carol and create a
legacy. Now, a wonderful opportunity presented itself at New York University’s esteemed
Fales Library -- considered to be the most important cookbook collection in the country. The “New Acquisitions Program,” in honor of Carol will help procure books, both rare and
new, in food studies, cooking, wine, gastronomy and culinary history. We are all invited
to become “ambassadors” of this five-year program and for its continuation in the future. Fales is also home to the archives of Les Dames d’Escoffier and its special history and we’re
proud of that, too.
While not an LDEI initiative, rather one started by the New York board, this is an exciting collective of members, chapters, and friends from all over the country who have come
together to pay homage to “the mother of us all.” The San Francisco chapter had the following to say: We applaud this effort on behalf of the love, support and hard work of Carol Brock and will do
what we can. Ours is not a great fund raising chapter, but instead put our efforts into mentoring
and volunteering, but we intend to support this cause however possible. By Dame Marie Kelley, LDEI Secretary
A member from Dallas wrote: Thank you so very much, Carol, for your creative vision. Your grace and elegance are qualities
that I strive to duplicate in my professional career. We are nearing our goal of $50,000.00. We welcome you to our list of contributors and
will welcome any donations you care to make…as a chapter, as a member, as a friend through
October. 31, 2009 when we hope to have received all our pledges and officially begin! All contributors will be listed in the materials related to the program and every donation
is tax-deductible.Thank you, and bless you, Carol. Send your contribution by check to: Dame Deborah Mintcheff, 129 East 69th Street, NY, NY 10021 Write Carol Brock/NYU Program on your check Photo: Carol Brock at the Rainbow Room for the Women in Gastronomy Week in New York.
Photography Credit For French Potluck Picnic:
Peg Rahn, Marie Kelly, Zola Nichols and Suzanne Brown
apitalizing on FUN -- fabulous food, lovely location, and abundant
camaraderie, Dames from Los Angeles/Orange County, San Diego and
Palm Springs Chapters gathered at Peg Rahn’s beautiful home in San Clemente
on Sunday July 19. In addition to sumptuous offerings of savory and
sweet delicacies, and delicious wines, “FUNds” were also raised for
the Escoffier Museum.
Festivities were underway with LA/OC and SD Dames when a drama
unfolded. The Palm Springs Dames had rented a bus and the air conditioning
broke down in the 118 °F temperatures. An hour later, a new bus appeared and
the wilted group was on their way, finally arriving in good spirits with flushed
faces and cleavage coolers in place to save the day (http://cleavagecoolers.com)!
Palm Springs LDEI President
Joy Lavitt, VP Nikki Bianchi,
Secretary Francine Robertshaw,
Greg Jewell and LDEI First VP
President Teresa Farney gather
outside the Marriott’s Desert
Springs resort.
Greeted by lots of hugs, they were ready for a glass of cold champagne and lunch.
Special attendees included LDEI President Suzanne Brown and LDEI First Vice
President Teresa Farney, who were in Palm Springs with Executive Director Greg
Jewell preparing for the 2010 LDEI conference. Arriving on the hottest day of the
year, they were graciously greeted with lots of warm hospitality!
Chef Vince of La Spiga
Restaurant, co-owned with wife
Dame Connie Cultraro, gives a
detailed description of wines
served during the board’s fourcourse dinner.
A mini meeting included introductions of our hostess, the present board, and
Palm Springs 2010 Conference Chair Zola Nichols. Suzanne gave an exciting
overview of the Philadelphia Conference with all the wonderful events that have
been planned. Future chapter events were listed, and each attendee shared her
needs. Peg is gathering the picnic recipes for a mini cookbook.
Discussions are underway for another regional meeting in the future to include
the San Francisco and Monterey Chapters. Stay tuned for more FUN!
Arrival at Peg Rahn ‘s home. Suzanne Brown:“Wow, I’ve never been so “hot!” Teresa Farney:“
Even my earings are hot!”
Middle: Palm Springs President Joy Lavitt at the Hyatt Grand Champions Resort inspection site.
For a taste of the delicious foods served at the picnic, you will find several recipes at the
LDEI website,http://www.lesdamesdc.org/. Editor
Right: Palm Springs Dame Anita Manchik.
10
Les Dames d’Escoffier International
F A L L Q u a r te r ly 2 O O 9 11
Hawai`i Seals of Quality
Look for this Seal and
Take Home Hawai`i’s Best!!
Los Angeles/ Orange
County Attendees
Susan Ballou
Tracey Downey
Lila Fulton PS
Ruthie Grahm
Miki Hackney
Alicia Hitchcock
Yvonne Kopina
Anita Manchik
Phyllis Ann Marshall
Link Mathewson
Carol Miller
Peg Rahn
Ida Rodriguez
Cathy Thomas
Melissa Ward
Diana von Welanetz
GENUINE
HAWAI`I-GROWN
HAWAI`I-MADE
PREMIUM PRODUCTS
San Diego Attendees
Janet Burgess
Maria Gomez-Laurens
Marie Kelley, LDEI Secretary
Louise Mathews
Vickie Mogilner
Palm Springs
“Bus Buddies”
The Hawai`i Seals of Quality is
an enforced branding program
that distinguishes the finest, highquality agricultural products from
Hawai`i.
Suzanne Brown,
LDEI President
Teresa Farney,
LDEI First Vice President
Zola Nichols,
2010 Conference Chairman
Nikki Bianchi
Donna Curran
Nancy Groeniger
Molly Hosner
Joy Lavitt
Barbara Mittelmann
Mary Clare Mulhall
Gail Nottberg
Francine Robertshaw
For more information, please visit www.
sealofquality.hawaii.gov
12
Les Dames d’Escoffier International
F A L L Q u a r te r ly 2 O O 9 13
Sharing her knowledge and talents, Jennifer
has enlightened younger members of her community about the benefits of sustainable farming by teaching them how to cook with fresh
produce straight from the fields. Her two young
daughters, Chloe (9) and Grace (6) can attest
to their mother’s cooking, but prefer the flavor
of fresh peas eaten raw right out of the pods to
Mom’s fresh asparagus and pea risotto!
Jennifer and her family have also hosted various events for Agriculture in the Classroom to
help teachers and students learn more about
sustainable agriculture. She has held seminars
and workshops on farming for beginners to professional growers and has helped young farmers
like Pete Lowey and Jen Hashley of Pete & Jen’s
Backyard Birds raise poultry right on Verrill Farm
(peteandjensbackyardbirds.com).
As the anniversary of the fire approaches,
Jennifer is looking forward to the opening of
the new farm stand and settling into the new
kitchen. She’s looking forward to having more
room for even more local products like Shaw
Farm milk, Northeast Family Farms meats,
Smith Country Cheeses and, of course, her own
beautifully prepared fruit pies.
This article is the third in our
continuing series featuring
the voices of Dames in the
farming community. Future
articles will continue to
showcase our Dame farmers
and we encourage you to
join the conversation (see
sidebar for details).
Fire Destroys Farm Stand,
Not Spirit
Verrill Farm was
represented during the
Green Tables Breakfast
in Philadelphia.
B y D ame L aura S apienza -G rabski
(N ortheast C hapter )
14
Concord, operating as a Verrill
family partnership
between Jennifer
and her parents,
Steve and Joan. It
is a family place,
overlooking beautifully planted fields and
spectacular country views.
The farm hosts blueberry
pancake breakfasts, pie
eating contests, tomato
festivals and all kinds of
other family-oriented
events.
Jennifer grew up on this farm, learning from
her farmer father how to sustainably grow extensive varieties of produce. More than 85 varieties
of tomatoes are grown annually, many of them
heirloom varieties not often seen in supermarkets.
Walking out to her fields to pick tender asparagus,
baby squash with the blossoms still attached,
sugar-sweet corn and truly vine-ripened tomatoes,
Jennifer’s “garden” is the envy of top Boston chefs
who clamor to use Verrill Farm products.
Jennifer Verrill-Faddol is a past award
winner of the Boston Les Dames Saccone Award, named for the Chapter’s
founding member Eda Saccone, given to
outstanding New England young women
in the culinary field.
FAR LEFT: Dame Jennifer
Verrill-Faddol is renowned for her
fresh-baked fruit pies.
TOP: Dame Chef Guida Ponte is
a talented chef at Verrill Farm.
LEFT: A tempting Verrill Farm
Apple Pie with Crumb Topping.
BOTTOM: The new construction
at Verrill Farms.
Jennifer is also a very talented chef who
specializes in pastries. Many of her recipes have
been published in the New England media and
in celebrity cookbooks, introducing Jennifer
to those not able to visit the farm. Rachael
Ray highlighted Jen’s Kentucky Bourbon pecan pie, and Stephanie Anderson’s Killer Pies
cookbook features Jennifer’s plum strawberry
crunch pie.
Les Dames d’Escoffier International
Photos: Verrill Farms
O
n September 20, 2008, a devastating fire
destroyed Boston Dame Jennifer VerrillFaddol’s family farm stand, located in Concord,
MA. Long-standing Dame Chef Guida Ponte,
friend and employee of the Verrill family, was
working in the kitchen when the fire broke out.
Guida said, “A little puff of smoke appeared from
a ceiling tile and the next thing I knew, ceiling tiles
were falling all around me in flames.” Fortunately,
all customers and staff escaped without incident
or injury, but the building was a complete loss.
Although the farm stand was destroyed, the
Verrill family – with help from employees and
kind-hearted community volunteers – immediately began cleaning up and erecting a makeshift,
open-air stand. Just two days later, the farm was
selling corn and tomatoes. Soon, the family had
installed a larger prefab temporary structure,
enabling the farm to retain their employees and
serve the community. The farm stand and bakery
returned to 90% production in a very short time.
Today, construction is nearing completion on
their new, energy efficient farm stand (with an
attached green house!)
Verrill Farm encompasses 200 agriculturally
preserved acres on the boarder of Sudbury and
L e a r n m o re a b o u t Je n n i f e r a n d
her farm by visiting the website:
verrillfarm.com.
Do you know a fellow Dame farmer or
producer you’d like to see featured in
an upcoming Quarterly issue? Send an
email to Greg Jewell at [email protected].
If you haven’t already, please take a look
at our new Green Tables section on the
redesigned LDEI website. We have lots of
information about Chapter activities and
tools and resources for you to use in your
community. We encourage all Chapters
to submit updates and photos of Green
Tables projects. Send your updates to
Greg at [email protected].
F A L L Q u a r te r ly 2 O O 9 Hawaii Chapter
Mentors Students
in Green Tables
Initiative
T
he Hawaii Chapter conducted a Green Tables educational experience for 40 tenth-grade
public school students on Friday, June 26, sponsored by the Outrigger Waikiki on the
Beach. The students were participants in the Clarence T.C. Ching PUEO program at Punahou
School, a partnership with the Hawaii State Department of Education that encourages and
reinforces college readiness among selected public school students.
The PUEO program (Partnerships in Unlimited Educational Opportunities) is designed to
supplement the education of 200 middle and high school students from neighborhood public
schools in Oahu. Students receive a seven-year educational experience of summer classes, small
group mentoring and academic year group activities.
During the outing, students toured the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach and learned about
careers in the foodservice and hospitality industries. They lunched at the Hula Grill Restaurant
and learned about the sources of local foods and the challenges facing farmers in producing and
marketing foods.
The menu included a fish
tasting, Kalua Pig Potstickers,
Nalo Greens, fresh pasta with
locally grown tomatoes and
homemade bread. The Dames
instructed the students in nutrition and etiquette throughout the
lunch and shared information
about their careers as culinary
educators, caterers, restaurant
managers, food and beverage Hawaii Chapter Dames provide an educational experience for 40 tenth-grade public
school students in Oahu.
directors and chefs.
How to contact
the Green Tables
Steering Committee:
Co-chair Hilary Baum
[email protected]
718-884-5716
Co-chair Barbara Petit
[email protected]
404-862-2277
PUBLISHER MARKS LDEI COOKBOOK
ANNIVERSARY WITH A BONUS DISCOUNT
Sasquatch Books, publisher of COOKING WITH LES DAMES D’ESCOFFIER, has
increased our discount from 50% to 55%. This holiday offer is good until 12/31/09. Our
take per book under the discount is $19.25 or $231 per case. That’s cash for the latest Green
Tables Project or the local Scholarsip Fund or for whatever is the current local chapter cause.
Not a bad tool in our bag for lean times when fundraising faces unprecedented challenges.
Contact Sarah Hanson at Sasquatch Books ([email protected]).
15
I
n the 2008 summer
issue of the Quarterly,
the cover story titled “Food
Is Peace,” written by Lisa
Ekus-Saffer (Boston) caught
my attention. I couldn’t stop
thinking about it. The article
was about a trip she took
to Vietnam with Jerilyn
Brusseau (Seattle), Nancie
McDermott (Charleston),
Leslie Pendleton (New
York), Catherine Hazen
(Seattle) and Alison Barshak
(Philadelphia). Organized by
Jerilyn, the group connected
with the Vietnamese people
as they shared cultures.
Together they sang songs,
danced, planted trees and
rolled dumplings. While
there, the Dames planted
a special tree in honor of
former LDEI President
Gretchen Mather (Seattle),
who died of breast cancer
two years ago. “Maybe it’s “think global,” “act local,” but
as an international organization, we have
an opportunity to add value to our communities and organization by incorporating our growing ethnic communities into
programs.” — Suzanne Brown
16
“Cooking Your Roots” B y S uzanne B rown , LDEI P resident
The article continued to detail many activities that fostered new friendships and crossed cultural
barriers. Personally, I related to their experience from travels to coffee growing countries; discovering new cultures and participating in the happiness found within poor, economically deprived
villages gave me a realistic perspective and new respect for lifestyles so different than mine. The article, along with my personal experiences, inspired my interest in starting a new LDEI
initiative that would encompass a more global perspective. With the Board’s support, a task force
that included Dianne Hogerty (Kansas City), June Hayes (San Antonio), Jerilyn Brusseau and
Lisa Ekus-Saffer was formed to poll the membership to determine members’ level of interest. The
result was positive. The group felt the programs could be multi-tiered, beginning with something
small and manageable for the chapter, then growing in complexity later, if the chapter so chooses.
Here are some of the initial programming ideas reported by the task force: • A class given to Dames by someone either in the chapter or community who could present
and educate members on their culinary heritage;
• A chapter could invite women from within their community who are from a different culinary
heritage and they could cook for each other or create a series of hands-on classes where they
cook together;
• Connect with ethnic communities; example: Kansas City learned about their community’s African
women immigrants through Catholic Charities, resulting in an on-going Green Tables project;
• Develop partnerships with educational facilities and associations that are teaching English
as a second language to develop cross-cultural exchange;
• Develop a mini-web site or specific area on the LDEI site to list our members who are professional experts in global cuisine. Feature programs developed by chapters that LDEI can
market to reporters or interested researchers, to provide them with information that can be
used for publishing, speaking engagements, and other media outlets;
• The task force recommended a good way to start is cooking demonstrations, which could
begin with tours to ethnic food markets.
• Develop relationships with ethnic vendors that sell at local farmers markets.
During the year, I found a wealth of opportunities that encourage building cross-cultural relationships. Actually, chapters are already active in working within these communities. Stories about
these projects create press interest, resulting in positive publicity about local chapters. When the Board held its winter meeting in Washington D.C., we were introduced to authentic
Persian cuisine by Najmieh Batmanglij (D.C.). Hosting us in her historic home in Georgetown,
Naj educated us on the different dishes she was serving, providing native color to our delicious
dinner. During dinner, Marsha Echols, immediate
past D.C. chapter president, stated that she was
LDEI Benefits from a
promoting “The Cultures of Food” with programs
Global Culinary Initiative:
already planned on this topic. Global culinary culture seemed to be the topic of the
Opportunity to become more international
evening. Liesal Flashenberg (D.C.) and her husband
through this involvement
founded, Through The Kitchen Door International,
Opportunity to build a more diverse membership
Inc., a program well underway that teaches culinary
Opportunity to exchange culinary culture and
skills to the international community. Liesal hopes to
traditional foods and beverages
franchise her organization around the country. Opportunity to differentiate LDEI from other
When I learned that Dame Amy Riolo (D.C.)
culinary organizations
was an expert in Middle Eastern cuisine, culture and
traditions, I contacted her to provide information
on tea ceremonies celebrated in countries located in
that part of the world. Utilizing her expertise, I pitched a prospective tea client, including Dame
Riolo as a spokesperson and authority on Mideastern traditional events and celebrations. Within our chapters, there is so much international knowledge that benefits our membership
and communities. Phillipa Kingsley (Atlanta) is a celebrated Thai chef who has been an honored
guest at embassies, and cooked for Thai royalty while visiting in Thailand. In talking about the
global culinary initiative to Dames attending the regional event held last summer at Peg Rahn’s
(LA/Orange County), we learned that her chapter had given a program on how to make authentic
tamales from scratch. While it’s up to each chapter to determine how to pursue global programs, Dames Flashenberg,
Lourdes Castro (NY) and Margaret Kuo (Philadelphia) presented ideas during the conference
by sharing their professional expertise and backgrounds. Food seems to be the thread that connects all cultures. Embracing and sharing our cultural
diversities expands our creativity, enriches our communities, and fosters international understanding. As Liesal Flashenberg says, “savor the differences.” Les Dames d’Escoffier International
Dr. Marsha Echols
Food Trade Attorney and
Law Professor B C C W
y
i
i
“Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go
far,” said U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt.
Attorney Marsha Echols (Washington, D.C.)
has the speaking softly and the “going far”
parts nailed. But likely it’s a chopstick in the
hand of this international lawyer who advises
companies, trade associations and governments
about trade, international commercial law, and
regulatory trends and issues affecting foods
and beverages. Marsha is a lawyer for the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade (NASFT),
Director of The World Food Law Institute at
Howard University School of Law, a panelist
of the Geneva, Switzerland-based World Trade
Organization (WTO), and a frequent member
of U.S. delegations to the Codex Alimentarius
Commission created in 1963 by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
and World Health Organization (WHO). She
has been a member of the Secretary of State’s
Advisory Committee on International Law and is
a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. The frequent-flying attorney has written two
books: Food Safety and the WTO: The Interplay
of Culture, Science and Technology (2001) and
Geographical Indications for Food Products (2008),
both published by Kluwer Law International
and available on Amazon.com. Marsha has also
penned law journal articles about international
food regulation. Big Apple to Capital of the
Free World Born in New York City, Marsha moved to
Washington, D.C. when she was in junior high
school. She earned a B.A. degree in Sociology
with minors in Psychology and Secondary Education from Howard University. At Georgetown
Law Center, she earned the J.D. (Juris Doctor),
and she holds an LL.M. (Master of Law) from
the Free University of Brussels and Columbia
Law School, and also from Columbia received
F A L L Q u a r te r ly 2 O O 9 illiamson
Left: Marsha at Codex meeting in Geneva, Switzerland
Above: Marsha with law students at Howard University graduation
Photos by CiCi Williamson
her J.S.D. (Doctor of Juridical Science -- the
nation’s highest law degree). Back in Washington, Marsha took a position in the Foreign Agricultural Service of the
U.S. Department of Agriculture and worked
on negotiation of a multi-lateral trade agreement -- food subsidies, standards and other
issues -- as part of GATT talks. [Note: GATT
is the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade,
precursor to the WTO.] Her offices are in Georgetown, and clients
are food companies and trade associations
in the U.S. and Europe. Marsha has studied
and worked in Brussels and Geneva, lectured
in Europe and Asia, served as a judge on the
United Nations Administrative Tribunal and
has advised governments in Europe and Central
America on food safety and food quality. Marsha represents NASFT in Washington
focusing on legal and regulatory matters, especially
food labeling, quality and safety and issues of
importance to small food companies. Members
can contact her with questions about labeling,
trademarks and other regulatory issues. At both the New York and San Francisco
NASFT shows every year, Marsha moderates
a seminar “Taking Your Product to the Marketplace,” which is designed for people who
have an idea but don’t have a product yet, or
are in their first year or two of business. She
attends NASFT board meetings and meetings
with NASFT Councils and is chair of the
Diversity Council. The French Connection -Les Dames It was at NASFT (see www.specialtyfood.com)
where Marsha heard about LDEI through Dames
she met there. She joined the Washington, D.C.
Chapter of Les Dames in 1994. Marsha has
served several years as a board member.
As Chapter President this year, Marsha held
the monthly board meetings and the chapter’s
annual meeting at the Cosmos Club, a private
by-invitation only club comprised of persons
renowned in their fields of work. At the club,
she is a member of the International Affairs
Committee. Marsha says, “Sometimes Dames from both the
D.C. and other chapters consult with me about
starting a business. I love attending the LDEI
Annual Conference. There you have wonderful
chances to meet Dames from other chapters and
see what they are doing. The conference gives
you ideas and lets you know what’s going on
around the country.” During the Hawaii LDEI Conference in 2008,
she especially liked the trips to the farms and the
Big Island tour. As a “pescetarian” (vegetarian
who eats fish), she also loved all the beautiful
fish and produce served at the conference. Marsha has indeed gone far in her career
concentrating on food trends, what’s new, and
what are the legal problems that can arise in the
world of food. She focuses on culture/tradition
and food. Each of her books and many of her
articles highlight the cultural aspects of what
we eat.
17
April McCaa, the only female manager with the outstanding Roy’s Restaurant recently arranged a wonderful evening of food and wine for the
chapter, with a chef ’s demonstration. Potential members and guests were
invited and everyone enjoyed a superb Asian-Hawaiian food tasting.
The Palm Springs Chapter held their April meeting and luncheon at
the Thunderbird Country Club in Rancho Mirage. The beautiful setting,
known as the Home of U. S. Presidents lived up to its name. Hosted by
Nicolette Bianchi, the day began in the fantastic wine cellar, providing the ambience for an enthusiastic presentation from the exploratory
committee for the 2010 LDEI conference. The group then moved to
the elegant dining room for a mouth-watering demonstration by Chef
Philippe Caupain. Everyone enjoyed the gourmet dishes, which were
presented at lunch, along with remarks by Chef Caupain and Sommelier
Javier Solarzano.
The May meeting of the Palm Springs chapter took place in Gail
Nottberg’s garden patio. Gail single-handedly prepared a variety of
pizzas that she baked in a wood-burning clay oven. A variety of wines
that fellow Dames brought were sampled to see what paired best with
the pizza. Of course, all members and guests had fun testing the wine,
Gail’s talents, and learning all about herbs from guest Nancy Cohee, a
tour director and herbalist. Compiled by
Karen Levin (Chicago)
Several members of the
Atlanta chapter of Les
Dames d’Escoffier partnered with The Cook’s
Warehouse and recently
hosted a charity event for
the Atlanta Community
Food Bank, where eight
Dame chefs taught the
ultimate cooking class to a
sold out crowd raising over
$20,000 in grocery money
for the Food Bank. The
chefs were: Nancy Lutz,
Mary Moore, Nathalie
Dupree, Rebecca Lang,
Shirley Corriher, Angie
Mosier, Virginia Willis,
and Linda Harrell. Attendees enjoyed Nancy’s
Tri-colored Tortilla Chip
In Atlanta, Dames teach at The Cook’s Warehouse: (L-R)
Bar; Rebecca’s White Bean Top:
Back row: Nancy Lutz, Mary Moore, Nathalie Dupree and
Crostini with Chevre and Rebecca Lang
Sundried Tomatoes; Creamy Bottom row: Shirley Corriher, Angie Mosier, Virginia Willis,
Shrimp and Grits from Na- Linda Harrell
thalie; delicious Savory Rice Bottom: (L-R)
Dames attend culinary yard sale: Tamie Cook,
Gratin from Shirley with Gloria Smiley, Beverly Seckinger, Atlanta mayoral hopeful Mary
Norwood, Barb Pires, Andrea Case and Dana Dabruzzi
a heaping side of “howto” and “why;” mouth-watering Italian caponata from Linda; a hearty
French Southern marriage of Mustard Crusted Pork Loin with an herb
pan sauce from Virginia; and a delicious Pineapple Upside Down Cake
from the lovely and talented Angie. It was a fantastic evening of food,
fellowship, and fundraising! For more information on the cookbook
and Les Dames, please visit the organization’s Atlanta chapter’s website
at www.ldeiatlanta.org/.
Our first culinary yard sale held on July 18th was a huge success!
Thanks to all the Dames and friends who donated items and time to
help us take in over $700! Funds from the sale will go to the scholarship and philanthropy fund. And a big thank you to St. Phillips
Peachtree Farmers’ Market for providing the tent and tables. It was a
lot of fun with so many Dames there to help out, and the weather was
absolutely perfect.
18
C H A R L E S TO N
Bon Appétit! Julia!
The Charleston Chapter celebrated Julia
Child’s 97th birthday in grand style with a
special screening of the movie Julie & Julia
on August 17th at the Terrace Theatre on
James Island. Invitations were sent to community members who purchased tickets to
view the movie and attend a festive birthday
reception afterwards. Within days of being
offered, tickets sold out; almost as many
requests were turned away as there were
attendees. The event was a fundraiser for
Crisis Ministries’ Family Center and the
chapter’s Culinary Scholarship Fund.
Virtually the entire membership was
hands-on or contributed to the event. Using
Julia’s famous recipes, the Dames baked a
variety of magnificent birthday cakes: Reine
de Saba, Gâteau Victoire au Chocolat, buttery
pound cake, Savarin, Dacquoise and Gâteau
de Crêpes, to mention a few. Many Dames
dressed the part, wearing aprons reminiscent
of Julia, and their LDEI lapel pins. A string
of pearls was optional!
LDEI cookbooks were prominently
displayed and sold briskly throughout
the evening. With Debbie Marlowe
(Event Chair) and Nathalie Dupree
(Ticket Chair) leading the way, Dames
autographed cookbooks and entertained
guests, indulging them in the eye-catching,
decadent dessert buffet.
Paige Crone and Janet Gaffney contributed to this report.
S A N A N TO N I O
Scholarship Recipients Honored The 2009 scholarship recipients were honored at our annual business
meeting held on June 15th at the beautiful home of Lainey Berkus.
Scholarship Chair Marty Gonzales did a terrific job in leading the selection process. Recipient Kerri Mulligan attends the University of Incarnate
Word and is studying nutrition. She is happy to begin her second career
studying what she loves. Toni Villarreal is the recipient of the Viola Barros scholarship. She works for the city as a landscape planner and wants
to attend Texas Tech school of Viniculture and have her own vineyard
in the Hill Country. Samantha Mezzetti attends the University of the
Top Row:
Left: Molly Hosner and a guest check out some of the herbs.
Right (L-R): Desert Sun food writer Henry Fenwick, Jacqueline Bachar, Gail Nottberg and an un-identified
guest enjoy the festivities at Roy’s Restaurant. Behind them, Costa Nichols peeks over at the camera.
Top to Bottom
Charleston Dames working behind the scenes for the Julia
Child movie event included (L-R): Sarah Graham, Paige
Crone, Deidre Schipani, Susan Slack, Janet Gaffney and
Nathalie Dupree. Center: Hostess Gail Nottenberg presents the perfect pizza to her guests.
Bottom:
Left: Palm Springs Dames follow recipes demonstrated by Chef Philippe Caupain at the Thunderbird
Country Club.
Charleston Dame Jacqueline Davis served a luscious
Reine de Saba.
Pastry Chef Mary Kelly Wilson displays one of the
sumptuous heart-shape Dacquoise cakes she prepared for
the Charleston soiree.
Charleston Dame Janet Gaffney prepared several delicious
fruit-topped Savarins.
Filled with vanilla crème, this irresistible 25 layer
Gateau de Crêpes was prepared by new Charleston Dame
Rachel Byrne.
Les Dames d’Escoffier International
Women Cook World Cuisine
A group of Philadelphia’s top women
chefs showed off their talents at a
fundraising dinner, Women Cook
World Cuisine, held at Dame Alison
Barshak’s Alison two Restaurant. On
June 7th, 125 guests enjoyed ethnic
foods prepared by Barshak and her staff
at this casual, intimate walk-around
event. Chef Ane Ormaechea of Café
Apamate, Chef Moon Krapugthong of
Chabaa Thai Bistro and Mango Moon,
Chef Valerie Erwin of Geechee Girl
Rice Café, Marcie Turney of Bindi,
Lolita and Verde, and Lynn Buono
and Meg Votta of Feast Your Eyes Photo caption: (L-R) Dames Meg Votta, a guest
and Linda Geren sample Geechee Girl Rice
Catering also participated. Each chef’s Café’s pork demi-sel from from Geren’s High
offering was paired with a cocktail View Farm. created by Alison two’s mixologists.
Desserts were contributed by Eileen Talanian (author of Marshmallows), Amy Beth Edelman of Night Kitchen Bakery, Gilda Doganiero
of Gilda’s Biscotti, and Kira Baker-Doyle of John and Kira’s Chocolates.
The event raised $1500 to benefit the chapter’s scholarship fund. The
dinner highlighted the talents of a group of top Philadelphia female chefs,
who prepared and served a signature dish at cooking stations throughout
the restaurant during this convivial walk-around event. It was the first
event held in the city of Philadelphia to feature all women chefs, and it
garnered excellent publicity for the chefs and the chapter.
Linda Triesch, Corresponding Secretary
Right: April McCaa, manager of Roy’s Restaurant in Palm
Photos by Susan Slack
AT L A N TA
Barb Pires, President
PHILADELPHIA
Aliza Green
Photo 1: An aerial view of Dames in the home of Dame Lainey Berkus for the annual meeting
of the San Antonio Chapter.
Photo 2 (L-R): 2009 Scholarship Recipients: Kerri Mulligan, Dame Marty Gonzalez, Toni Villarreal,
Samantha Mezzetti and Jamie Lee
F A L L Q u a r te r ly 2 O O 9 19
Photo credit: ©2009 Nick Conover
PA L M S P R I N G S
Jacqueline Bachar
Incarnate Word studying nutrition and is interested in the health aspect
of food. Jamie Lee is a graduate of Providence High School and is presently working for Farm to Table in the Pearl complex. She will begin
the CIA in September.
Our highly successful annual fundraiser, The Texas International
Olive Festival, will be held on March 27, 2010 at Saundra Winokur’s fabulous olive orchard. For more information, visit the website,
www.ldeisanantonio.org
San Antonio Dames Appear in
Saveur Magazine
Several San Antonio Dames are featured in the July 2009 issue
of Saveur, titled A Food Lover’s Guide to The Lone Star State The Texas Issue.
• Diana Barrios Trevino, representative of the San Antonio
Convention & Visitors Bureau, [page 15].
• Bunny Becker’s wine is featured in a story titled: “One Good
Bottle” by Liz Pearson [page 22]. She writes that Becker Vineyards’
Texas Viognier is “a wine with ripe peach and floral aromas,
all balanced with a bright acidity that stands up to curries and
even Texas barbecue.”
• Melissa Guerra’s cookbook, Dishes From The Wild Horse Dessert,
is mentioned in the story, “Food Writing With Soul ” [page
51]. Her recipe for Frijoles a la Charra [page 88] coincides
with a story about “Good Beans” [page 104] by Carey Yorio.
• Rebecca Rather’s bakery, Rather Sweet Bakery and
Café, is listed under the Texas Guide of “Where to Eat”
[page 77].
Marsha Damian is a wine industry management professional known
for her expertise in brand building and, since 2007, is the owner of
Damian International in Chicago, Illinois.
Keli Fayard is a CIA-trained pastry chef and, since 2003, co-owner
and cake designer of Vanille Patissiere in Chicago, Illinois.
Nell Funk has been chef and co-owner of Now We’re Cooking Culinary Service Center and culinary event space in Evanston, Illinois
since 2006.
Laura Jensen is a Certified Wine Specialist and Vice President of
sales and marketing for Terlato Wines International in Lake Bluff,
Illinois.
Catherine Koelling has been a sales representative for Heritage Wines
since 2000 and previously owned and managed Biloxi Grill and The
Greenery in Barrington, Illinois.
Tamar Mizrahi has been co-owner of Bamboo Blue Restaurant in
Homewood, Illinois since 2001 where she is the manager of wine,
beer and front of the house.
Elizabeth (Betsy) Peterson Sanchez, a CIA-trained pastry chef, is the
manager and buyer of gourmet food and wine for The Little Traveler
in Geneva, Illinois and previously co-owned Granada Restaurant in
Geneva.
Lisa Santos has been owner and chef of Southport Grocery & Café
in Chicago, Illinois since 2003.
Mary Smith has been with The Plitt Company, purveyors of fine seafood
in Chicago, since 2001 and director of marketing since 2003.
Judith Schad has been the award winning cheese maker and owner
of Capriole, Inc. in Greenville, Indiana, since 1988.
Corinne Trang, an award-winning cookbook author and celebrated expert
on Asian cuisines, is now offering 4-hour tours of New York City’s Chinatown
every Wednesday. Included are visits to a variety of food stores and tastings of
dumplings, noodles, jerky, and Asian-style black sesame and lychee ice cream
concluding with a Taiwanese tea service. www.corinnetrang.com
PHILADELPHIA
Ann-Michelle Albertson and Charlotte Ann Albertson have been chosen to
judge the international jeunne chefs (ages 18-25) competition at the first-ever
conference combining the International and the U.S. Chaine des Rotisseurs.
The conference will be held at the CIA in Hyde Park, NY, in October, and
members from 26 countries are attending from six continents.
Compiled by
CiCi Williamson (2003 LDEI President)
BOSTON
Lisa Ekus-Saffer has launched a culinary Digital Marketing program
and is on the radio with her “Culinary Tips, Techniques and Trends,” 45
second spots airing daily at WEIB, Northampton, MA. With Virginia
Willis (Atlanta), Lisa now offers “Honing Your Edge,” a national off-site
media training program for culinary professionals. www.LisaEkus.com CHARLESTON
Janet Gaffney is celebrating the 20th year of her cooking school, The
Art of Cooking, a unique concept in private cooking classes located at
1123 Shady Grove, Mt. Pleasant, S.C. The school specializes in wholesome healthy cooking for the whole family with an emphasis on the kids.
Classes are participation and demo.
Linn Lesesne, sales director for Charming Inns in Charleston, was
awarded a Golden Pineapple award at a recent Travel Council luncheon.
Named after the Charleston symbol of hospitality, the award honors
standouts within the local tourism industry.
CHICAGO
Karen Levin and Eleanor Hanson
A record turnout of Les Dames attended the 2009 annual dinner on June 22 at
Sarah Stegner’s lovely restaurant Prairie Grass Café in Northbrook, Illinois.
Before the spectacular four-course meal was served, 10 new members were
inducted. The following is a short bio for each of the women:
LEFT: Janet Gaffney
RIGHT: Linn Lesesne
Dames Gather in San Antonio for the 48th National Chicken Cooking Contest
BACK ROW (L-R): Nancy Tringali Piho, Di-Anna
Arias, Cathy Barber, Barbara Gibbs Ostmann,
Teresa Farney, Susan Slack, Pat Cobe, Suzanne
Corbett
NEW YORK
Rosa Ross hosted Justice Sonia Sotomayor for dinner at her restaurant,
Scrimshaw, to celebrate her appointment to the Supreme Court. Sotomayor
sat on the dock and enjoyed Rosa’s special Paella. Rosa reports that Justice
Sotomayor was most gracious and charming, and Scrimshaw is proud to
have hosted the occasion of her historic acceptance.
FRONT ROW (L-R): Susan Nicholson, Karen
Haram, Nathalie Dupree, Barabara Collier,
Virginia Flores-Godoy
Attending Dames not pictured include Kathy
Martin, Delores Kostelni and Rebecca Rather.
20
MIAMI (South Florida)
Teena Borek, owner of Teena’s Pride Farm, a family farm for three generations in the Redland of South Florida, started a Community Supported
Agriculture (CSA) program with the assistance of Ariana Kumpis. Teena
and son Michael are offering crop shares of fresh-from-the-farm heirloom
tomatoes, peppers, fresh herbs, assorted greens, etc. to South Florida families.
www.teenaspride.com
Ariana Kumpis has recently graduated from The American School of
Protocol in Atlanta, Ga. Owner of Ariana’s Etiquette, the culinary educator/
etiquette consultant was certified by the Protocol School of Washington.
Ariana presents programs to educate children and students in lifetime skills
of table manners and social graces for home and public places. Les Dames d’Escoffier International
F A L L Q u a r te r ly 2 O O 9 SAN ANTONIO
Lainey Berkus, co-founder of The CE Group, a marketing firm based in San
Antonio, handles all the public relations and marketing efforts for Ruth’s Chris
Steak House and Don Strange of Texas. She has connected many clients to
Roy Maas Youth Alternatives (RMYA), an organization that helps children in
need including a culinary training program.
Di-Anna Arias, director of sales and marketing at Don Strange of Texas, and
Lainey Berkus created a monthly Heart to Heart Luncheon where San Antonio leaders discuss how businesses can support children in crisis. One RMYA
program includes “Helping Hands” (teaching children healthy shopping, eating
and playing). “Breakfast of Champions” pairs children with CEOs.
Bonnie Walker, freelance writer and food consultant, urges you to check out
www.SavorSA.com. The web site debuted June 4 and is dedicated to all things
culinary in the San Antonio area. She invites all Dames to drop them a line, express
an opinion or make an announcement about anything and all things related to
wine and dining in San Antonio and promote events for Les Dames. WASHINGTON, D.C.
Susan Callahan’s dessert recipe, Root Beer Float Bars, was chosen for
the second annual Governor Martin O’Malley’s “Buy Local Cook Out”
that was held on July 16 at the Government House in Annapolis as
part of the statewide “Buy Local Challenge Week.” Susan teaches Hotel
Restaurant Management at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore
(Rockville).
Linda Joyce Forristal has
completed work on her doctorate
degree at Purdue University.
Kay Shaw Nelson’s newest
book, The Cloak and Dagger
Cook: A CIA Memoir (Pelican Publishing Co.), will be
published in November. Kay
formerly worked at the Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA), Nancy Tringali
Amy Riolo
and is the author of 20 other
cookbooks. This book is a memoir of fascinating events, exotic locales,
and clandestine culinary pursuits with recipes.
Nancy Tringali Piho announces My Two-Year-Old Eats Octopus: Raising Children Who Love to Eat Everything (Bull Publishing). This mother
of two little boys draws on 20 years in food marketing to explores what
children eat from a foodie’s point of view. She interviewed numerous
parent-chefs and science researchers to learn how children can appreciate “real” food.
Amy Riolo released her second book Nile Style Egyptian Cuisine And
Culture. It is the first cookbook devoted to the comprehensive, multiethnic
and multi-religious history of the Egyptian table. Join Amy and Hands
Along The Nile this October for a Culinary Tour of Egypt including
Cairo, Alexandria, the Nile, and Luxor. www.amyriolo.com.
CiCi Williamson was elected Vice President of the Culinary Historians of Washington (CHoW). Her main job is to procure speakers for
the monthly meetings, which delve into all ages of culinary traditions
and food origins.
21
Belgian
Chocolate B r o w n i e
Photography/Images
E-mail photos must be properly focused and in color with a minimum resolution of
300 dpi (tiffs or jpegs). Do not send photos taken off the internet or photos embedded
with text in Word files or PDF files. Please identify individuals in photos from left to
right in the message of your e-mail. Include photographer credits, if required. ALL
PHOTOGRAPHS MUST COME WITH CAPTIONS TO BE PUBLISHED.
Member Milestones
(LIST DAME’S NAME - XXX CHAPTER)
Each Dame may submit 50 words about honors or important business-related
activities as preferred to appear in print. You may e-mail a high-resolution, color photo
to accompany your news. Press releases and cookbook covers are not accepted.
(Cookbook covers are accepted for the LDEI website.) E-mail to CiCi Williamson at
[email protected] by January 15, 2010 for the Spring Quarterly. Entries
received after this date will appear in the following issue. Photos of Dames networking
at conferences or other events, and “In Memoriam” may also be sent to this section.
orDer anYtiMe!
worlDwiDe sHiPPing
8 0 0 . f a i r Y ta l e ~ B r o w n i e s . C o M
Chapter News
CHAPTER & TITLE OF EVENT (By your name, office or title, if any)
Each Dame may submit 200 words as you would like to see it in print. We regret we
do not have space for menus. List the photos at the end of the description. Include
IDs and credits. Press releases are not accepted. Submissions not conforming to
this format may not be printed due to deadlines and volunteer’s lack of time. E-mail
to Chandra Ram at [email protected] by January 15, 2010 for the Spring
Quarterly. Entries received after this date will appear in the following issue.
E-Newsletter
This bi-monthly publication will keep you informed about events in other chapters and
encourages networking. Press releases are not accepted. Include an email contact,
date, time, 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 Emily Schwab at [email protected].
Deadlines
SPRING QUARTERLY, 2010.. .................. JANUARY 15, 2010 SUMMER, 2010.................................. APRIL 15, 2010
AUTUMN, 2010.. ................................. JULY 15, 2010
LDEI GLOBAL INITIATIVE
LDEI President Suzanne Brown writes, “Within our chapters, there is so much
international knowledge that benefits our membership and communities.”
Dames, won’t you please share the stories of your chapter’s involvement
with culinary programs and community activities that cross cultural barriers,
fostering new friendships and better international understanding. Your stories
will be printed in the 2010 Spring Quarterly. For more information, read Suzanne
Brown’s story on page 16.
22
Les Dames d’Escoffier International
“Soft, silky entry leads to a round, delicate, dryish
light-to-medium body with whipped cream and
mineral flavors. Finishes in a smooth, sweet, and
lightly warming powdered sugar, mild citrus zest,
and talc fade with nice length. A very smooth, clean,
and gently style vodka for martinis or neat. Impressive. The sweet frosting and mineral aroma and
flavor profile is exceptionally smooth with a nice,
spicy, tingling fade and very little warmth. Overall,
this is a clean, smooth, and balanced vodka.”
— Beverage Testing Institute
We took home the gold — for great vodka. No wonder.
360’s quadruple-distilled for a smooth finish, and optimal
eco-efficiency. Revolutionary bottle, made of 85% recycled
glass. Labels made of 100% PCW paper, and printed with
water-based inks. Green and Gold never looked so good!
© 2008 Earth Friendly Distilling Co., Weston, MO 40% alc./vol. (80 Proof) Distilled From American Grain
Vodka360.com Drink Responsibly. Drive Responsibly. Exist Responsibly.
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Les Dames d’Escoffier International
P.O. Box 4961
Louisville, KY 40204
The FIRST LDEI REGIONAL GATHERING was a
held in San Clemente in July. Dames from Los Angeles/Orange
County, San Diego and Palm Springs Chapters capitalized on
FUN -- fabulous food, lovely location, and abundant camaraderie.
To read all about the exciting event, turn to page 9 in this issue.
PRESORTED
FIRST CLASS
US POSTAGE
PAID
NEW ALBANY, IN
PERMIT #62