Meet the Dames Monday! JULIA RUTLAND

Today we have the pleasure of profiling new Dame Julia Rutland! Julia has enjoyed 20-plus years experience in the food and publishing industries with specialized skills in project development, feature writing, recipe development, recipe testing, food styling and television/media demonstration. Before moving to the D.C. area and developing her own business, Julia worked at Coastal Living Magazine, Southern Living Magazine, and Wimmer Cookbooks.
We sat down with her to discover she has a delightful "spicy" side!!

My favorite part about being a DC Dame is: Being in the company of so many fun talented women in many different culinary fields. It’s a joy to be affiliated with a supportive group like Les Dames and I’m grateful I was able to carry my membership to a new chapter when I moved.

My first job was and the greatest lesson I learned from it was: My first job with a real paycheck was being a server at a deli. I learned how to deal with many types of customers and recognized the value of “regulars”. Years later, I took on a server job when I was apprenticing in a commercial restaurant and sadly realized the servers make more money than the kitchen staff. Former waiters and tipsy men on dates are always the best tippers!

If I were a cooking ingredient, I'd be some type of hot chili sauce because it really rounds out the flavor of so many foods when used in small amounts or adds an exciting kick when used freely.

The most pressing food issue facing the world today is:  Scarcity would be the most important food problem worldwide but on a different level, an issue that is important to me is food labeling. Everyone should care about where their food originated, what it was fed, and what is added to it.
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My thoughts about the DC food scene is: Well, my thoughts are a work in progress since I recently moved here and I have a 50 mile commute for a DC meal—I’m still in exploring mode. But I do love that I can eat around the world in just a few miles. I live in Western Loudoun County and I’m completely enamored with the numerous wineries so close to my home. As an experiment, I’m only buying local wines and slowly but surely visiting all 42 county wineries. I’m really impressed with Virginia wines!