Nashville, here we come! Registration for our 2019 LDEI Conference Nashville: Rhythm and Roots, October 24-27 is now available for registration online and a printed brochure will be coming to your mailbox soon.  Click here to register.

Book soon to receive the discounted hotel rate at the fantastic Loews Nashville. This vibrant metropolis, known as Music City - and capital of the state that tipped the scales and gave women the right to vote - is now a national culinary destination with so much to share. It's filled with history, beauty, and an amazing chapter of LDEI that is ready to roll out the "BLUE" carpet for all of us in October. 

Plan to arrive on Wednesday, October 23 to take advantage of a special program brought to you by a generous donation from the Brock Circle featuring Carla Hall. She will discuss her personal journey, "Being Authentic While Facing Adversity."  Arriving early for this Wednesday afternoon event will give you the opportunity to take advantage of the locally curated tours that begin bright and early Thursday morning, showing you Nashville from a unique perspective. Don't miss the chance to enjoy authentic Tennessee BBQ and listen to songwriters collaboratively create music at an optional event on Thursday night at the Green Door Gourmet.

The Nashville chapter has worked diligently to make your LDEI conference experience one you will not forget. I am very grateful to them and look forward keynote speaker Maneet Chauhan sharing her message with us.

You will find all relevant details of the tours, speakers and sessions outlined in the brochure. An after-conference Kentucky Bourbon and Culinary Tour, hosted, of course, by our Kentucky Dames, will end your LDEI Conference experience on a high note.

See you there!
-Ann Stratte, LDEI President

Gail Forman fell and broke two bones in her wrist during a visit with her son in London last week. She had surgery last Friday. We await more news.
 
Sheilah Kaufman fell July 4 on wet pavement, broke her elbow and the bone punctured the skin. She had surgery on the July 5, because there was a chance of infection. She cannot drive (or do a lot of other things) for at least two weeks.

EDITORS NOTE: If you can provide a meal, it would be much appreciated. Call Sheilah 301-299-5282 to let her know if you plan to drop off something.  10508 Tyler Terrace, Potomac, MD.

The first annual Marianne Ali Brunch that LDE-DC will sponsor takes place for the 111th graduating class at 10:00 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. on Friday, April 6 at DC Central Kitchen, 425 2nd Street, NW. We should plan on preparing at least 12 different dishes for 35 people for brunch. Click here for the link to SignUpGenius.  There is space to indicate any special serving equipment needs. The kitchen will provide all beverages, plates and utensils and serving pieces and equipment. Please deliver food by 9:30 a.m. which is also when street parking near the kitchen becomes available. Dames can leave the food at the DCCK entrance (the alley loading dock), and then leave to find a parking spot. The Kitchen will try to save a few spaces in the lot, but we shouldn't count on it. 

The actual graduation is scheduled for 2 o'clock that afternoon in the Navy Memorial auditorium at 701 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC. We sincerely hope you can attend both events.
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The grant application for 2018 is now online at http://www.lesdamesdc.org/grants.html. The deadline for entry is Saturday, March 31st, and we will notify awardees by April 25th.
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We look forward to receiving applications from local organizations that match our chapter's mission to support women to succeed in the food, fine beverage, hospitality, and related industries. Tax-exempt charitable or educational organizations in region may apply.   

 Nominations due March 5.  Completed application due no later than March 15.
 
Please consider nominating qualified colleagues and acquaintances who will bring their enthusiasm, talent, and ideas as active members to our Les Dames d 'Escoffier DC chapter.

Requirements for membership include, but are not limited to, a minimum of FIVE years as a distinguished professional in the food, beverage or hospitality industry. If you have a candidate you would like to nominate, please send her name and email address to Julia Rutland at juliarutland@me.com  by March 5, 2018.

The new online, fillable application is available on the public section of the LDEI-DC Chapter website and an invite with links will be sent to nominee.   Those completed applications are due March 15.

Click here for 2018 LDEI Application
Click here to use Eventbrite to pay for the New Member Application Fee ($25)

The first annual Marianne Ali Brunch that LDE-DC will sponsor takes place for the 111th graduating class at 10:00 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. on Friday, April 6 at DC Central Kitchen, 425 2nd Street, NW. We should plan on preparing at least 12 different dishes for 35 people for brunch. We will send out a link for signupgenius later this week to make it easier to coordinate your participation. There will be a space on the form for you to indicate any special serving equipment needs. The kitchen will provide all beverages, plates and utensils and serving pieces and equipment. Please deliver food by 9:30 a.m. which is also when street parking near the kitchen becomes available. Dames can leave the food at the DCCK entrance (the alley loading dock), and then leave to find a parking spot. DCCK will try to save a few spaces in the lot, but we shouldn't count on it. 

The actual graduation is scheduled for 2 o'clock that afternoon in the Navy Memorial auditorium at 701 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC. We sincerely hope you can attend both events.

CALL FOR NEW MEMBERS! We have extended the nomination due date to March 5
 
Please consider nominating qualified colleagues and acquaintances who will bring their enthusiasm, talent, and ideas as active members to our Les Dames d 'Escoffier DC chapter.

Requirements for membership include, but are not limited to, a minimum of FIVE years as a distinguished professional in the food, beverage or hospitality industry. If you have a candidate you would like to nominate, please send her name and email address to Julia Rutland at juliarutland@me.com  by March 5, 2018.

The new online, fillable application is available on the public section of the LDEI-DC Chapter website and an invite with links will be sent to nominee. 

Click here for 2018 LDEI Application
Click here to use Eventbrite to pay for the New Member Application Fee ($25)

The Les Dames d'Escoffier DC book club met in February at the home of Susan Barocas with special guest Abbie Rosner to discuss her book, Breaking Bread in the Galilee: A Journey into the Promised Land. This fascinating book provided recipes for a delicious dinner and, with Abby's participation, an especially stimulating and insightful conversation about foraging and other ancient foodways in the modern world, food as a bridge to one's own culture and to relationships with others, and baal agriculture that relies solely on climate and rain in seasonal cycles. ​

​CALL FOR NEW MEMBERS! NOMINATIONS DUE  FEB. 2, 2018
 
The 2018 New Member Drive opens a bit early to coordinate with our Woman In Gastronomy symposium in March. Please consider nominating qualified colleagues and acquaintances who will bring their enthusiasm, talent, and ideas as active members of Les Dames d 'Escoffier's DC chapter. Requirements for membership include, but are not limited to, a minimum of FIVE years as a distinguished professional in the food, beverage or hospitality industry. If you have a candidate you would like to nominate or sponsor, please send her name, title, email address, and phone number to Julia Rutland at juliarutland@me.com by February 2, 2018.