We’ve made it through the hard part. There’s definitely light at the end of the tunnel. We’ve pivoted, we’ve adapted, we’ve changed and we’ve learned. The state of restaurants today doesn’t look the same as it did a year ago, and certainly not two years ago. We are a resilient industry and the road ahead, while it still holds challenges, looks promising.
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Join Les Dames Escoffier DC on Thursday, September 30 as three industry leaders talk about what the future can hold, what lessons were learned and the situation as they see it. 

Click here to register on Zoom. 

Moderated by Charissa Benjamin, founding partner of Savor PR, a DC-based full-service, woman-owned public relations agency representing hospitality and lifestyle brands, the panel will include:

Kathy Hollinger, president and CEO of The Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington and the preeminent voice for the industry in DC.

Micheline Mendelsohn, deputy chief executive officer of Sunnyside Restaurant Group, which operates and franchises six successful restaurant concepts nationally and internationally including We The Pizza.

Ashleigh Pearson, owner of newly opened Georgetown chocolate shop Petite Soeur, is a Le Cordon Bleu graduate, who has worked at Marcel’s in DC and Thomas Keller’s Per Se, as well as being a Les Dames scholarship recipient. 

​​GREECE June 2, Maria Kopsidas, Owner of Cookology Cooking School
All Things Phyllo, Learn the Ancient Art of Creating Phyllo Dough Pastries (Lacto-ovo vegetarian)

• Flakey Honey-Nut Pastry (Baklava)
• Flakey Pastries with Spinach and Feta Cheese Filling (Spanakopita Triangles)
• Flakey Pastries with a Filling of Mixed Cheeses (Tyropita Triangles)

Working with phyllo dough can be tricky. Let Maria Kopsidas show you how, using techniques she learned growing up in her Mediterranean-heritage family. After this class, you'll have the confidence to try her methods in your own kitchen. 
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​ISRAEL June 9, Joan Nathan, Cookbook Author and PBS Series Host
From Israel with Love, Joan Nathan’s Home-Cooked Favorites (Pescatarian)

• Bulgarian Eggplant Soup with Yogurt
• Arctic Char Simmered in A Spicy Tomato Sauce (Aharaimi)
• Apricot Meringue Kuchen

Joan Nathan’s love for Israeli food goes back to the early 1970’s when she was working for the Mayor of Jerusalem at that time. She noticed that every ethnic group had different foods – Christian, Muslim, Jewish – and that most Jewish foods were nothing like those she grew up with. On June 9th, join Joan as she shares what makes Israeli food different, how varied it is and how Jewish food varies from country to country and region to region.
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IRAN June 16, Najmieh Batmanglij, Cookbook Author and Culinary Instructor
Nush e-Joon, May Your Soul Be Nourished

• Saffron Chicken & Barberry Braise (Geymeh Zereshk-e Kordi)
• Persian Rice with “Golden Crust” (Chelow)
• Quick Pickle of Persian Cucumbers and Toasted Coriander Seed(Torshi Hazeri-e Piaz)

Esteemed cookbook author Najmieh Batmanglij will demonstrate how to cook rice with its golden crust/tahdig, the jewel in the crown of Persian cooking; served with a saffroned-chicken and barberry braise. Barberries are the berries of an indigenous shrub and are one of the ingredients and specialties of Iranian cooking.  
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​THE PHILIPPINES June 23, Chef Evelyn Bunoan
From Start to Finish: A Quintessential Three-Course Meal of The Philippines

• Crispy Vegetable Egg Rolls (Lumpiang Shanghai)
• Sautéed Vegetables with Bihon Noodles (Pancit Guisado)
• Fricassee of Chicken Thighs in Rich Tomato Sauce (Chicken Apritada)
• Chewy Cassava Dessert Patties Rolled in Grated Coconut (Pichi-Pichi)

Chef Evelyn Bunoan will be your guide to the traditional Filipino palate. Philippine cuisine is a fusion of different cultures that tickle ones taste buds, climaxing to a burst of culinary experience: Malay, Spanish, Chinese, South East Asian, the Middle Eastern, Indian, European and American. Through these influences – with a potpourri of sauces and spices – the Filipino palate has gone through a long process of evolution, with many of the provinces having a unique dish or two.


 

LITHUANIA June 30, Chef Justė Židelytė
Garden to Table, a Lithuanian Feast of Summer Produce (Lacto-vegetarian)

• Chilled Summer Beet Gazpacho (cold pickled beetroot soup/cold borsch/šaltibarščiai)
• Creamy Mushroom “Risotto” of Heirloom Barley Finished with Whipped Cultured Butter (Kastinys) and Shiitake Mushroom “Bacon” Bits
• Lithuanian Gira, a Kombucha/Kvass style fermented nonalcoholic drink

Lithuanian food is deeply rooted in unadulterated, simple ingredients and recipes developed over millennia of history. While archaic, time consuming techniques and rare (in this part of the world) ingredients might look intimidating, with Chef Juste’s tips and tricks Lithuanian flavors can become familiar, comforting and easy to achieve. During this vegetarian class learn the basics of fermentation with kvass (sparkling non alcoholic drink or Lithuanian kombucha), refresh with a cold summer soup recipe, experiment with making risotto (the Lithuanian way) and get inspired by a heritage recipe from the chef's grandmother, adapted to modern times.
 

​COST: Individual classes are $35 and the entire five series package may be purchased for $140, a discount of 20%.
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You only need to purchase one ticket per session per household. Ticket sales are final and will not be refunded. If necessary, email us no later than 2 days in advance of the class (info@lesdamesdc.org) and we will assist you in applying your credit to another session. If you wish to transfer your zoom link to a friend or family member please notify us in advance.

LOGISTICS: All global cooking classes are held via Zoom, and you will receive instructions for logging in via email after registering. Please download the Zoom application in advance.
Cooking classes are recorded, and you will receive the link to the recording within a week after the class takes place. The link will be available for two weeks.  As part of the registration process you will be asked to acknowledge that your face may be recorded, if your personal video screen is on when the meeting is in speaker mode.
Les Dames DC and Thrive DC are partners on the fundraiser, Our Luscious Planet. Thrive DC's programs for women going through hard times will benefit from the fundraiser proceeds as well as Les Dames DC's culinary grants and scholarship programs for women.

Deepen your connection with nature’s web of life.         
Join us for a mid-Spring foraging walk with Matt Cohen, founder of Matt’s Habitats.             
The November and April walks had rave reviews, don’t miss an opportunity to
Participate!  Click here to purchase your ticket. 
 
Saturday, May 1st
Meet-Up: 1:50 pm       Forage: 2-4:30 pm
Probable Meeting Site: Takoma Park at the Public Works Department Parking Lot  
Final confirmation of meet-up site will be sent a day or two before the event.
 
Some great edibles are in season in early May: pokeweed, milkweed and bamboo shoots, black locust flowers, field garlic, and lots of wild greens. Depending on location and weather conditions, winecaps, wood ears and oyster mushrooms might be around too.  This event is limited to 15 tickets; Dames and guests are welcome to the limit allowed by leader Matt Cohen.  Tickets are $40 for the general public.
 
Bring your walking stick, camera, and maybe a zip-lock bag for your finds, and join Matt Cohen for an afternoon of foraging along the hills and trails of Takoma Park.  You’ll learn to identify an array of mid-spring edible flowering plants, many of which are in your neighborhood and just waiting to be included in your spring salads!
 
Have a family member who doesn’t eat enough fresh anything? You can take them for walk on the wild side! They’re not weeds, they’re not just beautiful, they’re edible!  Our conversations will include not just “the where, but also the why and the how.”  Let’s walk and talk sustainability, simple gifts, and grass-root cooking!  
 
The Saturday May 1 Walk will Highlight mid-spring flowering plants, greens, and possibly, some edible fungi.   At the end of the walk, we'll share a wild-side salad! 
 
Meet at 1:50pm; forage with Matt from 2-4:30          
Make your reservation early
Matt Cohen started Matt's Habitats in 2003, specializing in sustainable gardening practices with an emphasis on native plants, wildlife habitats, and edible gardens. In 2009 he began to lead walks throughout the year on wild edibles and plant/mushroom identification, and he continually exercises his knowledge of the natural
world through conferences, personal study, and lots of time outdoors. The headquarters of Matt's Habitats is a 120-year-old farmhouse in Silver Spring. Rooftop solar panels generate most of the electricity, and vegetable and fruit gardens generate a lot of produce. His 1/4-acre yard also serves as a test plot for many of the native plants that he uses in his clients' yards. Matt donates 10% of his net profit to environmental and humanitarian NGOs including Anacostia Watershed Society, Casa of Maryland, and the Capital Food Bank. He currently serves on the board of the Mycological Association of Washington, DC. 
 

GRAB YOUR HAT AND JOIN US FOR A  CONVERSATION WITH CARLA HALL
  
Monday, March 15
Noon - 1 pm
 
No, really. Grab your hat.

Carla will be wearing her favorite chapeau and she wants to see you in one, too. Grab your favorite hat, fedora, bonnet or cap and have fun!
 
Get ready for lively conversation as only this author/TV star/chef/entrepreneur can dish out.
Ever since she won over audiences with her “Cook With Love” philosophy on Top Chef, Carla has been winning loyal fans ever since.  She co-hosted ABC’s The Chew for seven years and has authored several bestselling cookbooks including Carla Hall’s Soul Food: Everyday and Celebration.
We are proud to call her our own - she’s a longtime member of the Les Dames DC chapter
 
So, grab a hat. Grab a lunch. And join us.

Click here to register on Zoom.
 
 

Please join us for the webinar on Zoom.  Please be sure to register in advance by clicking here.  

MONTGOMERY COUNTY’S AGRICULTURAL RESERVE:  AGRICULTURE AND TOURISM, A VIRTUAL EVENT
DATE: Wednesday, February 10
TIME:  7:00 p.m.
PLACE: Zoom
RSVP:  Click here to register for the webinar on Zoom
Montgomery County, Maryland has managed to maintain some of its rural character, even in the intensely developed national capital region. In 1980, the Montgomery County Council made one of the most significant land-use decisions in county history by creating an Agricultural Reserve, or what the locals call the “Ag Reserve.” Heralded as one of the best examples of land conservation policies in the country, the Agricultural Reserve encompasses 93,000 acres, almost a third of the county’s land.
Join us for a panel discussion with Claudia Kousoulas, Urban Planner and co-author of Bread & Beauty, Ellen Letourneau, Event Planner and co-author of Bread & Beauty and Cory Van Horn, Visit Montgomery's Director of Marketing.  They will be discussing the Agricultural Reserve’s 40-year evolving land conservation strategy to accommodate both farming and one of the largest and most diversified tourism attractions in Montgomery County.

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WEBINAR:  THE NEW FOOD CHAIN:  FROM LAND TO MOUTH DURING COVID 
Presented by the Green Tables Committee, Led by Karen Vartan
DATE:  Tuesday, November 10
TIME: 7 p.m. 
The New Food Chain: From Land to Mouth During Covid will cover how consumers’ needs and interests have changed during the pandemic. Panelists include Dames Sandra Miller, educator and writer and owner Painted Hand Farm; Debra Moser, founder Central Farm Markets and co-owner MeatCrafters-Charcuterie and Salami; and Diane Welland, R.D.N. and nutrition consultant. Topics will range from how to select food to build immunity to moving beyond the grocery store to why families should establish a connection with local ranchers and farmers and how to build those connections and, most important, how to get the most for your money.
RSVP:  Click here to sign up on ZOOM

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Please join us at our next virtual event!  So You Want to Be Published:  Three authors who have made the publishing journey share their tips and back stories 
DATE:  Thursday, October 29
TIME:  5:30 - 6:30 pm
PLACE:  A virtual event on Zoom
RSVP:  Click here to register on ZOOM

We hope you will join us for this delicious and educational event on Zoom.  Please click here to register on Zoom. If you would like to make a donation to Les Dames d'Escoffier DC Chapter, please click here.