Les Dames d’Escoffier International QUARTERLYFt. Worth, TX 76107-2432 (817) 732-4758...

Les Dames d’Escoffier International

QUARTERLYCONFERENCE ISSUE

Washington, D.C.

Grande Dame Jerry DiVecchio

The Historyof LDEI

The LDEIKitchen Fund

Chapters Respond to Terrorist Attacks

Management Firm Hired

Houston Chapter Raises $25,000

Dames ManufactureFood Products

Adelaide, Australia · Atlanta · Boston · British Columbia · Chicago · Dallas

Honolulu · Houston · Kansas City · Le Donne del Vino, Italy · Los Angeles

Miami · Minneapolis/St. Paul · New York · Palm Springs · Philadelphia

Phoenix · San Antonio · San Francisco · Seattle · Washington, D.C.

WINTER 2002


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2001-2002EXECUTIVE COMMITTEEPresidentRenie Steves1406 Thomas PlaceFt. Worth, TX 76107-2432(817) [email protected] VP/Pres. ElectCiCi Williamson6025 Chesterbrook RoadMcLean, VA [email protected] VP/CommunicationsKathrine Newell-Smith10028 Lochness CourtVienna, VA [email protected] VP/CommunicationsLynn Fredericks330 East 43rd Street #704New York, NY 10017(212) [email protected] Mozersky204 Cliffside DriveSan Antonio, TX 78231(210) [email protected]

TreasurerDianne Hogerty2401 W. 70th Street.Mission Hills, KS 66028(913) [email protected]

Past PresidentAbby Mandel77 Maple Hill RoadGlencoe, IL 6002(847) [email protected] send information for the next newsletter to [email protected]

“Connectivity through Communication”is my theme for Les Dames d’EscoffierInternational this year. Instituting thistheme began last year when AbbyMandel and the executive committeeproduced a new brochure that definesour membership andmission. Chapters will findthis especially beneficial inseeking support for events. Through our connectionwith our new nationaloffice, Association, Eventand ConferenceManagement Resources(AEC) and its presidentGreg Jewell we will buildstrong communicationbetween chapters. In otherwords, the right hand canknow and understand whatthe left hand is doing,whether it concerns a chapter’s change inofficers or ideas for fundraisers. There isa wealth of knowledge and resources ineach chapter and we want to facilitate astrong connection between the chapters. Through AEC we not only haveconnectivity but continuity from year toyear. Greg is the center of our May pole,the collector of information, theperpetual calendar, and the person tohelp streamline processes.

We are enhancing the LDEI Web site toprovide easy access to information. Thesite will include calendars of all chaptersso Dames who are traveling may attendevents in other chapter. UpdatingDames’ listings will be easy and efficient.

Eventually chapters will beable to share fundraisingideas on the Web siteinstead of reinventing thewheel with each event.

Our e-newsletter — formembers only — allowsindividuals to addresscareer-related problems thatelicit advice from othermembers as well as receivenotice of our bridgelineteleforums. Theseteleforums are monthly y“dial-in meetings” open to

all members who want to participate ona particular subject such as membershipissues, educational forums, or careerchanges.

Twenty-five years ago a small group ofwomen in New York saw a need toconnect with their food, wine, andhospitality colleagues. All of thisconnectivity has grown from that.

Renie Steves

President’s Message

Liz Baron, left, president ofthe Dallas Chapter, pre-sents check for MFK FisherAward to LDEI presidentRenie Steves at the AnnualConference.

About the Cover:GRANDE DAME Jerry Anne DiVecchiowas honored with the LDEI Grande DameAward in Washington, DC, on October 19during the annual conference. Recentlyretired from Sunset Publications as seniorfood editor, Jerry shaped the way peoplein the West ate and strongly influencedfood trends. With a major in home eco-nomics and minor in journalism, she builtthe food department at Sunset into a cre-ative, dynamic, editorial force during her

42-year career. Jerry wrote and/or edited53 Sunset cookbooks, including The MexicanCook Book which has sold 2 million copies.

As the founding president of the SanFrancisco Les Dames d’Escoffier chapter, sheproposed and worked to establish the LDEIMFK Fisher Award. Jerry has given gener-ously of her time and talents to the LosAngeles Olympics, the March of Dimes andthe San Francisco Food Runners. For twoyears, she chaired the Cook Book Awards

Committee for the International Associationof Culinary Professionals. Jerry served on theadvisory board of ARC (mentally handi-capped) in San Francisco and has been anadvisor to the San Francisco Ferry PlazaPublic Market, and the California of SciencesMuseum, Reitz Food Symposium, SanFrancisco. She certainly exemplifies the truemeaning of Grande Dame as did her mentor,M.F.K. Fisher who received the GrandeDame Award 23 years ago.

A big thanks to DaveMoore, pictured here withhis wife Bonnie who wasD.C. conference co-chair.He took photos of all theevents at the conference.Any photos not credited inthis issue are those thatDave took. Feel free tovisit his Web site atwww.mooredc.com toview and order photos.PHOTO BY CICI WILLIAMSON.

Jerry DiVecchio, Sunset MagazineCarol Haddix, Chicago Tribune

Margaret Kirkwood, Food WriterCaren McSherry, Author & Radio/TVJane Mengenhauser, Food WriterCiCi Williamson, Syndicated ColumnistLucy Wing, formerly of Country Living


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By Celeste McCall, Washington, D.C. Chapter

Kicking off Les Dames’ action-packed Washingtonweekend was a reception at the Woodrow Wilson House,the historic mansion located off Embassy Row. TheWashington State Wine Commission sponsored the event.As the 145 attendees crowded around, LDEI presidentABBY MANDEL, conference co-chairs PATRICE DIONOT andBONNIE MOORE, DC Chapter president CYNTHIA GLOVER

and public relations chair BEVERLY BROCKUS each madewelcoming remarks.

Then veteran NewYork Times food colum-nist and D.C. ChapterEmerita Dame MARIAN

BURROS, regaled guestswith tales from “Belowthe Stairs at the WhiteHouse.” Burros’ histori-cal culinary romp tookus through the kitchenadventures of eightadministrations–fromLyndon B. Johnsonthrough George W.Bush. Many of thehumorous tales involvedthe ridiculous secrecysurrounding White

House kitchens: tracking Lynda Bird Johnson’s weddingcake and White House chef Henry Haller’s recipe forChinese chicken in walnut sauce.

Afterwards, guests toured the mansion where PresidentWoodrow Wilson spent his last three years. As WashingtonState wines flowed, ELOISE SANCHEZ, general manager ofDean & DeLuca, and SANDRA ROSS, creative director ofDesign Cuisine, provided tasty hors d’oeuvres, includingchicken satay with peanut dipping sauce and veggies withhummus.

Seattle ChapterDames’ wineries weredeliciously and wellrepresented with LYN

TANGEN’s CaterinaWinery and L INDA

CHAUNCEY’s StimsonLane Winery. AndDebra Barnard gra-ciously poured herBarnard GriffinWines. After thereception, manygroups of Dames par-ticipated in restaurantD i n e - A r o u n d sarranged by BEVERLY

BROCKUS at restaurantsrelated to D.C. Dames.

White House Tales at the Woodrow Wilson House

Beverly Brockus, center, coordinator of the opening receptionand following dine-around, chats with Bonnie Moore, left, andGail Forman of the D.C. Chapter.

PHOTO BY CICI WILLIAMSONOne group of Dames enjoys the International Dine-Around at theFour Seasons Hotel’s Seasons restaurant. Left to right, CarolBrock (New York); Ann Steiner (Houston); Four Seasons’ execu-tive chef Doug Anderson; Mary Jo Plutt (Chicago); Karen Vartanand Annie Boutin-King (D.C.).

Washington Wine Commission representatives pour their vin-tages.


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By Tina Wasserman, Dallas Chapter

An LDEI meet-ing guaranteesthree things: thepeople will be ter-rific, the conversa-tions will be stimu-lating—profession-ally and intellectu-ally—and the foodwill be inventive,delicious andPLENTIFULL!

The D.C.Dames fulfilled allrequirements dur-ing the annual con-ference’s Fridayluncheon: anI n t e r n a t i o n a l

Culinary Expo. JANIS MCLEAN, La Varenne’s U.S. repre-sentative, coordinated the luncheon’s 15 stations of foodand wine that were prepared or provided by local Dames,friends of Dames in metropolitan D.C., and wineries inCalifornia and Washington State. The foods were diverse inethnicity, flavor and texture…a party for our palates.

• RUTH GRESSER of Pizzeria Paradiso was assisted byMELISSA BALLINGER with an unusual bruchetta withpickled anchovies and LOADS of garlic. Fortunatelyeveryone devoured the bruchetta so no one noticed thegarlic!

• JOAN NATHAN and CARLA HALL collaborated on aMoroccan tomato and pepper salad accentuated with theintriguing flavor of preservedlemon.

• CAROLINE ROSS exquisitelydemonstrated the perfect, richcombination of apples, butter andsugar in a light pastry with hermini Tarte Tatin.

• VANESSA LIM represented herrestaurants, Yanyu and Spices,with her extraordinary Ginzaroll, and this Texan thought thatSUSAN CALLAHAN cut a meanFajita for conference sponsor, theNational Cattlemen’s BeefAssociation.

As a prune lover, I couldn’t careless if the fruit was called a driedplum or prune, but I can tell youthat the lamb and dried plums withcouscous — from the Dried Plum

Board—was delicious. And theAlaskan Seafood MarketingInstitute can pitch their seafood tome any time they want!t!

Local restaurants whose Dames’connection is that of being fre-quented by our sisters helped out aswell. Saigonnais treated us toVietnamese garden rolls, Mt.Everest Restaurant served manysecond helpings of Nilgiri Chickenand Bombay Bistro offered PapriChat, a great vegetarian dish. SevenSeas Restaurant surprised us withSweet Black Rice Cake dessert, RedGinger served up Seafood Fritterswith Spicy Dipping sauce and Café’Atlantico brought a deliciousCeviche Mixto.

I am gladly relegating myself tomeals of fruit and yogurt for amonth. It was worth it.

International Culinary Expo

Susan Callahan, left, serves fajitas for the National Cattlemen’sBeef Association.

Delores Cakebread and Caroline Bailey of the Gallo family sharewine talk. Caroline is president of women for Winesense.


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By Joan Reardon, Chicago ChapterAbracadabra! Nothing about the evening of October 19,

2001, was what it seemed to be. How could so many culi-nary professionals abandon their toques and business attireand appear at the stroke of 6 o’clock in swirling silk scarvesand trendy evening clothes to sip Champagne and nibbleon empanadas and mushroom croquettes?

How could the Omni Shoreham’s Blue Room transformitself so completely with stunning napery, glowing cande-labras, and scattered rose petals to dazzle the dinnerarrivees. And could eight wine glasses and rows of gleamingsilver possibly hint at the gastronomic delights ofConsumme de Canard, Roasted Shrimp, Cashew CrustedHalibut, Granite de Cidre, Herbed Squab, Paleron, andChocolate Pot de Crème? Co-chairs ANNIE BOUTIN-KING

and KE L LY MORRIS waved their wands and in the kitchenbelow subtle conjurings occurred.

Sitting in the glow of candlelight and sipping exquisitelyappropriate wines, the evolution of the evening was magical.And as the charmed scenario unfolded, suspense ran riot.CAROL CUTLER appeared and disappeared when 49 auctionitems were suspended in a miasma of dollar signs, nettingjust over $15,000 for LDEI. Bravo, Carol! Items included atrip to Copenhagen, a getaway to Seattle, a pre- or post-meeting sojourn in San Antonio for October 2002, and aweek in a Ile St. Louis pied a terre.

Diners were a bundle of anticipation when presidentABBY MANDEL announced the recipient of the 2001 GrandeDame Award honoring a culinary leader for lifetimeachievement. JERRY DIVECCHIO, the founding president ofthe San Francisco Chapter and recently-retired senior editor at Sunset magsazine,accepted the honor with grace and was

presented withan engravedOrrefors (crys-tal bowl).

Abby recog-nized LDEIf o u n d e rGRANDE DAME

CARO L BROCK

and congratulat-ed for herunstinting dedi-cation to LesD a m e sd ’ E s c o f f i e rsince founding

the New York City chapter in 1973. Inrecognition of her role as founder,Carol was presented with a blue andwhite pottery platter embossed withLes Dames logo, hand-thrown byChase Bruns, an Alexandria, Virginia,potter.

As a final bit of make-believe,Washington’s top chefs Jeff Buben,Francois Dionot, Roberto Donna, Jon

Dornbush, ToddGray, James Parker,Michel Richard,Harry Sarkeez, JeffTunks, and RobertWiedmaier acceptedour applause in theirkitchen whites andpromptly mountedthe stage as experi-enced auctioneers.Led by MichelRichard, the biddingon an enlarged sou-venir photographescalated into thou-sand dollar bids ondining experiences intheir restaurants, thefunds targeted at theLDEI Kitchen Fund.O n e - u p m a n s h i preigned. The evening that Chef Roberto Donna predicted,“We’ll make it fun!” became an opera bouffe of laughter andgiving. “We raised fifty percent more than our break evenpoint,” smiled Carol Cutler the next day.

Sometime before the stroke of twelve, everyone van-ished in a spell of mysterious charm. The Grande DameDinner was over but the magic of the evening lingered onfor Les Dames.

Grande Dame Dinner Tres Magique!

Abby Mandel, past LDEI president,introduces Grande Dame JerryDiVecchio.

Patrice Dionot and BonnieMoore, conference co-chairs.

Kate Jansen with, left to right, Roberto Donna,Robert Wiedmaier and Todd Gray.


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SUSTAINABILITY: SEEING THEBIG PICTUREBy Jerry Anne Di Vecchio, San Francisco Chapter

Sustainability and Leadership for the 21stCentury, moderated by AN N YONKERS, ledoff with heavy hits as she outlined thedangers of consolidated agriculture especiallyin this time of terrorism, the disparate gapbetween cost of foods and return to thefarmer or rancher, and perishing farmlands.

Shifting to a brighter note, Ann, managerAmerican Farmland Trust’s FRESHFARMMarkets, detailed the organization’s successconnecting farmers directly to the consumerand farming that sustains productivity of theland. William Baker, President/CEO of theChesapeake Bay Foundation, deals with64,000 square miles of filtering watershedthat determines the health of theChesapeake. Food productivity ofChesapeake Bay, which spiraled downdramatically from the early 60’s, shows signsof reversing. Baker stated, “The Bay is sick, ithas been for a long time, but it is gettingbetter.” He stressed that sustainable farminghas significant positive impact.

Moie Crawford farms in the bay’s watershedfrom Pennsylvania. Her New MorningFarms is productive year round organicallyproducing 50,000 cases annually. Crawfordexplained how the Tuscarora Co-op, whichshe co-founded, operates. To modifycompetition and provide more diversity atthe market, the co-op plans crops.

Rounding out the panel, Chef SARAH

STEGNER, The Dining Room at Chicago’sRitz Carlton, told how she has madesustainably produced foodstuffs aneconomically sound choice for herrestaurant. After overcoming the challengeof finding sources, Stegner then helpedfarmers with thepractical aspectsof billing,offering variety,and connectingwith other chefs.

Grande Dame Dinner

MenuChicken and Chipotle Empanadas

Wild Mushroom & Manchego Cheese CroquettesGreggory Hill of Gabriel’s

Consommé de Canardwith a Roulade of Duck Confit and Dried Plums

Robert Wiedmaier of Marcel’s

Roasted Jumbo Shrimp with Celery Root,Braised Cabbage and Virginia Ham

Todd Gray of Equinox

Cashew Crusted Halibutwith Golden Pineapple and Red Thai Curry

Jeff Tunks of DC Coast

Granite’ de Cidre au CalvadosFrancois Dionot of L’Academie De Cuisine

Herbed Squab and Pumpkin RisottoJeff Buben , Vidalia &

Roberto Donna of Galileo

Paleron à la RoyaleMichel Richard of Citronelle

Chocolate Pot de CrèmeJon Dornbusch of The Omni Shoreham Hotel

Valrhona Dipped Plums, Coconut Macaroons,Cardamom Orange Tuile

Harry Sarkees of Smith & Wollensky

Dinner Sponsored by:Alsaskan Seafood Marketing Institute

BertolliCalifornia Dried Plum Board

National Cattlemen’s Beef AssociationValrhona Chocolate

Products Donated by:Nueski Bacon

Vermont Butter & CheeseSanta Lucia State Coffee, Nicaragua

Gallo of SonomaJackson Family Farms

Wente Vineyards

Rosalie Riviera(Philadelphia),Nancy Fisher

(Boston) and AnnYonkers (D.C.).


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By CiCi Williamson

The optional Rappahannock tour on Sunday, October 21,rapidly filled its maximum of 30 Dames. The annualconference concluded, Dames set off for the picturesqueVirginia countryside in two minibuses. As with the entireconference, the weather couldn’t have been better —sunny and in the 70s. A robin’s egg blue sky perched atopthe glorious, flaming foliage of the state’s yellow poplar,maple and oak trees. The brilliant ochre, garnet andcopper leaves of old growth trees were punctuated byVirginia’s ubiquitous loblolly pines, magnolias and otherevergreens.

Just past the Manassas Civil War battlefield, the buses leftthe relatively flat lanes of Interstate 66 and undulated everupward over roller coaster hills toward RappahannockCounty and the Blue Ridge Mountains. The county wasnamed for a Virginia Indian tribe centered in theTidewater region who first encountered English settlers in1607. Rappahannock means “where the tide ebbs andflows.”

Leading the tour was D.C. Dame TERRI LEHMAN, co-founder and owner of The Epicurious Cow, a specialtyfood shop in Washington, Virginia. Our first stop was atthe Tack House Creamery where Heidi Eastham makes3,500 pounds of goat cheese yearly. The boutique dairysits on a ridge with the Blue Ridge Mountains as abackdrop and is a small part of the family’s 3,000 acres.

The cheese begins with milk from Heidi’s herd of multi-colored Nubian goats — terrier-size, playful, curious andwell groomed. The goats frolicked on the grass behind aknee-high electrified fence, nibbling at her apron andanything else they could put their teeth on. One Dametouched the invisible fence and got “tickled,” but the

apparentlyexperienced goatsstayed away from it.

After a tour of thesmall house wherewhey from the goats’milk dripped intostainless steelcontainers fromsuspended fabric bags,Dames were treated toa tasting of the agedgoat cheese set out ona homemade woodenbench on the grassoverlooking themountains. The freshcheese must bepasteurized but hardcheese needn’t be ifaged 60 days or more.

Then it was on to Sunnyside Organic Farm where BrianRuss, livestock manager, took us on a hayride through theproperty. The farm grows many varieties of organicapples, pears, peaches, 40 varieties of tomatoes, andvegetables, many of them heirloom varieties. They alsopasture-raise Wagyu (Kobe) and Angus beef cattle, hogsand veal calves. Established in 1720, Sunnyside is amongAmerica’s oldest working farms. The enterprise,headquartered in an 18th century farmhouse, is dedicatedto creating great-tasting, nutritionally rich food whilepromoting healthy ecosystems and biodiversity. Farmtours are available to the public from May to November.To learn more, go to www.sunnysidefarms.com.

Last stop on thetour was thesumptuous,world-famousInn at LittleWashington.Thismagnificentsmall inn, oneof America’srenownedcountry retreats,lies in a quaintvillage namedafter the fatherof our countrywho surveyedthese lands in

the 1700s. RACHEL HAYDEN, marketing manager and newmember of the Washington, D.C. Chapter, took us on ajaw-dropping tour of many of the inn’s unique 12bedrooms and suites. Decorated by a London stage and setdesigner, the rooms are ever whimsical and decoratedfrom ceiling to floor in an amazing variety of fabrics,artwork, furnishings and ceramic tiles.

It’s hard to believe that this inn—the first establishment inthe Mobil Travel Guide’s history ever to receive 5 starsfor its restaurant and 5 stars for its accommodation—wasformerly an auto repair shop. Patrick O’Connell, JamesBeard chef of the year for 2001, visited with us andproudly showed off his new multi-million dollar kitchen.Then we repaired to various awesome nooks and cranniesof the main floor to enjoy a licentious assortment ofpastries and candies. As we drove away, the entire staff,outfitted in its trademark dalmatian chefs’ pants, lined upin front of the inn and waved us back toward reality.

En route our mad dash toward airplane flights home, onebus made a stop at The Epicurious Cow to see Terri’sinteresting food products while the other went directly toWashington Dulles airport. All would remember fondlyour autumnal Rappahannock tour.

Rappahannock Tour

PHOTO BY RENIE STEVESLinda Califiore (Chicago), top left, and JeanBayrock (New York) being served decadenttea pastries at the Inn at Little Washington.

PHOTO BY CICI WILLIAMSONHeide Eastham of Tack HouseCreamery with her Nubian goats.


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The history of Les Dames d’Escoffier Internationalbegins with the founding of Les Dames d’Escoffier NewYork. In the early 1970s, CAROL BROCK set about to formthe first organization for professional women in food andwine. An active women’s group was already in existence inBoston—Les Dames des Amis d’Escoffier, a branch of theprestigious all-male Les Amis d’Escoffier named afterAuguste Escoffier. The Boston women’s group was notedfor its spectacular dinners and other fund-raising events tobenefit food and wine charities. There was as yet, however,no organization devoted to, or in support of, professionalwomen in the industry.

It took two years, but in 1973, with assistance from EdaSaccone of Boston and the approval of Joseph Donon,founder of the Les Amis d’Escoffier Society, Carol receiveda charter to form a new, autonomous “ladies chapter.”Breaking with Escoffier Society tradition, however, thischapter was to be for professional women only. InNovember of 1976, fifty professional women in the fieldsof food, fine beverages and hospitality finally held theirinvestiture and post-ceremony reception and supper at theFrench Consulate. Les Dames d’Escoffier New York(LDE/NY) was born.

At the time, women were just beginning to gain recog-nition in an industry still largely dominated by men. Thegoal of LDE/NY, therefore, was to raise the image, as wellas the presence, of women in food, wine and hospitalityand to help them get the training necessary to qualify asequals to men in the industry. Les Dames members wereencouraged to serve as role models and mentors forwomen.

This was a formula clearly made for expansion. Indeed,the founding members were prescient enough to preparefor the ultimate formation of the International LDEI, bydetermining in its original by-laws that this expansionwould begin as soon as there were five regional chapters.

Four additional chapters were subsequently formed:Washington, D.C. (1981), Chicago (1982), and Dallas andPhiladelphia (1984). The presidents from all five chaptersmet November 9, 10 and 11, in New York City to build thefoundation for Les Dames d’Escoffier International (LDEI).They developed its proposed by-laws along with guidelinesfor chapter formation and membership. An additionalorganizational meeting followed on in April 12, 1986, atthe home of CAROL MASON in Washington, D.C. for fur-ther planning of the investitute. The effort was to ensure astrong international organization, while maintaining theregional integrity and individuality of each chapter.

On October 27, 1986, a gala dinner held against thebackdrop of the giant, world globe located in the lobby ofthe NY Daily News building, officially launched LDEI.The landmark event was attended by members representingall five chapters, who joined together to celebrate the past,

present and future accomplishments of professional womenin wine, food and hospitality. On December 3, 1986, also inNew York, Les Dames d’Escoffier International held itsfirst board meeting. The following year, on October 24,1987, the second LDEI board meeting convened in Chicagofor further expansion planning.

It was in Philadelphia in 1988, however, that the first LesDames d’Escoffier International annual meeting was held,which included a round of networking and educationalactivities for all members, along with the business sessionsattended by LDEI officers. This tradition of annual meet-ings hosted by rotating Les Dames cities continues.

At the close of the 1988 business meetings, LDEI presi-dent, CLAIRE BOASI created an ad hoc Strategic PlanningCommittee, charged with developing a blueprint thatwould bring the LDEI vision to life. MYRA CLEMENT, thentransferring from Dallas to New York, was designatedcommittee chair. In addition to Claire and Myra, the com-mittee consisted of incoming LDEI president DOLORES

SNYDER (Dallas), NANCY KIRBY HARRIS (Chicago), AN N

YONKERS (Washington, D.C.), SARALIE SLONSKY (NewYork), and PAM HUNTER from the newly formed SanFrancisco Chapter.

Their discussions and ultimate recommendations madein their report to the Dallas Annual Meeting in 1989addressed administration and policy issues, new lines ofcommunication between regional chapters and LDEI, aswell as special campaigns, programs and events that wouldfulfill Les Dames’ mission. A three-year strategic plan wasapproved as well as our official colors of white and Frenchblue. Also on their agenda was creation of a framework forestablishing a community interface nationwide to make the

by Nancy Brussat Barocci, Chicago Chapter and Saralie Slonsky, New York Chapter

with information from Carol Brock, Ella Elvin, and Myra Clement (New York); Beverly Barbour-Soules (SanFrancisco); Carol Cutler (Washington, D.C.); Carol Haddix (Chicago); and Dolores Snyder (Dallas).

continued page 9

Dames with World Globe. Caption: Left to right, Claire Boasi,Jeanne Voltz, Elinor Kleeman, Carol Brock, Carol Haddix, CarolMason, Saralie Slonsky, Laura Maioglio, and Dolores Snyder.

LLeess DDaammeess dd’’EEssccooffffiieerr IInntteerrnnaattiioonnaall——AA HHiissttoorryy


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society’s resources available to communityagencies and institutions. In addition, theStrategic Planning Committee recommendedsteps to have LDEI Archives accepted as partof the permanent Culinary Archives atJohnson & Wales University in Providence.

During DO LORES SNYDER’s presidency,LDEI secured a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status andtrademarked the LDEI logo, which was origi-nally designed for the Washington, D.C.Chapter. LDEI began publishing a member-ship directory and a newsletter. A PR chair-man was appointed.

At the 1990 annual meeting in SanFrancisco, JERRY DIVECCHIO proposed wehonor MFK FISHER by founding a nationalscholarship in her honor. AN TONIA ALLEGRA

and Jerry met with MFK and she gave her per-mission for the Arts of the Table ScholarshipAward, which was approved at the annualmeeting in Washington, D.C., in October1991. It was also at this meeting that the mem-bers of Boston’s Les Dames des Amisd’Escoffier were grandfathered in as a chapterof LDEI.

The MFK Fisher Award, first presented inSeattle in 1992, was created to give recognitionand financial support to a non-member womanin mid-career who was engaged in significantwork in culinary, beverage, arts of the table,and related fields. The Grande Dame Award,which had previously been a regional chapterinitiative, became an international award togive recognition to a woman whose accom-plishments in these fields were extraordinary.It was first presented in Chicago in 1993. Thesetwo awards are presented in alternating yearsduring the annual meeting, the first MFKFisher Award and the first InternationalGrande Dame Award.

Over the years, LDEI’s reputation hasgrown as well as its size. Chapter cities nownumber 21, including two international chap-ters and one international affiliate. Even moretelling, the original NY group had set an initialgoal of installing just 50 members of the bestand the brightest women in the industry.Now, 25 years later, LDEI international boastsapproximately 1,000 members and is stillgrowing. The goals and the mission of LDEIhave remained constant, but as with anydynamic organization, changes have takenplace along the way to fit the desires of themembership as well as to match the changingtimes. LDEI has never rested on its laurels.

LDEI PRESIDENTSJean Voltz-MacKnight New York Chapter 1985 - 1987Claire Boasi Philadelphia Chapter 1987 - 1988Dolores Snyder Dallas Chapter 1989 - 1991Nancy Kirby Harris Chicago Chapter 1991 - 1993Ann Harvey Yonkers Washington D.C. Chapter 1993 - 1995Nancy Brussat Barocci Chicago Chapter 1995 - 1996Beverly G. Barbour-Soules New York Chapter 1996 - 1997Dorene Centioli-McTigue Seattle Chapter 1997 - 1998Pam Williams Vancouver B.C. Chapter 1998 - 1999Abagail Kirsch New York Chapter 1999 - 2000Abby Mandel Chicago Chapter 2000 - 2001Renie Steves Dallas Chapter 2001 - 2002

CHAPTER FOUNDING YEARS

LDEI ANNUAL MEETINGS1988 Philadelphia 1996 New York1989 Dallas 1997 Los Angeles1990 San Francisco 1998 Houston1991 Washington D.C. 1999 Atlanta1992 Seattle 2001 San Francisco1993 Chicago 2001 Washington D.C.1994 Boston 2002 San Antonio1995 Vancouver B.C. 2003 Seattle

SAVE THE DATES!LDEI Annual Conference 2002San Antonio, TexasOctober 17-20

from page 8

LLeess DDaammeess dd’’EEssccooffffiieerr

IInntteerrnnaattiioonnaall——AA HHiissttoorryy

New York - 1973Washington, D.C. - 1981Chicago - 1982Dallas - 1984Philadelphia - 1984Le Donne del Vino, Italy - 1988,1999 Partner with LDEISan Francisco - 1989Seattle - 1989Boston - 1959, 1982 (LDEI)British Columbia - 1992Los Angeles - 1993

Adelaide - 1994Houston - 1994New Orleans - 1995 (inactive)San Antonio - 1995Atlanta - 1996Minneapolis/St. Paul - 1996Palm Springs - 1996Phoenix - 1996Kansas City - 1998Hawaii - 2000Miami - 2000

Lcilla Jimenez andElizabeth Adams ofthe Miami Chapter.

San AntonioDames at LDEI conference


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The LDEI Kitchen Fund

Inspired by the leadership of the LosAngeles Chapter’s CATHERINE EVANS andLINDA DOWNS, the LDEI Kitchen Fund wasborn. Through another Los Angeles culinaryprofessional, Linda Civitello, the chapterlearned that Escoffier had championed thefamilies of the Titanic’s kitchen staff — fromthe dishwashers on up — who never made itto the life boats when the ocean liner sank in1912. He also organized relief efforts for thefamilies of kitchen workers killed in WorldWar I.

Thus, in the Escoffier tradition, the LDEIKitchen Fund is accepting contributions(personal, business, fundraising) for the fam-ilies of the kitchen personnel who lost theirlives in the World Trade Center terroristattack, from the dishwashers on up. TheLDEI Kitchen Fund, its purpose and mailingaddress, will be posted soon on our LDEIWeb site. The funds will be collected by theLos Angeles Chapter in a designated accountaccording to LDEI’s tax exempt guidelinesand then contributed to the Windows ofHope Fund in New York City. LDEI will berepresented on the Windows of Hope Fundcommittee in the distribution of these funds.

All contributions to the LDEI KitchenFund are tax deductible. Checks should bemade out to LDEI Kitchen Fund and sent toMITZIE CUTLER, 20863 Betron Street,Woodland Hills, CA 91364.

The Atlanta Chapter sent $5,800 to theLDEI Kitchen Fund, and $650 to the GreenGrocers Fund to benefit market farmerswho lost their trucks, etc. on September 11.The Los Angeles Chapter’s BARBARA

SEIDNER hosted a small dinner party wherethey shared stories about the significance offood and raised $300 for the LDEI KitchenFund.

Following is the current roster of theLDEI Kitchen Fund committee members.Dames interested in joining the committeecontact ABBY MANDEL at [email protected].

LDEI Kitchen Fund Committee:Elizabeth Adams, Miami Mitzie Cutler, LA Linda Downs, Atlanta Catherine Evans, LA Phyllis Liebert, Philadelphia Abby Mandel, Chicago Gretchen Mather, Seattle Bonnie Moore, DC Dodie Snyder, Dallas Eileen Talanian, Philadelphia Lee Wooding, Philadelphia Sonya Young, Atlanta

REMEMBERING WINDOWS ON THE WORLDSeptember 12, 2001

Dear Dames:

Many, many culinary professionals perished yesterday,from Windows on the World restaurant on the 107th floor ofthe World Trade Center to short order cooks in every lit-tle shop in the building. The culinary community has anopportunity now to do as the great, magnanimous Escoffierdid when the Titanic went down in 1912. The press mademuch of the rich and famous on board — Astor, Rothschild,etc. — and even though the restaurants and the excellentquality of the food were big drawing points, no one exceptEscoffier remembered the kitchen staff. Most of the sur-vivors on the Titanic were first-class passengers; with acouple of exceptions, the kitchen staff never made it tothe lifeboats. Escoffier tracked down the names of as manyas he could and wrote the most thorough obituaries hecould. A few years later, in World War I, Escoffier set upa fund for the families of the cooks who were killed, eventhough one of his own sons had been killed.

We need first, to memorialize those who perished in theterrorist attacks, and second, to set up a fund for theirfamilies, and do it the way Escoffier did it: down to thedishwashers. It would be a wonderful thing if there couldbe a permanent scholarship or award in the name of Windowson the World, so people don’t forget. It was Escoffier whobegan the “Diners d’Epicure,” where the same menu wasserved simultaneously throughout restaurants in Europe.Wouldn’t it be nice to do a fundraiser this way, in onenight, all across the country? Maybe all over the world.

There is a special place in my heart for Windows on theWorld. I am looking at a recipe I have had for more than20 years which I got when a colleague ate at the restau-rant and came back raving about a dessert he had tastedthere. I called the restaurant and the then pastry chefNick Malgieri sent me his recipe for Frozen AmarettoSouffle.

I am looking at that souffle-spattered recipe now. Itlists the restaurants that were in existence when Windowsfirst opened at the top of the World Trade Center: “TheRestaurant,” “The Cellar in the Sky,” “The City LightsBar,” “Hors D’Oeuvrerie,” and “The Statue of LibertyLounge.” Now, of course, under gifted, personable ExecutiveChef Michael Lomonaco, there is —there were —”Windows onthe World,” “Wild Blue,” the “Greatest Bar on Earth,” allaward-winning and all gone. .

The special on September 11 at Wild Blue was CrispSweetbread Salad; at Windows on the World, Roast SucklingPig. Gone are the Soft-Hearted Devil’s Food Cupcakes andthe Lady Libertini, their unique martini. Gone are theprivate dining and catering rooms that served 2 to 2000;the Ballroom where I attended the wedding of two collegeclassmates; The Hudson, Manhattan, and Pinnacle Suites, theCellar in the Sky, and the Liberty Suites — gone. The WineSchool, under Kevin Zraly — gone. .

The view from the 107th floor was indeed spectacular. Asyou looked down into the harbor, the Statue of Libertyraised her torch up toward you. Zagat says Windows on theWorld “put diners close to heaven.” Let’s band togetherand, like Escoffier, help their survivors here on earth.

Linda Civitello


11

By CiCi WilliamsonNone of us will ever forget September 11, 2001, but New York and

Washington Dames were confronted with the burning buildings first hand. Frommy job in the sprawling U.S. Department of Agriculture building at 14th Street& Independence Avenue, I could see the menacing black plume from the Pentagonattack just across the Potomac. The government closed down and I sped across the14th Street Bridge a block away. My route home took me within a few hundredyards of the blazing Pentagon. The acrid black smoke flew in my car window, openon a warm, cloudless day.

While phones were soon overloaded, electronic mail connected us, and asnowflake from Canada in the form of an e-mail floated into my mailbox. As thesnowflake melted into a tear, more arrived to put out the fires of our pain. Thatsnowflake turned into a blizzard of e-mails from Dames, and as our New YorkChapter’s Stephanie Crane wrote, “an incredible, comforting image...to hold handselectronically.” Here are some excerpts from the hundreds that flew betweenCanada, Australia and the States. But Cate Simpson’s e-mail started it all.

“Dearest Les Dames members in the United States, I can’teven begin to tell you how incredible it is to watch what hasunfolded in your country this morning. Canadians are not work-ing, we are all in tears, some in the streets, many have stayedhome to watch the news. It is unimaginable that this could hap-pen to you and we, as your neighbor, are devastated by yourmonumental losses. I wanted to let you know that you are all inour hearts and that our prayers are with you.” — CAT E SIMPSON,British Columbia

“It is humbling to see how many sisters have united togetherso quickly. I was a breath away from being there, but the PRgods smiled on me, and a conflict in scheduling kept me home towatch the terror unfold. Solidarity found in Les Dames is a com-fort during such a bewildering time. Thank you sisters, for beingthere.”—-ALICIA SHEERIN, Philadelphia

“The sense of our group of top-drawer decision makers clasp-ing hands in a huge circle has helped me survive this last weekand a half. The touch is there, the comfort is there, and the feel-ing that as a group, connected through the passion of our pro-fession, we will make a difference. The creativity and ideas of ourmembers for helping others are awesome. As I listened to thePresident’s speech tonight, I became more convinced than everthat a group like ours, pulling together in a united front, sets anexample to be proud of. As dozens of others have said, I am trulyproud to be a member of LDEI. Raise a glass and toast to ourconfidence in the future. With warmest thoughts,”—-RENIESTEVES, Dallas

“What an unexpected surprise and comfort met me when Istarted going through my e-mails from you and the otherLDEI’s. Thank you for your swift and warm support, and forstarting such a touching chain of messages. I literally burst intotears as the power of solidarity swept over me. What an incredi-ble group of women! Your messages have given me hope today.”—-KAREN COUNÉ, Minneapolis/St. Paul

“I was so awestruck with the incredible loss and evil destruc-tion yesterday, I was almost paralyzed. My mind quickly wentto all the wonderful events at the World Trade Center — even tomy induction into Les Dames at a fabulous dinner at Windowson the World in May in the early 1980s.”—--JANE BUTEL, NewYork

“Dear sisters of LDEI, I am returning to work today after mywedding last Sunday. Going from such joy to such horror is areminder to never take ANYTHING we cherish in life forgranted. This includes our connection to each other throughLDEI. We have all been affected by this and we are not only con-nected as sisters of LDEI but connected as fellow human beingsthat can’t help but weep for the family and friends of yesterday’stragedy.” —-LISA DUPAR, Seattle

“Along with your Executive Committee, I value the special

dimension of our bonding together as shown by the emails ofcompassion that came so quickly after the tragedies yesterday inNYC and DC. Your compelling empathy is the best that elec-tronic handholding could offer! I am inspired by the compassionthat all of you have expressed.” —-ABBY MANDEL, Chicago.

“What wonderful comradeship! We New York Dames aremoved and thankful for all your friendship and caring. The lasttime I felt this way was when JFK was killed. It is truly unbe-lievable. The people in all phases of food service in New Yorkcontinuously provide food. We had a triage center at ChelseaPiers and were able to feed people. Melanie Young has been mak-ing sandwiches by the thousands and serving coffee with a teamof people at the Beard House since the tragedy occurred.”—-ABIGAIL KIRSCH, New York.

“Yesterday, an international day of mourning, our nieceJennifer turned 30. Although we are planning a quiet dinner atan Italian restaurant this evening, she was so depressed that myhusband, her fiance and I convinced her to accompany us to arestaurant on Broad Street across from Philadelphia’s magnifi-cent City Hall. At precisely 7 PM, we went outside and imme-diately saw about 40 employees of The Ritz-Carlton hotel acrossthe street, - chefs in their sparkling whites and tall toques,servers, bellmen, reservationists - leave the hotel and stand on themarble steps with votive candles flickering in the late summerbreeze. Dusk was falling and the sky a beautiful pink and blue. Itis an image I shall never forget. The Ritz is housed in a nearly 100year-old marble building patterened after the Pantheon in Rome.Soon children, teenagers and adults came walking up BroadStreet, the longest continuous street in the United States, withcandles and as tears came to my eyes, I hugged my niece andwished her a happy birthday.” —-PHYLLIS STEIN- NOVAK,Philadelphia, The City of “Sisterly” Love

Provincetown, Massachusetts, September 14, 2001 “Last night as we lit our candle the dark sky cleared and there

appeared a perfect double rainbow that rose up from from theocean and ended in the bay, arching miles across the dunes, theheath, casting a rose colored glow over the coast line as far as theeye could see. I’ve never seen such a rainbow. Its colors were trueand bright and it was in every sense something man can neithercreate nor destroy. My friend said that it was a rainbow that Godsent as a sign for Noah to release the dove. I saw it as the path-way for all those souls going up to heaven. I thought of this cir-cle of friendship with gratitude and hope.” —-LORA BRODY,Boston

“So many of you have shared and expressed your feelings andthoughts. It has definitely given me food for the mind and soul.Our prayers are with all.” —-HEIDE VUKOVIC, Houston

“Thank you all for reaching out, expressing your compassionand concern. You have opened up all of our hearts to one anoth-er. The need for closeness of family and friends is so importantespecially now. Thanks to electronic hand holding we have allmade some new friends.” —-MARSHA SAYET, Miami

“We will never get over this. But having a way to communi-cate and share our pain and love is miraculous. It eases the fearjust a bit.” —-JANE NEWCOMB, Palm Springs

“The strength and love I feel each time I read a note from aLes Dames is so overwhelming. The energy is so good and need-ed right now. Thank you. We are ALL affected. We’ve beendelivering brownie bites to the Blood Centers here in Phoenixfor the donors.” —-EILEEN SPITALNY, Phoenix

“I cannot tell you how heartened I was to open my e-mailsand see compassionate messages from so many accomplishedwomen. I have always been proud to be a member of our fineorganization. Through this horrific tragedy, I feel such pride see-ing all our members reaching out to each other. “—-RONNI L.MICHEL, Boston

The Snowflake from Canada


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GREG JEWELL HIRED FOR LDEI MANAGEMENTThe Board of Directors of Les Dames

d’Escoffier International voted unanimously atthe annual conference in October to retain the ser-vices of an association management company tohandle the organization’s affairs. AECManagement Resource, Inc., a Louisville,Kentucky-based association management andevent/conference planning company, will assumeadded responsibilities from those handled bySusan Horrocks, who helped facilitate the associa-tion’s workings for the past 8 years.

“I am thrilled to be working with such a prestigious group of profes-sionals,” said AEC president Greg Jewell, “and I look forward to con-tributing to the continued growth and health of the organization.” AECstands for Association, Event and Conference Management Resources.

It was the consensus of the executive committee and the board ofdirectors that LDEI had reached a point in its evolution when it neededan association management professional to help provide more structureand continuity at the international level.

Greg’s extensive background and success in managing professionalassociations in the foodservice industry fit the bill. During the past 15years, he has served in management positions with the Society forFoodservice Management, the National Association of CateringExecutives and the International Inflight Food Service Association,among others.

Effective November 1, AEC began serving as the headquarters officeof LDEI. The new contact information is at the end of this article. AECwill also provide membership fulfillment services, help facilitate LDEI’sdirectory publication and monitor web-related issues. It will also handlea myriad of administrative responsibilities to assist the executive com-mittee and board of directors. AEC will also provide conference-plan-ning services for the AGM and work with each city’s host committee.Greg will personally serve as a resource for strategic planning and policyand procedure-related issues. And, he will also work with the board toincrease the organization’s effectiveness.

AEC Management Resources, Inc.Greg Jewell, PresidentP.O. Box 4961Louisville, KY 40204502/456-1851; fax 502/459-5846 [email protected]

By CiCi Williamson, LDEI First Vice President

Despite the efforts of JUDY ANDERSON and EMMA

FREEMAN during the past two years, the New Orleanschapter decided to disband as of September. Judy andEmma served as co-presidents from 1999 to 2001, butwere unable to find other chapter Dames to assumeoffices for 2002.

The LDEI Executive Committee tried to help nurturethe chapter for several years. LDEI past president AbigailKirsch visited the chapter a few years ago, and I visitedthem last year while in New Orleans on personal business.Almost 100% of the chapter members were chefs or restau-rateurs at such high profile establishments as Commander’sPalace and Brennan’s. Judy said, “There are many foodgroups in New Orleans, all competing for participation.”

After my visit, I kept in touch with the chapter via e-

mail. I researched a list of about 25 Louisiana women inthe food and hospitality fields who might be potentialmembers, but the chapter couldn’t find a Dame willing toexplore membership with them.

Of course, all Dames are busy members of accomplish-ment. But it seems to me that our many successful chap-ters are composed of women in a variety of fields, someof whom have flexibility in their schedules as well asheartfelt dedication to our mission.

It’s also important to be sure prospective members andthe community understand the mission of LDEI. Thattakes education, a public relations effort and the visibilitythat comes from holding programs, benefits and otherevents. The loss of the New Orleans Chapter can serve asa wake-up call for chapters to keep their home fires burn-ing with a spare cord of wood at the ready. We will missnetworking with our 19 former members of Les Dames.

New Orleans Chapter Disbands

In MemoriamBARBARA TROPP: Scholar Who

Became Pathfinder ChefBARBARA TROPP of the San Francisco

Chapter died on October 26 after a longbattle with ovarian cancer. She will besorely missed by all who knew her. ABarnard student of Chinese language andculture Barbara went on to a MastersDegree in Chinese literature and art fromPrinceton. She became interested inChinese cuisine while a student of poeticstructure at the National University inTaiwan. Upon her return to the UnitedStates, she began cooking and developeda style based upon using only the finest,freshest foods—as did her friend AliceWaters at about the same time—in a com-bination of Chinese and French culinaryconcepts. Her restaurant China Moonwas a ground-breaking success.

Always a scholar, she wrote andtaught about cooking while chef/ownerof the restaurant. She authored twobooks, “China Moon Cookbook” and“The Modern Art of Chinese Cooking:Techniques and Recipes,” was a founderof Women Chefs and Restaurateurs andthis year received its President’s Award.A memorial scholarship has been estab-lished in her name to enable youngwomen chefs to study in China. Herfriends are requested at her behest to“drink a bottle of great Champagne withsomeone you love.” Barbara TroppMemorial Fund, Women Chefs andRestaurateurs, 405 West Liberty #201,Louisville, KY 40202.

—Beverly Barbour-Soules, San Francisco, LDEI Past President


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ADELAIDE SUPPORTS “SMART KIDS, COOL COOKING”

By Margaret Kirkwood, Adelaide ChapterThrough various fund raising efforts, the Adelaide chap-

ter was able to physically and financially support a projectwith the Women’s and Children’s Hospital department ofNutrition called “Smart Kids, Cool Cooking.”

Its primary focus is to encourage children in the kitchento prepare fresh food safely. With this in mind, theAdelaide Chapter and the Women’s and Children’sHospital created an instructional pamphlet called “SmartKids—Cool Cooking and presented it during “TastingAustralia.”

Nadia Cerro, senior dietition in nutrition promotion atthe hospital said, “Safety issues become a barrier preventingmany parents from allowing children to work in thekitchen, so we wanted to heighten the safety factor.”Seventy thousand copies were printed for distributionthroughout South Australia to health professionals, phar-macies and children’s sport and leisure groups. The textdeals with keeping children aged eight to 16 free from dan-ger in the kitchen.

This campaign was launched by celebrated ChefStephanie Alexander at ROSA MAT TO’s Cookery School.We felt proud to see the final result with our Les Damesd’Escoffier logo on the pamphlet. Dames attending “TasteAustralia” in October graciously found the time to supportthe Adelaide Dames’ project.

ATLANTA HOSTS DAMESThe Atlanta

chapter believesin “Dames sup-porting Dames”on a nationallevel. CAROLYN

WE N T E of theSan Franciscochapter will bein Atlanta host-ing a winemak-ers dinner at

Karen Bremer’s“City Grill” on

Nov. 5. ALICE MEDRICH was in town in October promot-ing her new book with a dessert buffet and signing at DameOPHELIA SANTOS’ “Ali Oli” and a cooking class at MARY

MOORE’s “The Cook’s Warehouse”. [email protected].

BOSTON MENTORS THIRD CHILDIn conjunction with Mass Families for Kids, Les Dames

Boston is about to take on its third child to mentor. Thisfifteen year old is in foster care in Boston, and is interested

in a culinary career. Contact GWEN TROST ([email protected]) for details.

The Boston Chapter and Dame NANCY MATHESON

BURN’s company, Dole and Bailey, joined other culinaryorganizations to sponsor “Sunday Supper” on November11. Restaurants throughout Boston served special menus,the proceeds going to the United Way Unity Fund.Contact [email protected]

CHICAGO CHAPTER SPONSORS BREASTCANCER AWARENESS

In early October, the Chicago chapter co-sponsored aBreast Cancer Awareness event at the Woman’s Club ofEvanston focusing on the possible role that foods play in can-cer prevention and women’s health. It featured a nutritiousdinner buffet prepared by Chicago Dames highlighting“good” ingredients: vegetables high in beta-carotene, wholegrains, soy products, canola and olive oils, and green tea.

Dishes included SARAH STEGNER’s Roasted Beet, Fenneland Citrus Salad; RITA GUTEKANST’s Wild Rice Salad withDried Fruit and Nuts; Mari Coyne’s Seven Grain Rolls;Dame PEGGY RYAN’s Wilted Greens Salad with FrenchFeta, Grapes and Red Onions; JULIE CHERNOFF’s TuscanWhite Bean and Tuna Salad, and her Sweet Pea Guacamole;and Pat Butkus’ Barbecued Tofu Wraps.

We finished with JANE DAVIS’ fiber-packed CrunchyCowboy Cookies, a big hit with the fresh fruit platter.

After dinner,we heard alecture byDr. TinaHieken, sur-gical oncolo-gist at Rush-North ShoreH o s p i t a l ,and MARY

A B B O T T

Hess, whomanaged tobe informa-

Chapter Programs

Atlanta Dames at LDEI conference

Boston Dames at LDEI conference

Chicago Dames at LDEI conference


14

tive and entertaining. Door prizes were donated by theAmerican Cancer Society and the evening’s program wasemceed by NANCY HARRIS.

Most importantly, we donated $250 to the AmericanCancer Society in the name of Les Dames. Event attendeeincluded Chicago Dames, Woman’s Club of Evanstonmembers and guests. The evening was such a success thatwe hope to make it an annual event.—-Julie Chernoff andSarah Stegner, Program Co-chairs

Chapters Respond to September 11 Terrorist Attacks

Chicago Taking its cue from Auguste Escoffier’s humanitarian

efforts on behalf of kitchen workers when he collectedfunds for wives and children of workers who went to thefront during World War I, Chicago Dames responded tothe unimaginable tragic events of September 11 in a varietyof ways.

Restaurateurs MARIA CONCANNON, INA PINKNEY, andCARRIE NAHABEDIAN joined other Windows of Hope Fundrestaurants in donating ten percent of their October 11profits to the fund. JEAN TRU E’s catering company, TrueCuisine, held a Windows of Hope dinner in their parkinglot in Wheaton, Illinois. Two hundred local residents cameto dine on all-American food—meat loaf, chicken, mashedpotatoes, peas, corn homemade biscuits, and apple pie.Under a big tent, musicians and a choral group fromNaperville entertained the diners who visibly mingled withthe community’s firemen. Many vendors donated foodproducts, tee-shirts, banners, and even a spot on the JohnWilliams WGN show. Charging $20 a person, Jean and hergroup raised $2500.

LDEI president ABBY MANDEL and Chef SARAH

STEGNER cooked a sell-out dinner at Abby’s North Shorehome, joining the groundswell of contributions to theLDEI Kitchen Fund, distributed by the Windows of HopeFund. The dinner attended by 30 guests raised $10,000.This success was reinforced by sister Dames who generous-ly rushed to donate the following items: Tablescape rentalsfrom KATHY RUFF, Jamison lamb from CARRIE

NAHABEDIAN, miniature chocolate bars from EN-MING

HSU. Abby and Sarah prepared the meal that consisted ofHerbed Gougeres for horsd’oeuvres, Mushroom Tart appe-tizers, Lamb Duet garnished with Mashed Potatoes andRoot Vegetables and Baked Fennel entrees, Baby Romainewith Herbs and Radish accompanied the cheese course.Warm Cranberry Apple Crisp with Ice Cream andCaramel Sauce was served for dessert. MARY HESS workedthe line. It was a supremely rewarding experience to cometogether to support the kitchen helpers’ families from theWorld Trade Center.

MARIA BAT TAGLIA and the good people at Kraft Foodshave been busy packing boxes of food to send to needy per-sons world-wide. And on November 11, under JEANNE

MCINERNEY’s guidance, seventy-five children from the

community service club of Flossmoor will host a commu-nity dinner and pie auction for the LDEI Kitchen Fund.The event will be called “AMERICAN PIE” and it will becooked, decorated, served, and cleaned up by the childrenwho are eager to make a difference in the lives of others.Dames from the Chicago chapter will contribute specialpies for the “celebrity pie” part of the auction.

If there is no discernible reason for the horrors that haveoccurred, this tragedy has connected us as human beings,which is maybe the only useful outcome that we can expectfrom the unimaginable events of September 11.

SanFranciscoChapter

All Damesmourned ther e s t a u r a n tworkers lostin the WorldTrade Centerdisaster, andr e c a l l e dE s c o f f i e r ’ ssupport tosuch comrades lost in disasters such as the Franco PrussianWar and the sinking of the Titanic. NANCY OAKES of SanFrancisco honored her former pastry chef Heather Ho whowas lost in the WTC’s Windows on the World. Oakes’restaurant Boulevard joined restaurants around the nationOct 11 by sharing profits for the Windows of Hope Fundby teaming with another former San Francisco employer ofHeather to create a dinner at Restaurant Aqua as well as abrunch at Boulevard. The entire proceeds of both event,$30,000, were matched by Heather’s father, and were givento a special Heather Ho scholarship fund at CIA. The galafare included Heather’s special pastries. —-Gig Owen

Dallas ChapterThe Dallas chapter donated more than $3000 to the

LDEI Kitchen Fund for Windows of Hope with the pro-ceeds of a potluck dinner event hosted by MYNETTA

COCKERELL and KAREN CASSADY at Marty’s, a gourmetwine and food store, and funds from the Dallas chaptertreasury.—-Karol Wilson, Public Relations Chair

San Francisco Dames at LDEI conference

Dallas Dames at LDEI conference


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HOUSTON CHAPTER RAISES $25,000There’s always a first

time...and Houstondames did it! Aftermuch planning andhard work, we created asuccessful recipe for ourfirst scholarship fund-raiser September 30thwith “KitchenConfidential.” Thetheme was carriedthroughout the event,from the location site ofa culinary school’s kitchens to some of the 160 guests whoarrived in their favorite cooking attire.

Four Houston-area culinary schools were the beneficia-ries of the fruits of our labors. The culinary schools’instructors and students prepared the sumptuous dishes forthe guests to enjoy as they moved from kitchen to kitchen.A prosperous ($9,450) Silent Auction, beverage bar and afruit and cheese station was set up in yet another kitchen.

Throughout the evening, roving musicians kept every-one entertained. Before “the kitchen is closed” wasannounced, guests were asking when we were planning ournext event! Chaired by GI NA LIUZZA and MARIAN TINDALL,we were tired but very happy when we learned that our‘Kitchen Confidential” was a $25,000 winning recipe.

KANSAS CITY SCHEDULES FEBRUARY FUNDRAISERBy Judith Fertig, Chapter President

The events of September 11 forced the Kansas CityChapter to re-schedule two of its upcoming events. Becausechapter members reside in four states, one of its tworequired meetings was held via teleconference inNovember. They used a Bridgeline phone conference.Dames interested in learning how to use this method ofcommunication can contact JUDITH FE RTIG

([email protected])

On February 6, 2002, the Kansas City Chapter willhold: “Raising Our Glasses for the Windows of Hope: A

Very Special Food &Wine Event” whichwill include a guidedtasting of six winespaired with deliciousnibbles. It will featureThe Wine Bible authorKaren MacNeil, direc-tor of wine programs atthe CIA in Napa, witha “Wines You CanLove for Under $10”theme. Contact MARY

P F E I F E R

([email protected])

MINNEAPOLIS/ST.PAUL CHAPTER BENEFITSEASTSIDE CHILDREN’S GARDEN PROJECTBy Meg Brownsen, Chapter Co-president

The Minneapolis/St. Paul Chapter held its annualfundraiser on October 14 in historic Stillwater, Minnesota,on the St. Croix River. The events’ beneficiary was theEastside Children’s Garden Project which operates sevengardens where children learn to tend the gardens and seethe results of their caring labor. Its goal is to help childrenbecome part of community life, developing skills aroundfood and the environment.

Six Garden Project children helped run their booth at theevent. They raised $800 by selling dried floral wreaths, home-made vinegars, and their new cookbook, Fresh From the

Garden, a collection of Garden Project photos and 32 recipestested by Les Dames members. Fundraiser guests enjoyed wineand beer tasting, samples of imported olives, chocolate and arti-san cheeses donated by local restaurants and vendors, includingSara Hill, Kathryn Wyand, Molly Broder and CHRIS LENTZ.

Ken Goff of the Dakota Restaurant (spouse of CarmenBonilla), Brock and Natalie Obee of Cafe 128, and PastryChef Laura Mell of La Belle Vie were among the area chefswho gave cooking demonstrations and served samples oftheir recipes. The chapter expects to present a check for over$6,000 to the Children’s Garden Project. For more informa-tion about the Project, call (651) 228-7073. To order the cook-book, Fresh From the Garden, $9.00, contact Janice Cole atCooking Pleasures Magazine 952-352-7200, e-mail: .

HAWAII CHAPTER HAS FIRST OFFICIAL EVENTBy Donna Jung, Chapter President

Our chapter just completed its first official event, “ADinner Party,” in the library of Honolulu’s Pu’uhaleElementary School. The goal is to share the joy of diningand dinner conversation with children who, in turn, willshare it with their families. It’s impossible to report on whoenjoyed The Dinner Party more, the fifth graders or theDames!

We thank New York Dame LYNN FREDERICKS , LDEIthird vice president, for the inspiration provided by herFamily cooking program that we adapted to fit our cir-cumstances. And, fortunately, LORI WONG presents similarprograms professionally so we had the perfect leader! Damemembers from Hawaii resorts and independent restaurants

Houston Dames at LDEI conference

Minneapolis Dames at LDEI conference

Kansas Dames at LDEI conference


16

generously donatedeverything fromcatering equipmentto gourmet food—French of course!—so that we couldgive the kids anauthentic fine-din-ing experience.

The kids’ enthusiastically enjoyed their introduction togourmet food and fine dining table settings. Our key to suc-cess was having a Dame at each table of students to providehands-on assistance. Laughter mixed with a sense of accom-plishment as Faith OL E LO PA’A OGAWA successfully taughtthe children a bird-of-Paradise napkin fold.

Dame chefs prepared the food and other membersserved and cleaned up. Vice President JOAN NAMKOONG cre-ated a printed menu and take-home booklet for the stu-dents to share with their family and friends. Our chapterhas discussed organizing a multi-school statewide produc-tion of A Dinner Party to increase the number of kidsreached and the visibility of our Chapter. It’s a work inprogress!

DAMES ATTEND “TASTE AUSTRALIA”IN ADELAIDEBy Margaret Kirkwood

You can imagine our delight when we heard that therewould be some of our fellow Dames visiting Adelaide forour October 2001 event “Taste Australia.” Six Dames andeight other food and wine writers from the United Statesattended the event. They were joined by 156 other writersfrom around the globe and were wined and dined 16 hoursa day.

We were so excited and wanted to meet the Dames whilethey were here. Their itineraries were full of outings, tast-ings, dinners, and more dinners, that there hardly seemedtime to be able to fit anything else into their schedules.Nevertheless, we did. The LDE Alelaide chapter greetedthem warmly and hosted a dinner in their honor. Of theten fabulous day trips, two included small plane rides toKangaroo Island and Flinders Range in the Australian out-back and one included a luxury train ride to the Barossaregion of Southern Australia. A memorable time was hadby all.

On Tuesday evening, October 9, we collected six Damesfrom the hotel and escorted them to Rococo cafe owned byone of our members, SALLY N EVILLE. Because we knewthat there were some husbands visiting also, we invited ourhusbands as well. In fact, the husbands poured the wines,cooked part of the meal and were just the greatest help.

It was a very informal night where we could all relax andget to know each other. We loved hearing the occupationsof the visiting Dames and they heard about ours. Even themen contributed, and this added a touch of humour to theevent. Thank you, Dames, for taking time out to meet withthe Adelaide Chapter.

DAMES’ FOOD SECTIONS WIN HONORSThe Association of Food

Journalists named The San AntonioExpress-News Food section best foodsection in the 200,000-400,000-cir-culation category and awarded TheColorado Springs Gazette third place inbest food section with a circulationunder 200,000. The Express-Newsfood editor and San Antonio Dameis KAREN HARAM. Food writerBONNIE WALKER assists her andanother Dame, PAT MOZERSKY

writes a column called “Chefs’ Secrets” in the winning sec-tion.

The Gazette food editor is TERESA FARNEY, a member ofthe Washington DC Chapter, who is hoping to charter aColorado chapter. Haram and Farney accepted theirawards at the association’s annual conference in Las Vegas.

Judges called the Express-News’ section “clearly superi-or,” noting it showed “great diversification” and “depth ofknowledge.” They touted The Gazette for its “reader-friendly, well-labeled features, good use of sidebars, break-out boxes, and good use of photography” and called its “7-day menu planner a great feature to include.”

Left to right: Carol Ritchie (Dallas), Carol Kotkin (Miami), JeannieMcInerney Lubeck (Chicago), Barbara Gibbs Ostmann (KansasCity), Karen Levin (Chicago), and Renie Steves, (Dallas).

PHOTO BY CICI WILLIAMSONTeresa and JerryFarney Dames at LDEIconference


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ATLANTAGE NA BERRY’S Culinary Works culinary consulting

company now offers strategic communications planning.She has taken on associate Melanie McCraney, amedia/PR specialist with a broadcast journalism andcorporate communications background. The GeorgiaSpecialty Food Association recently awarded CulinaryWorks a contract to provide strategic communicationsand marketing solutions.

Gena has been working on a “Taste of the NFL,” aSuper Bowl event, which will be held in New Orleans onFebruary 2, 2002. This event raises dollars and awarenessfor Hunger Relief efforts across the U.S. Each of 32 stationspairs a stellar chef from each NFL city with a playerrepresenting the team. The chefs prepare a signature dishwhich is paired with a Gallo wine. There are about 2,000attendees and always a headliner entertainer.www.tasteofthenfl.com.

MELISSA LIBBY incorporated the food styling and recipetesting expertise of several sister Dames for her bookAtlanta Cooks ($29.95), which was published in November.The book features 125 recipes from 25 of Atlanta’sfavorite chefs. Atlanta Cooks is available in participatingAtlanta restaurants, bookstores and retail outlets or foronline purchase at .

BOSTONLISA EKUS has expanded her company services to

include literary agenting for cookbook authors. She alsolaunched, , a new Web site that showcases cookbooks,recipes, chefs and culinary sites. In March 2002, she willbe one of the featured speakers at The Symposium forProfessional Food Writer’s Conference at the Greenbriarin West Virginia.

BARBARA LAUTERBACH will publish her first book PotatoSalads (Chronicle Books of San Francisco) in May 2002.

CHICAGO NANCY SILER of Wilton Industries appeared on QVC

in October presenting Wilton’s Harry Potter Cake andCupcake Decorating Set. She also appeared on Chicago’sCBS affiliate to demonstrate Halloween cupcakedecorating and to show homemade Halloween candy,cakes, cookies, candy lollipop and cookie poparrangements, and ghost rice cereal treats.

GALE GAND was honored at the American Food &Entertaining Awards at New York’s Le Cirque 2000 inSeptember along with thirteen other culinary luminarieswho “have made a delicious difference in our country’sculinary landscape and have most influenced our taste andstyle.” Gale’s third cookbook Gale Gand’s Just a Bite writtenwith Julia Moskin (Clarkson Potter, 2001) was publishedthis fall.

ELAINE GONZALEZ was a speaker at The CulinaryInstitute of America’s Fourth Annual Worlds of FlavorConference and Festival November 8-10 at the Greystonecampus. She appeared at the New York Chocolate Showin November at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New YorkCity.

JOYCE LOFSTROM will become president of theConsumer Science Business Professionals (CSBP) inJanuary 2002. During her term, she will work with theCSBP Board to help develop the strategy andprogramming for the organizations annual conference:Consumer Trends Forum in Chicago March 21-23 at theHoliday Inn City Centre.

DALLASPAULA LAMBERT taught cooking classes for BARBARA

FENZL in Phoenix, competed in the Iron Pan Classicbenefiting American Farmland Trust in Fort Worth,spoke to a women’s club, taped a PBS cooking class inHouston, and was a featured author and panelist at theTexas Book Festival in Austin.

SHARO N MEEHAN, owner of the famed Dallas-basedHam I Am, brought home the bacon! Her bacon, part ofher line of hams, turkeys, lamb chops and a condimentcalled Hogwash, was named Best Bacon Product byNovember’s Esquire magazine. Founded in 1985, Ham IAm is found in specialty retailers, catalogs and online atwww.hamiam.com.

DOLORES SNYDER attended the Texas Exes ScholarshipAwards at the Alumni Center of The University of Texasin Austin this September. The Dolores Snyder Les Damesd’Escoffier Scholarship in Nutrition was one of 12 newendowments honored at this event. The winner received$1,000 to continue her studies in nutrition.

HAWAIIJOAN NAMKOONG has published Go Home, Cook Rice, a

compilation of articles from her years as food editor ofThe Honolulu Advertiser. It focuses on island grown foodproducts. The 104 page four-color book has 70 plusrecipes and is $20, including postage, for Dames. Toorder, send a check to Namkoong Publishing, P.O. Box61053, Honolulu HI 96839.

KANSAS CITY JUDITH M. FE RTIG announced the October debut of her

new cookbook Prairie Home Breads: 150 Splendid Recipes fromAmerica’s Breadbasket (The Harvard Common Press, 2001).

BARBARA GIBBS OSTMANN’S The Recipe Writer’s Handbook,co-authored with Jane Baker. (Wiley, 2001), won a Bronzeat the World Food Media Awards in the Best Soft CoverFood Book Category in Australia this past October.While Down Under, Ostmann spoke on recipe writing atTasting Australia’s International Food and Wine Writers’Festival.

Member Milestones


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NEW YORK

PAT BARTHOLOMEW, Dean, School of ProfessionalStudies at NYC Technical College, made an Octoberpresentation “The Dream Kitchen, an examination ofwomen and food in films” at the International Associationof Women Chefs and Restaurateurs in Santa Monica:.

LAURA MAIOGLIO and Barbetta Restaurant ChefAlberto Leandri, traveled to Asti, Italy in September,laden with all the American ingredients to prepare atraditional Thanksgiving dinner for over 500 curiousPiemontesi. Barbetta was the only foreign restaurantinvited to participate in Asti’s famed Douja d’Or, anannual 10-day marathon tasting of food and wine.

HENNY SANTO, former NYC restaurateur - The Sign ofthe Dove, Arizona 206, Ecce Panis, etc — has openedSanto Consulting Group in Fort Lauderdale with herhusband and another former business associate. They areworking with new and existing restaurants and otherhospitality businesses throughout the United States..

JANEEN SARLIN is teaching cooking classes everyWednesday at a new site, CBK Cookies, on Manhattan’supper East Side. The classes are small, full participation,and focused on seasonal and current food trends usingclassic techniques. Call 212-517-8514, e-mail , or visit hernew website

MARGUERITE THOMAS is working on the fourth editionof Wineries of the Eastern States (Berkshire House Publishers),a travel guide to select wineries from Massachusettsthrough Virginia. To be released in October 2002, thebook describes the wineries and the exciting new winescoming from these emerging viticultural regions.

KIMBERLY TRYBA has been appointed Director ofMarketing for New York Magazine’s sister publicationIN-New York. Tryba oversees marketing and salesinitiatives, and pr/communications. She welcomes Damesubmissions of NY-centric information on restaurantopenings, new menus, events, merchandise, trends,locations, etc. for editorial consideration.

MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL PAULETTE MITCHELL’S ninth cookbook Vegetarian

Appetizer, (Chronicle Books) was published, in September2001. Her 15-Minute Gourmet cookbook series wasawarded Best Cookbook Series at the 2000 WorldCookbook Fair in Perigueux, France, the same eventwhere, in 1998, her Complete Soy Cookbook was named BestHealth Cookbook.

PHOENIX BARBARA POOL FENZL, CCP, hosted a three-hour

television show, A is for Appetizers, on December 1during Arizona’s KAET public television fundraisingpledge drive. Ms. Fenzl will cook and help guestsdemonstrate their favorite appetizer recipes, all of whichwill be included in a cookbook, A is for Appetizers.

SAN ANTONIO Dames Aid Library BenefitBy Cynthia Guido

“Loteria” is an age-old Mexican card game that remainspopular to this day. The deck is comprised of colorfulimages ranging from the sun and moon, to a zaftigmermaid. It was this traditional game of chance, with itsfolkloric Latin charm, that inspired the New World rafflewhich helped our chapter raise almost a thousand dollarsat Hemisfare 2001, centerpiece event of the San AntonioNew World Wine & Food Festival.

For the second year, San Antonio’s “enchilada red”Central Library offered the perfect backdrop for thisfoodies’ fantasy fulfilled. The evening included myriadmorsels prepared by chefs from Mexico to Manhattan,wines from all of the Americas poured by chi-chivolunteers, a hot Latin marimba band... and for just tenbucks, a card that guaranteed a treasure from the SanAntonio Dames’ tastefully decorated Loteria trove.

Collecting the booty was easy: each Dame contributedor solicited an item. Nothing needed to be too dear,cookbooks and baskets of food items were particularfavorites with revelers both this year and last.

Wearing our LDEI aprons to sell Loteria cards on theevening of November 2, 2001 offered our chapterincredible opportunity in addition to a fabulous time. Wewere able to raise LDEI’s profile in our community, tosupport the city’s Library and Park Foundations (thebeneficiaries of the San Antonio New World Wine &Food Festival), and to contribute as a group to a citywidecelebration of the cuisines and cultures that flavor SanAntonio.

SAN FRANCISCOLINDA ANUSASANANAN, as a spokesperson for the

California Milk Advisory Board and Sunset Magazine SeniorWriter, completed a four-city media tour promoting the useof nonfat yogurt cheese in holiday entertaining as shown inSunset’s November issue. She appeared on a dozen television,radio, and print interviews.

New York Dames at LDEI conference


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JERRY AN N E DI VECCHIO, our 2001 Grande Damerecently retired as editor in chief of Sunset Magazine but con-tinues to write for the monthly and expects publication ofher 300-page, 15th Sunset Recipe Annual Cookbook inNovember. Froth au Lait, a cookware appliance manufac-turer, now boasts Jerry as a board member advising themon design, marketing, and recipes. Also, Jerry consults forNancy’s Specialty Foods and other companies.

JANET FLETCHER announces the publication of NapaStories: Profiles, Reflections & Recipes from the Napa Valley (Stewart,Tabon & Chang) co-authored with chef Michael Chiarello.The coffee-table book includes reminiscences from promi-nent writers and sidebars on the art of winemaking.

AN TONIA ALLEGRA conducted a communications work-shop and coached culinary professionals during the 2002International Foodservice Editorial Council Conference inProvidence this fall. She also was a judge of the Johnson &Wales cooking/writing competition.

CAROLYN WENTE was awarded San Francisco BusinessTimes’ Women in Leadership Award for 2001 and theLivermore Valley Assembly District’s Woman of the Year2000. In addition, Wente Vineyards was one of only eightbusinesses that the California Department of PesticideRegulation honored with an Innovator Award for itsIntegrated Pest Management practices.

SEATTLEKATHY CASEY has a new website! . And, she has expand-

ed Kathy Casey Food Studio to 6000 sq. ft. It is now opento the public for cooking/cocktail classes, special events,meetings and business get-togethers. The Web site featuresclass schedules, recipes, articles, upcoming cookbook sign-ings, TV appearances, and a chat forum.DIANA DILLARD

received an Excellence Award from the National lnstitutefor Staff and Organizational Development from theUniversity of Texas at Austin.

CHRISTINE KEFF volunteered as guest chef for SeattleCentral Community College’s Culinary Arts annualHarvest Dinner in November. The dinner raises funds forstudent scholarships.

CYNTHIA NIMS and KATHY CASEY’S new book BestPlaces, Seattle Cookbook (Sasquatch, 2001) has just beenreleased. The book comprises 125 recipes and signaturedrinks from the city’s hottest chefs.

WASHINGTON DC

NANCY BAGGETT guested on National Public Radio’s“All Things Considered” Nov. 6 as part of a publicity tour

for her All-American Cookie Book. Host Linda Wertheimerfocused her interview on cookies as “comfort food.” Nancynotes that the NPR airing jumped her book’s ranking intothe top 100 best sellers on Amazon.com!

SUSAN DERECSKEY will be a featured speaker at theSymposium for Professional Food Writers at theGreenbrier, March 20-24, 2002. She will speak on Cycles ofFood Writing and participate in a panel on Writing andEditing Contemporary Cookbooks.

SUSAN GAGE catered the luncheon for Secretary of StateColin Powell and President of Mexico’s Vicente Fox inSeptember at the Department of State. It was a huge successfor the 250 attendees and a real honor for Susan.

CONNIE HAY is a contributing editor for Better Homesand Gardens’ Eating for Life, featuring recipes to help healand prevent diseases. This is her 11th cookbook forMeredith Books. Connie continues to test recipes for cook-books and is currently writing and developing recipes for adessert book.

JOAN NATHAN’s second season of PBS’s JewishCooking in America with Joan Nathan is under way. Shewill feature a 93-year-old cooking maven in Vermont,Andre Soltner making carpe a la juive, Wolfgang Puckpreparing Jewish pizza, and — filming throughout thecountry — the stories of three different-yet-similar dishes,tortellini, kreplach, and wonton.

N ORA POUILLO N continues to be in the news withfeatures in September issues of More magazine and GoodHousekeeping. In October, she spoke on The OrganicKitchen at the Bioneers conference in California, , andwas also honored by New Hope Media for hercontribution to the organics industry.

PATTI RAVENSCROFT of Les Liaisons Delicieusesculinary excursions offers a Winter Indulgence in Trufflesand Wild Game at her beautiful Hotel, La Feniere inLourmarin, France, with her favorite woman chef inProvence, Reine Sammut. If a group of 6 to 8 Dameswants to put together a group, she would be happy tonegotiate dates in late January or February, customize thetrip to suit the group’s interests, and donate 20% of eachperson’s fee to a food related charity which the groupselects. The trip is described in detail on her Web site:www.cookfrance.com .

AN N E WILLAN’s newest book, Cooking with Wine(Harry Abrams & Sons, 2001) was published in associationwith COPIA: The American Center for Wine Food andthe Arts. All the proceeds from the book will be donatedto the Center. She will kick-off her twelfth season ofLaVarenne at the Greenbrier in early March.

UPCOMING TRIP TO BORDEAUXOldways Preservation and Exchange Trust in

conjunction with Harvard University is sponsoring a tripto Bordeaux with cookbook authors, Patricia Wells andPaula Wolfert, and well-known nutritionist Dr. WalterWillett. This unique trip will visit vineyards, artisanal foodproducers, and many local markets through the Aquitaineregion. Space is limited on this educational tour. Forreservations and information please contact Aimee Burke617-896-4888 [email protected].


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CHICAGO CHAPTER

By Joan Reardon

Chicago, long home to multinational food manufactur-ers like Kraft Foods, Sara Lee, Oscar Mayer, and other stel-lar companies, also boasts a score of Les Dames d’Escoffiermembers who are successful entrepreneurs in both interna-tional companies and creative national food manufacturingbusinesses.

Carolyn Collins - CaviarFounder and President Collins Caviar Company

In November of 1983 Carolyn Collins turned sport fish-ing into a profession when her hand-made fresh Salmonand Trout caviars became an exclusive menu item for aChicago restaurant. She had been making caviars in herCrystal Lake kitchen for years, but it took the urging of aparticular chef to get her into commercial production. Bythe fall of 1985 the company was shipping to restaurantsand retailers nationwide.

Collins Caviar, is the only artisan processor of Salmonand Trout caviars in North America and, to meet customerdemand, has expanded her line to include salt HacklebackSturgeon, Paddlefish, and American Golden Whitefishcaviar. By comparison, she hand-makes twenty pounds ofher premium caviar an hour versus a company thatmachine-produces hundreds of pounds an hour.

Always an innovator, Carolyn began designing a seriesof flavor-infused and smoked caviars based on the sparklinggolden whitefish caviar. In, 1986 when Carolyn’s daughterRachel joined her business, the company premiered theUltimate Bagel Schmeer. Delegating more and more of theday-to-day operations to her daughter leaves Carolyn timeto initiate lecture series, devise caviar dinner events, andparticipate in educational presentations.

Jolene Worthington—Say “Cheesecake”Executive Vice President, Eli’s Cheesecake CompanyOpened by Eli Schulman 56 years ago, the famed

Chicago restaurant, Eli’s The Place For Steak, created ainternational wholesale and retail market for its deliciouscheesecake. While still a family enterprise, The Eli’sCheesecake Company depends upon its employees to pro-duce and market its gourmet cheesecakes and frozendesserts and upon its executive vice president JoleneWorthington for company leadership.

For several years Jolene has been wearing many hats asthe vice president for operations, manufacturing, researchand development, human resources, and the retail store:Eli’s Cheesecake World. Whether it is a guided tour of Eli’sstate-of-the-art production facility for or a need to developthe PR strategy on a joint project with United Airlines,Jolene will be involved. Long regarded as a manufacturerwithin a community framework, the Eli’s Cheesecake facil-ity and retail store can be the setting of everything from aseasonal farmer’s market to a special fundraiser.

Asked for her personal views on the demands andrewards of this challenging position, she says: “What I do isa daily source of satisfaction and fulfillment. Managementand employees are all members of an extended family andwe are dedicated to the production of a truly great prod-uct.” www. Elicheesecake.com

Jeanmarie Brownson - Mexican FoodsCo-Owner and Culinary Director Frontera Foods, Inc.

Frontera Foods, Inc., is a specialty food company andmaker of regional, authentic Mexican foods and organiccorn tortilla chips, founded in 1996 by partners Rick andDeann Bayless, Manny Valdes and JeanMarie Brownson.As Culinary Director, JeanMarie works closely with thecompany’s plants to teach the employees classic Mexicanmethods—everything from husking fresh tomatillos toroasting dried chiles and ripe tomatoes. She also oversees allnew products from the development stage in the companytest kitchen above the Frontera Grill restaurant, to the testbatches produced at the manufacturing facilities. Once anew product formula is finalized, Brownson attends theruns at the various plants Frontera uses to co-pack theirproducts. When the products are on the store shelves, theFrontera culinary team conducts quality tests to make surethe products maintain the Frontera standards.

JeanMarie and her team also are the creators of SalpicaSalsas, Maraca Margarita Mixes and private label productsfor customers including Crate & Barrel and Williams-Sonoma. In all, more than 50 new products have emergedfrom the team that began with five Frontera salsas just 5years ago. “I’ve always worked in kitchens,” JeanMarie says,“But the plants are much larger and more challenging.”

Nicole Bergere - Baked GoodsCo-owner and President of Nicole’s Bake Shop

Since Nicole Berger and her business partner GraceColucci started Nicole’s Bake Shop on the North side ofChicago in 1984, their baking company has created a line ofbreads and baked goods for prestigious hotels and restau-rants. They have supplied leading gourmet supermarketswith a line of quiches, pies, and focaccia. In 1996, Nicoleintroduced a variety of handmade crackers: SimplySumptuous Salt, Perfectly Pepperery, Oh! For the Love ofHerb, Crackin’ Good Cheese, Slightly Sensuous Sesame,and Risky Rye. They were an immediate success and indemand across the country.

Although the Bake Shop supplies to the trade, therecently-opened Café adjacent to the Bakery serves soups,salads, panini, and sweets and offers customers an opportu-nity to purchase retail items, including sauces and chutneys.

“Creating something glorious under difficult circum-stances has been a challenge,” says Nicole. She has enjoyeda variety of careers from dress designer on the Costa del Solto innkeeper and baker in a small hotel in Wisconsin, butthe Bake Shop has been the most satisfying one to date.1505 North Kingsbury, Chicago, Il 60622.

Dames Manufacture Foods

ADELAIDE CHAPTERBy Margaret Kirkwood

Ragine Dey—Spices and CondimentsRagine Dey is the

director of Dhaba at theSpice Kitchen (Foodwith Spice) overseeingfood production, menuformulation, qualitycontrol, staff trainingand customer relations.Committed to introduc-ing the public to the realfood of India, the com-pany sells individualspices, home made fruit

and vegetable pickles and chutneys.. In addition, it operatesa regional India Food Restaurant, holds monthly cookingclasses and presents a monthly Sunday buffet lunches thatshowcases different regional specialities each time. Foodwith Spice also manufactures a variety of curry blends in theconvenience packs to make it easy for home cooks to useand experience authentic tastes of India.

Sonia Brown—Chocoholics SynonymousSonia Brown is the

Director of Villawin PtyLtd, trading asC h o c o h o l i c sSynonymous. Sonia hasbeen in the business for22 years with a shop inthe city for the past fourand the business contin-ues to expand. Soniaproduces a wide range ofhigh-quality chocolates,cakes, pastries and

dessert, primarily for the catering industry. But she also hasa growing following for her fabulous special occasion cakesmade with fresh cream, custard, mousse and, of course, lotsand lots of chocolate. She creates custom cakes of any sizeand can accommodate special dietary needs as well. Herhours are long but gratifying. And she is proud that she hasbuilt a reputation for being there to assist chefs in their var-ious businesses at short notice.

Christine Cowan—German-style BreadsChristine Cowan is the purveyor of German style

breads, savory pies, pasties, pates, quiches, and vegetarianfoods at her Gourmet to Go stall in the bustling AdelaideCentral Market. The market boasts 68 fresh food stalls sell-ing vegetables, fish, meat, poultry, cheeses, Asian,Continental and Australian foods. If you are prowling thestalls and find yourself a bit peckish [hungry], Cowan canheat up one of her venison pies or offer you an individualserving of dessert.

She also makes a variety of gluten free products andfoods for those with special dietary needs. In addition, she

produces chutneys, jams, slices, cakes and biscuits. Hermost popular item is a brilliant orange-colored kumquatmarmalade whose production involves painstakinglyremoving the tiny citrus fruit’s seeds.

Christine spent most of her life in the outback areas ofAustralia and her style of country cooking reflects aninventive use of available ingredients and the necessity tomake it in abundance to feed unexpected visitors. Sheenjoys the warm camaraderie of her customers — a cross-section of Australiaa’s population.

Belinda Hanson-KennySweet and Savoury Pastries

As manager of prod-uct development for thepast twoand a half yearsat Balfours Pty Ltd, oneof the largest fresh dailybakeries in Australia,Belinda-Hanson-Kennyis a tastemaker. Withtwo assistants, she isinvolved in enhancingthe companies line ofsweet and savoury pas-tries and meat and fruitpies, pasties and sausage rolls, and its large variety of cakesand fresh yeast and Danish products. Balfours bakery isover 100 years old and has spent the last 80 in the samequarters. But, business has been good and next year theapproximately 500 employees, including bakers and manu-facturing staff, sales and marketing, distribution and dri-vers, technical and administrative departments, moves to anew, larger bakery. When not busy at Balfours, Hanson-Kenny also serves as the Adelaide Chapter’s 2001-02 presi-dent.

Josie Revesz—European CookiesJosie Revesz, owner

and operator of PaneDolce, manufacturesgourmet biscuits (i.e.cookies). The productsare based on traditionalEuropean recipes withan innovative twist. Sheputs a high priority onquality ingredients thatgive her biscuits havehome-made quality andflavour. Pane Dolce,established in 1995, began as a small home-based hobbybusiness. Within 2 years, it was supplying local and inter-state gourmet food outlets, cafes and restaurants. Josie’s for-mer career in art education influenced the asthetics of PaneDolce’s products. Her fantastic combinations of fig and pis-tachio, coffee and cashew, hazelnut and mango, andmacadamia and wattleseed, among others, taste great andhave immediate visual appeal.


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22

Here is the beginning, a tale toldinnumerable times over the past 30years. At a food journalism confer-ence in Chicago, Dorothy Crandle,food editor of the Boston Globe, men-tioned that wives of the all-male LesAmis d’Escoffier Society had formedLes Dames des Amis d’Escoffier ofBoston in 1959 which gave elegantepicurean dinners. I knew immediate-ly that New York must have one.

EDA SACCONE, who presided over the Boston women’ssociety for 33 years, declared, “We want her to do it theright way” (i.e. with a charter), and wholeheartedly assistedin securing it. In 1973, a charter was given to “Carol Brockof the New York Daily News” to organize a “ladies chap-ter” in New York. For the next three years, at every eventof the Wine and Food Society, dinners of the GourmetSociety, and food or wine press gathering, I inquired ofmale epicures, “Which New York women are qualified tobecome members?” They could not think of even one.

Finally a few were identified and the climate was right toorganize. I called together a founding committee of womenwith various food connections:

• BEVERLY BARBOUR, an international public relations andmarketing specialist whose husband was president of theCulinary Institute of America (the CIA connection);

• MARY LYONS with Foods and Wines of France (theFrench connection);

• ELAYNE KLEEMAN, who was responsible for the firstwine auction (the wine connection);

• HELENE BENNETT, executive director of the Wine andFood Society (the gourmet society connection); and

• ELLA ELVIN, food editor of the New York Daily News(the corporate connection). The Daily News providedsecretarial assistance, mailings, meeting space,photography and such for many years.

This founding committee who charted the conceptnever ceased believing and never ceased giving. Four subse-quently became Les Dames d’Escoffier presidents, begin-ning with me in 1976, and then Mary, Beverly and Ella.Helene was New York’s first vice president and co-founderof Washington, D.C., our second chapter. Elayne has beenan active defender of the original concept.

The committee culled and added to the list of potentialmembers to ensure that each was outstanding in food, wineor hospitality and an achiever in her own right, not by mar-riage. New York, they decreed, would organize when 50

qualified women had committed to join. Alexis Lichineagreed to host an organizational meeting at his home onFifth Avenue. Over 40 prospective members signed on. Bystaying on the phone, I upped the number to 49, then 50.

Not only must Dames be the highest achievers but eachevent must be outstanding in every detail. “This was thefirst time in history,” Beverly noted at a committee meet-ing in the Daily News test kitchen, “that women were orga-nizing on their own credentials.” These dinners were occa-sions to spotlight the excellence of women in the culinary,wine and hospitality fields.

THE INVESTITURE: NOVEMBER 8, 1976For our investiture, Tiffany designed napkin ring

bracelets, and Halston, Irish linen serviettes. The maleEscoffier society insisted on serviettes au cou (“napkins to theneck”) at their biannual dinners to glorify food and winewith rules of the table—no politics and no smoking.Napkins did not tuck well into a low-cut formal gown. Anelongated, triangular white linen napkin, Halston’s LesDames female version, tied about the neck.

At the French Consulate in Manhattan, champagne andhors d’oeuvres were served with discreetviolins playing in the background.The investiture was held in the foyerin front of the tall, marble fireplace.Three candles were lighted: for LesAmis d’Escoffier by George Wilson;for Les Dames des Amis d’Escoffierby EDA SACCONE; and for LesDames by myself. A youngchef rang her dinner bell aseach of the 50 charter membersstepped forward and had theserviette placed about her neckfirst, then the napkin ring bracelet on a light blue velvet rib-bon. She proceeded to the steps of the mansion’s grandcurving staircase.

Each Dame had been sent three invitations that could besent to acquaintances. In those days when “black tie” wasthe dress, Dames felt more comfortable with escorts. JamesBeard was there as were the heads of Chevalier d’Tartevinand Chaine des Rotisseurs. After the ceremony followed alate supper and dancing. The French counselor comment-ed, “My home never looked as beautiful.” It was an auspi-cious beginning.

The founding committee of six determined that LesDames would be a professional organization with educa-tion and networking the focus of our meetings in additionto a yearly, formal investiture dinner in the Escoffier tradi-tion. Funding scholarships for women would be a majorobjective. And, as stated in the original constitution andbylaws, when there were five chapters, Les Damesd’Escoffier International would be organized.

History of the New York Chapter, Part OneBy Carol Brock, Founder


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THE PREMIERE DINNER AND OTHERSOur premiere dinner chaired by ELAYNE KLEEMAN was

put together with utmost care and concern — our creden-tials were on the line. It was held on March 27, 1976, at theprestigious Carlyle Hotel on Madison Avenue. The dinnerincluded Mousse de Foie de Canard, Coquille Saint Jacques a la Nago,Selle d’Agneau Forestiers, Asperges Sauce Moutarde, and for dessert,Souffle Glace a la Chartreuse.James Beard attended and so didJULIA CHILD. To entice media coverage, Julia was namedthe first Grande Dame, an award whose intrinsic meritswas deemed worthy of continuation.

Each of our annual investiture dinners showcased a seg-ment of our membership. A committee of restaurateurs,chaired by GRACE KE N T with LAURA MAIOGLIO, owner ofBarbetta, and MARINA DE BRANTES, owner of Couped’Facile, orchestrated a dinner at the Harkness Pavilion.Laura had a stove moved into the catering kitchen so herchef could prepare risotto properly. Cheese straws wereserved from baskets by ballerinas from Harkness as theypirouetted amongst the tables.

Women chefs prepared a groundbreaking dinner at theWaldorf-Astoria Hotel on February 14, 1978. LESLIE

REVSON, the first woman chef of the Waldorf, headed ateam of 15. They prepared our investitute dinner there for135 at the cost of $135 each. Desserts, made by theWindows on the World pastry chef, were served fromrolling carts. A spectacular four-foot high bouquet ofcarved vegetables graced the reception. Arno Schmidt, exec-utive chef of the Waldorf and member of the EscoffierSociety, and executive chef Willie Spry had supported mein founding Les Dames. Helen Duprey Bullock was chosenGrande Dame.

MFK FISHER MADE GRANDE DAMESYLVIA SCHUR, our second president, proposed that Les

Dames purchase a house at Villeneuve-Loubet in Franceopposite the home of the Escoffier Museum. She also envi-sioned a Les Dames reading room in the New York PublicLibrary on Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street. The library agreedproviding we could raise a million dollar donation, a featwe couldn’t accomplish. I often wonder, “If it had hap-pened, would a serviette replace the wreath on the twolions out front at Christmas?”

So many New York Dames were authors and MaryFrances Kennedy (“MFK”) Fisher was America’s mosthighly respected food writer that Les Dames was permittedto honor her at the library—sans donation—on April 29,1978, making her the third Grande Dame. MFK, her greatfriend Julia Child and I greeted members and guests in themahogany paneled room at the reception on the thirdfloor. Dame GLORIA PEPIN and Jacques Pepin were inattendance. Supper amongst a grove of orange trees lent forthe occasion followed on the balcony overlooking thefoyer.

We adjourned to the room where Celeste Holmes readfrom MFK’s books. Later MFK sat on a library table, girl-ishly swinging her legs back and forth, answering questionsput forth by the library’s director of public relations. This

night to remember was chaired by MARY ECKLEY who vis-ited MFK and the owner of the ranch where MFK’s “LastHouse” stood. BEVERLY BARBOUR-SOULES, now a SanFrancisco Dame, is trying to save that house and has askedfor Les Dames’ support. MFK’s obituary later appeared onthe front page of The New York Times.

Another night to remember was the dinner given by theNew York Les Amise Escoffier Society in Les Dames’honor at the CIA featuring recipes Escoffier created andnamed for women. I received an Escoffier medal there. Andat an Escoffier dinner at the CIA honor Joseph Danon, themost famous private chef in America and the founder ofLes Amis d’Escoffier, I presented him with a bottle of fineold brandy as a token of appreciation for his support of LesDames d’Escoiffier. Appropriately I had received the bottlewhen writing a piece defining French menu terms.

CAROL BROCK FOURTH GRANDE DAMEWomen student chefs at the New York Technical

College in Brooklyn, under the leadership of Barbara Kafkaassisted by Paula Wolfert, prepared another groundbreak-ing dinner on May 21, 1980. It was also at New York Techthat Les Dames and their daughters were feted at a lun-cheon where Paul Bocuse made amends for having madedisparaging remarks concerning women in the professionalkitchen. At this dinner, Carol Brock was chosen GrandeDame number four.

Female proprietors of six of the finest hotels in theworld attended an investiture dinner on April 15, 1981, atthe newly opened Helmsley Palace Hotel, which incorpo-rated a landmark building. Each received a certificate ofrecognition from Les Dames in the hotel’s magnificent paleblue, oval ballroom and Helen McCully was introduced asthe fifth Grande Dame. Later when I met with Mrs.Herlain of Vier Jahreszeiten in Hamburg, the certificatehad been framed and hung on her office wall. She agreed tostart a Les Dames chapter on the continent, if we selectedthe members. However the opportunity never came tofruition.

On April 21, 1983, at an annual dinner at Le Perigord

MFK Fisher Julia Child and Jacques Pepin.


24

Park, Ella Brennan was chosen Grande Dame. Grace Chuwas made the seventh Grande Dame, appropriately at aChinese restaurant. The last Grande Dame of the NewYork Chapter was Nika Hazelton in 1989. After that time,it became an international award.

FUNDRAISING AND PHILANTHROPIC DEEDSOur first scholarship fundraiser was at Saks Fifth

Avenue. Wine and hors d’oeuvres prepared by our mem-bers, and demonstrations by our noted cooking schoolteachers, were held after hours to paying guests invited byLes Dames and Saks. Anna Muffaletto, director of CordonBleu Cooking School in New York, insisted on demon-strating even though she had just been released from thehospital. Sadly, she died shortly afterwards.

Our next fundraiser was “Women of Wine” atBloomingdales. Strong in wine membership from the verystart, five Dames renowned in the field of wine had tablesand poured their wares. Bloomingdales provided both horsd’oeuvres and the staff to pass them as well as sending invi-tations to their customers. Our first scholarship winnerswere three young chefs who were to be apprentices on thefirst cruise ship permitted to land in Cuba. The govern-ment postponed the resumption of relations. They wereassigned to another ship where cuisines from four differentcountries were prepared. Sara Moulten, who would becomeeditor of Gourmet Magazine, was one of the winners. LaterI asked Sara to start a Junior Les Dames. She agreed but LesDames’ board said, “Nay.” Sara then founded the NewYork Women’s Cuilinary Alliance which celebrates its20th anniversary in 2002, inspiring many women startingout in the field. New York Dames were also instrumentalin founding another culinary group for women. Two of theeight founders of Women Chefs and Restaurateurs (WCR)are LIDIA BASTIANICH and AN N E ROSENZWEIG.

On the philanthropic side, Les Dames gave its most joy-ous dinner at Gracie Mansion, the official residence of NewYork Mayors. Mayor David Dinkens sent out goldengraved invitations to women in shelters preparing to ven-ture into the world again. Les Dames dis every aspect of thedinner from marketing and cooking to decorating, servingand financing. A choir sang carols. The guests dressed inbusiness best were thrilled, and one Dame reported that rel-atives in Italy caught the event on TV.

Dames held a meeting where Rikers Island prisoninmates talked about their “in house” chef training pro-gram and served a sampling while armed guards stood by.Petite AN N E ROSENZWEIG was one of the Dames who vol-unteered to teach on Rikers Island and later employed oneof her students.

SALUTE TO WOMEN IN GASTRONOMYOne of our most successful projects over the years was

the week long “Salute to Women in Gastronomy” whenDames received a citation from the city of New Yorksigned by Mayor Rudolph Guiliani. The Salute, a series offour events per day, was undertaken by chapter presidentBeverly Barbour, who had the vision, courage and staminato pull it off. We brought in Michele Escoffier, grandson,and his father Pierre Escoffier attended every event fromthe daily Author’s Luncheons in the restaurant of one hotel(hosted by our authors with menu items from their booksprepared by the hotel’s kitchen) to afternoon tea in thelobby of another hotel.

There were cooking classes at Bloomingdale’s taught byour cooking school teachers and daily “Meet the Escoffiers”dinners at restaurants owned by members or with memberChefs featuring members’ wines. Also, a day-long seminarfor professionals was held at New York Technical College.An evening seminar at the uptown campus of New YorkUniversity on “Career Opportunities in the HospitalityIndustry” had a waiting list of more than a hundred inter-ested people. Gourmet magazine provided space for a displayof beautiful, edible works of art created by women pastrychefs. A triple-header afternoon of television food pioneerswas held at the French/America Center theatre with JULIA

CHILD and Bert Wolfe leading the discussion.

The finale was a magnificent benefit dinner in theRainbow Room chaired by ROZANNE GOLD and attendedby Julia Child. All of these events were advertised and pro-moted with two full-page ads in The New York Times anddirect mailings of a promotional brochure. New York sud-denly became very aware of the prominence of women inthe food field and they paid us for showing our skills. Theweek netted more than $90,000.

These are some of the early events of the New YorkChapter. There is more to come as well as the histories ofall Les Dames Chapters in upcoming Quarterlies beginningwith Washington, D.C. and Chicago. But none of us wouldbe reading this now, but for the prescience and hard workof the New York Chapter.

Keoleian, Gottlieb Moulton. Caption: Left to right: JoyceKeoleian, Sandra Gottlieb and Sara Moulton.


25

New York ChapterCatherine AlexandrocJean AndersonElizabeth AndohBeverly BarbourPatricia Soller BartholomewJean BayrockClaire N. BellPatricia J. BellSarah BelkRose Levy BeranbaumAudrey BermanBonny BirnbaumLis K. BrewerCarol BrockPatricia J. BrownDorothy BucknerIrena ChalmersGrace Zia ChuBeverly CoxJane F. Butel de CallesElla ElvinBarbara EnsrudRuth EpsteinMeryle EvansFlorence FabricantBarbara GillamRozanne GoldMary Ellen GriffinZack HanleMarilyn Sjogren HansenLouisa Violet HargraveJan T. HazardKaren B. HeinemanJean HewittLibby HillmanRachel HirshchfeldKaren HubertSue B. HuffmanAnnemarie HusteRuth A. JacobsonBarbara Ann KatzMalvina KinardJane KirbyElayne KleemanHarriet LembeckFlorencer L inEileen Yin-Fei LoFrances LowSheila LukinsMary LyonsGeorgia LyrasLaura MaioglioLydie MarshallPatricia McCannKempy MilesAnita I. MiznerMarcia MondaviCharlotte S. MorrellRuth MorrisonNancy B. MottSara MoultonJacqueline M. NewmanMarsha J. PalanciGloria Augier Pepin

Harriet M. ReillyMaria Harrision ReugeLeslie RevsinAnne RosenzweigOlga RigsbyJulee RossoJulie SahniLorna J. SassElizabeth SchneiderDr. Vivian SchulteSylvia SchurMelissa Drake SereNiki Singer SheetsSaralie SlonskyAileen Claire SnoddyMargaret L. SternGale StevensHelen StudleyBarbara ToberGeri TrottaJeanne Appleton VoltzArlene WandermanSallie Y. WilliamsHelen WittyLinda WolfePaula WolfertMildred YingZanne Early ZakroffGloria Zimmerman

Chicago:Jane Armstrong ByrneDoris BanchetNancy BarocciBeverly BennettBrigid BrennanJeanMarie BrownsonCarolyn BusterDee CoutelleDebra CrestoniPriscilla CretierKristine N. CurryCarol DeMasters VespaBarbara Glunz DonovanBarbara DooleyMyra DorrosToria EmasJackie EtcheberGene Schaefer FlynnMarlene GaffkeSue Ling GinNancy GoldbergElaine GonzalezNyrna GreenspanCarol HaddixNancy Kirby HarrisDeborah S. HartzDorothy HollandBarbara KuckAlma LachLucille LampmanKaren LevinLois Carol LevineAbby MandelFiona McLeod Morrison

Leslee ReisMary RossNancy Ross RyanSharon SandersCarole SegalMargaret SheridanElaine ShermanKatherine SmithSofia SolomonCamille StaggMarian TrippJane WallaceJoanne Will

Dallas:Betty CookJennifer CoxAnn GreerDotty GriffithBabs HarrisonLori Finkelman HolbenGladys HowardChris JonssonPaula LambertKathleen McDanielBecky MurphyCharlotte ParkerAmber RobinsonCandy SagonBeth SonnierDolores SnyderRenie StevesDiane Teitelbaum

Philadelphia:Mary BentleyJane BlumenfeldDr. Claire BoasiDr. Carol ChristensenCheryle CottonJulie DannenbaumMona DoyleSusanne FooCandis FoxCarla FusaroKiki Olsen GomezAliza GreenMaxine KeyserMiriam MandellJeanine MermotKathleen MulhernLois PearsonRima SynnestvedtDr. Judy WellingtonJudy Wicks

Washington, D.C.Barbara Heedon AledortPatricia AltobelloAnn AmernickHelene BennettLinda BerlinerAline BermanAnn BrodyEllen Brown

Marian BurrosBarbara BurtoffJanet Lai CamPhyllis RichmanCarol CutlerKatherine DinardoLinda DonaldElizabeth EsterlingMarcia FoxPhyllis FruchtMarge GuarasciAntoinette HatfieldJo HawkinsSusan HayesMaisie Enid KrikliwyRebecca MarshallCarol MasonJane MengenhauserSidney MooreRose NarvaJoan NathanKay Shaw NelsonCarole PalmerPenelope Pate-GreenDeirdre PierceBunny PolmerSuzanne ReifersGermaine SharrettsElizabeth SiberGermaine SwansonGoody SolomonSusan ThompsonAngela TraettinoBetsy Warren-SmithVirginia WashburneAnne WillanBarbara WittHelen WorthLisa YockelsonAnn Yonkers

Les Dames d’EscoffierInternational Board:Jeanne Voltz, President

Carol Haddix, Vice President for Programs

Claire Boasi, Vice President for Expansion

Dolores Snyder, Secretary

Carol Mason, Treasurer

Investitute celebration chair:

Carol HaddixInvestitute celebration

Carol BrockNew York chair:

Members of Les Dames d’Escoffier when LDEI Founded


26

The great love for one’s own land, for enjoying the simple things in life and for sharing time. Theseare the values upon which every Italian family is based. And these same values have been passed onfrom generation to generation within the Bertolli family. They have combined innovation and tra-dition putting all of their love, experience and passion into their work.

in 1870 Francesco Bertolli and his wife Caterina opened a small shop selling Bertolli’s famous oliveoil under the family’s house, in Lucca, in the heart of Tuscany. The Bertolli Company furtherexpanded at the end of the 1890s when Giuseppe, Gioele, Giulio, Daniele and Elia, Francesco’s andCaterina’s children, started visiting USA, Australia, Brazil, Argentina and Africa. In fact “TheItalian emigrants in America began to write to Francesco Bertolli because they couldn’t find thekinds of food and wine they were used to.”

Italian olive oil’s history and production have roots that deepen in history, and Bertolli has alwaysworked towards the preservation of these century-old values and traditions. This is the secret ofBertolli olive oil: the Italian passion for life that the world has grown to appreciate. www.bertol-li.com

To help get through the day, choose beef for a convinient

and nutritious mealtime option

GALLO OF SONOMA

The brother and sister team of winemakerGina Gallo and winegrower Matt Gallo

live and work in Sonoma, County,California, America’s most awarded winegrowing region. The Gallo’s are dedicatedto creating fine wines at Gallo of Sonoma.

The Gallo’s have always embraced ahands-on approach in creating and mar-

keting world class wines.www.gallo.com


27

CALIFORNIADRIED PLUMBOARD

California produces 99 percent of all thedried plums grown in the U.S. and 70 per-cent of the world’s supply. The CaliforniaDried Plum Board represents the indus-try’s 1,250 growers and 21 packers.Located in Sacramento, California, theboard’s primary function is to promotedried plums worldwide through advertis-ing, public relations, sales promotion andeducation programs to encourageincreased consumption of the fruit. The$10 million plus program is totally fundedby the growers and handlers through cropassessments. www.prunes.org

WENTE VINEYARDS

California’s first producer of varietalChardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon,Wente Vineyards also excels in the productionof Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Late HarvestRiesling. The Wente Livermore Valley vine-yards are particularly well suited to growing theBordeaux varieties: Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillonand Cabernet Sauvignon. More than 50 consecu-tive vintages of outstanding Chardonnay havebeen produced from these vineyards as well. TheWente Arroyo Seco vineyards are located in acooler region which favors varieties such asPinot Noir, Gewurztraminer and Riesling.www.wentevineyards.com

WASHINGTON WINE COMMISSION

The Washington Wine Commission was founded in1987 as a unified marketing and trade association.In 1999, the Commission established theWashington Wine Quality Alliance (WWQA) tospearhead development of industry standards inwinemaking and labeling. Washington is the firststate in the U.S. todefine standards for“reserve” wines.

The trend started by afew home winemakersand visionary farmershas become a respect-ed and influentialindustry that generates an estimated $700 millionin sales annually, with shipments of Washingtonwine going to all 50 states and more than 40 coun-tries around the globe. Washington ranks secondin the country for premium wine production andmore than 29,000 acres are planted to viniferagrapes, producing and expected 97,500 tons in2001.www.washingtonwine.com

ALASKA SEAFOOD MARKETING BOARDThe mission statement of the Alaska Seafood MarketingInstitute: “To increase the worldwide consumption of AlaskaSeafood and promote the quality and superiority of Alaskaseafood products.” The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute(ASMI) is divided into three distinct marketing programs:export, foodservice and retail. All three programs are designedto enhance the appeal and popularity of Alaska Seafood. Theexport program operates in the European Union,Australia, China, Japan and Taiwan, while theretail and foodservice programs focus theiractivities on the U.S. www.alaskaseafood.org

SOUTHCORP (1/8 page ad)Southcorp is Australia’s largest winemak-er, exporter and grape producer and theworld’s largest maker of premium redwine. Key brands include Penfolds,Lindemans and Seppelt. Export growth isunderpinned by extensive international

Les Dames d'Escoffier InternationalP.O. Box 2103, Reston, VA 20195-0103

Adelaide, AustraliaAtlantaArizonaBoston

British Columbia, CanadaChicagoDallasHawaii

HoustonKansas CityLos Angeles

MiamiMinneapolis/St. Paul

New YorkPalm SpringsPhiladelphiaSan AntonioSan Francisco

SeattleWashington, D.C.

Le Donne del Vino, Italy

LDEI Newsletter compiled by Newsletter compiled by Katherine Newell Smith and CiCi Williamson, proofread by Jane Mengenhauser and Alexis Linton, Image-set and printed by Jim Linton, sent by Susan Horrocks.

LDEI Headquarters, AEC Management Resources, Inc., Greg Jewell, President, P.O. Box 4961, Louisville, KY 40204, (502) 456-1851;Fax (502) 459-5846, [email protected]

WILL FEATURE DAMES ON RADIO, TV AND THE INTERNET

Please send the following informa-tion:1. Dame’s name and Les DamesChapter.

2. Title and job description.

3. 150 words about job and personalviews.

4. Photo (will be returned prompt-ly) or graphic file at 200 dpi.

CRITERIA FOR MEMBER MILESTONES:

1. Dame’s name and Les DamesChapter.

2. Information must be of a businessnature.

3. Maximum 50 words. No pressreleases or company brochures.

CRITERIA FOR CHAPTER PROGRAMS:

1. Les Dames Chapter and name ofprogram.

2. Who, What, When, Where, Whyand How in maximum 300 words.

2. Photo (will be returned promptly)or graphic file at 200 dpi.

??????Add photo (Bonnie DaveMoore.pdf) and captionbelow:?????????????

Please e-mail to [email protected] by February 15.

Press releases and companybrochures not accepted.

Next IssueSPRING 2002 QUARTERLY

DEADLINE For the SPRING newsletter is February 15

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