Member News - September 2024
It’s full-on for Jessica Botta, who is now a full-time faculty member in the Hospitality Management program at Montgomery College in Rockville. Jessica has been teaching for the last year as an adjunct professor.
While visiting the Eastern Shore, Lori Gardner stopped by Piazza Italian Market, an all-inclusive market in Easton that offers a dine-in menu, carryout meals, catering, pastries, groceries, wine, spirits and more which is owned and managed by Emily Chandler. "We had a nice conversation about Les Dames," says Lori. "It was great to meet Emily." Entre News contacted Emily in Easton, and the feeling was mutual. “It was an honor to host a fellow Dame passing through,” she said.
Lizette Corro nailed a slot as one of the 25 Women Who Mean Business, the Washington Business Journal’s highly competitive awards program that honors 25 of the region’s top female executives. Lizette, a former chapter president and Dame of Distinction, is currently President and Chief Executive Officer of Corro Nobil Associates, a strategic planning and consulting firm for nonprofits.
Kudos to Lani Furbank, who was awarded another Scholarship for Impactful Change from Les Dames d'Escoffier International and The Wine Group. This is Lani’s second year receiving the scholarship award. “I am incredibly grateful for the support to continue pursuing my master’s degree in sustainable food systems from the Culinary Institute of America,” Lani tells us.
Jodi Lehr, Linda Roth, and Cindy Kacher joined new member Mel Gold, director of communications and marketing at D.C. Central Kitchen, at a celebration last month of the release of the new edition of The Food Fighters: A History of DC Central Kitchen. In case you missed it, Carla Hall, our Grande Dame, got a ginormous spread inside LDEI’s recent the feast newsletter.
Way to go Rachael Jackson, a new member whose blog, EatOrToss.com, is a finalist in the blog category of the International Association of Culinary Professionals Awards. According to Rachael’s site, the blog helps consumers use accessible science to take the “doubt” out of “when in doubt throw it out.” Here’s a full listing of IACP finalists (which includes Pati Jinich and Toni Tipton-Martin); winners will be announced on Thursday, September 26.
Smithsonian Curator of Food History Paula Johnson has a new book, Julia Child’s Kitchen: The Design, Tools, Stories, and Legacy of an Iconic Space (Abrams, 2024), which will be published October 8. It will be hot off the presses for the Smithsonian’s Food History Weekend (see above), where Paula will discuss her book.
Washington Post restaurant critic Tom Sietsema called it “the most captivating new restaurant in Northern Virginia.” That would be Neutral Ground Bar and Kitchen, the restaurant Simone Rathle and her husband David Guas opened in McLean in June. They also run Bayou Bakery in Arlington. Congrats to Simone and David on their new restaurant and the positive review.
Maryland Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen stopped by Sunflower Bakery in Rockville last month with a $75,000 check from the federal government to help support and expand the bakery’s mission. New member Jody Tick is executive director of the full-service bakery, which provides skilled job training and pathways to employment in pastry arts, hospitality, and related industries for young adults and teens with learning differences. Aside from the training center and bakery in Rockville, there’s another retail location in North Bethesda called Cafe Sunflower.
Sweet news for Diane Welland, who has a new job as the Director of Nutrition Policy and Scientific Affairs for the National Confectioners Association. Diane is a registered dietitian who has been involved in food associations for more than 25 years. Prior to joining NCA, she was Director of Nutrition Communications at Kellen, a global association management and communications firm.
Member News - July 2024
New member Kerry Brodie, founder and executive director of Emma’s Torch, a Washington D.C. nonprofit that provides refugees with culinary training and runs a cafe and a catering operation, reports that the organization welcomed a special customer last month: Secretary of State Antony Blinken. It was June 20, World Refugee Day, an annual international day designated by the United Nations to honor refugees around the world, and Blinken stopped by Emma’s Torch Cafe to meet Kerry, her staff and some of the program participants. “The work they do exemplifies the best of America: providing a welcoming space for refugees and empowering them with skills to succeed,” Blinken said afterwards on X.
“I am honored, thrilled and delighted to be elected to the Smithsonian Food History Project’s advisory group, the Kitchen Cabinet,” Janet Cam tells us. The group, composed of leaders in food scholarship, culinary history and food-related businesses, helps the National Museum of American History shape and expand its research, collections, programs and exhibitions related to food agriculture and beverage history, according to its website. Other chapter members listed on the site as being part of the advisory board include Johanna Mendelson Forman, Pati Jinich, Ris Lacoste, Joan Nathan and Maru Valdes.
Anina Belle Giannini, formerly director of public relations at the Four Seasons Hotel, has a new gig: Last month, she launched her own company, Savoir Faire, a PR, marketing and branding agency that specializes in food, beverage and hospitality communications. Anina Belle partnered with her long term mentee, Christa Machado, to build the company, which offers social media management as well as full service PR and marketing. “I am fortunate to count several Dames as my mentors and inspiration as I left my corporate role to found my company,” she said.
Cary Kelly has been engaged by a DC-based woman-owned company, The Neighborgoods (a gala auction donor) to be a guest contributor to the brand’s monthly blog newsletter. The Neighborgoods is an online shop featuring founder Jodi Kostelnik's own screen-printed products including kitchen towels, aprons, totes and greeting cards. Cary will create recipes and photograph the dishes to go along with the colorful food-focused textiles.
Member News - June 2024
In the amazing accomplishment category: One year ago, Sheila Crye’s son John was hit by a car and seriously injured on his way to deliver his capstone presentation at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy. Astonishingly, he recovered and graduated on time last month. Sheila and her family are profoundly grateful.
Jen Lin-Liu, author and events director at Chang Chang, and Chef-Owner Peter Chang hosted a banquet last month in honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. The dinner featured a talk by cookbook author Grace Young, a fierce advocate of Chinatowns across America, and the recipient of the James Beard Humanitarian of the Year Award.
This just in: Rachel Martin and Jodi Lehr are teaming up to present a session at the 2024 LDEI Conference in Phoenix in October. In “Beyond the Buzz: The Art of Non-Alcoholic and Decaffeinated Drinks,” Rachel, Founder and CEO of Oceano Wines, and Jodi, President of Santa Lucia Coffee, will dive into the evolving world of these luxury beverages, focusing on the parallel journeys of non-alcoholic wine and decaffeinated coffee as well as the meticulous processes of caffeine and alcohol removal. It’ll happen on Friday, October 18, from 10:30 a.m. to noon. For hotel reservations at the Wigwam Resort, click here.
Lots of news from Johanna Mendelson Forman, who was recently awarded the Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Award for Teaching at American University’s School of International Service. The award was given for her contribution to the study of food and conflict and for the graduate practicum she hosted on the Culinary Diplomatic Partnership Program at the State Department. She was also part of a segment last month on the “CBS Morning News” speaking about Korean food and gastrodiplomacy. And on May 20, she celebrated her 40th anniversary with David Forman. What’s more, Johanna managed to accomplish all of this despite still recovering from foot surgery. Way to go, Johanna! We hope you’re literally back on your feet soon.
Sweet or sassy? That was the choice Karen Vartan gave attendees at a health fair in Columbia, Md., last month. Karen, a dietitian, managed a sampling table, and gave out recipes and information about the positive effects of high-antioxidant foods. She also made the treats: The “sweet” was a soft-serve-thick frozen blend of blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and acai that could be topped with a bit of honey or dark chocolate, and the “sassy” was a green smoothie featuring kale macerated with olive oil and sea salt, plus avocado, apple, mango, turmeric, black pepper, and cumin. Karen reports that the table was a huge success, and that she’s been asked to present a similar program for the City of Baltimore this summer.
Member News- May 2024
Way to go, ladies! Several of our members have been nominated in recent weeks for esteemed awards.
Aside from Meryl Feinstein (who led our Italy’s Tagliatelle Zoom event), members who were nominated for a James Beard Foundation Media Award are: Pati Jinich for La Frontera with Pati Jinich, Season 2; Katherine Miller for her book At the Table: The Chef’s Guide to Advocacy; and Toni Tipton-Martin for her book, Juke Joints, Jazz Clubs, and Juice: Cocktails from Two Centuries of African American Cookbooks. Colada Shop, owned by CEO and Founder Daniella Senior, was announced as a finalist in the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) RAMMY Awards in the “Hottest Sandwich Spot” category. Incoming member Masako Morishita hit the RAMMY list in the “Rising Culinary Star of the Year” category. Masako, executive chef at Perry’s restaurant in Adams Morgan, also made the list of nominees in the “Emerging Chef” category of the James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards.
The New Yorker noted that she has “often been referred to as the Jewish Julia Child.” That would be our own Joan Nathan, whose book, My Life in Recipes: Food, Family and Memories was published last month by Knopf. The author of 12 books, Joan’s latest focuses a personal lens on food and family history.
After working for 16 years at Atwater’s in Baltimore, Nona Nielsen-Parker was ready for a new adventure. On April 18, she started as director of purchasing at Columbia Country Club in Chevy Chase. The country club has 1500 memberships, so Nona and her department of four will be busy purchasing for the three restaurants on site. Congrats, Nona!
George and Barbara Bush, Vernon Jordan, Ben Bradlee and Sally Quinn, Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Oprah, Maria Carey. Those are among the notables who have dined over the years at i Ricchi, Chris Ricchi’s downtown D.C. Tuscan restaurant that’s been in business since 1989. In an engaging piece in the April issue of Politico Magazine, Mark Kaminski–who worked as a parking valet at the restaurant in 1990–profiles Chris and details how i Ricchi brought European cosmopolitanism to a city that was more glamorous than it is today. Check it out here.
Jessica van Dop DeJesus grew up in Guayama, Puerto Rico, so who better to pen an article about the rich culture, food, beaches, nature and people of the southern coast of the U.S. territory? And that she did–in her first article in The Washington Post!
Member News - April 2024
Amy Brandwein says that she’s “honored and thrilled” to be serving as one of the chef mentors for the M. Frances, a nonprofit, female-led fine dining restaurant that will be opening in Union Market this summer. The project is part of the LEE Initiative, an organization that creates programs that aim to make the restaurant industry more diverse, equitable, sustainable and compassionate. For more about the M. Frances, check out this January Axios article by Anna Spiegel.
On March 15, Susan Callahan presented D.C. Central Kitchen CEO Mike Curtin with this original artwork inspired by the nonprofit’s mission of combating hunger and poverty through job training and job creation. A vintage tablecloth printed with forks, spoons and other table items, it was hung in the new DCCK facility on 2121 First Street SW. Susan was the original teaching chef for the organization in the mid-1990’s and was the faculty advisor for Campus Kitchens ( a project of DCCK ) from 2007 to 2019. “I was beyond thrilled to see the new kitchen,” Susan reports. “I thought about all the memories I had from the old kitchen at 3rd and E Streets NW, I thought about Marianne Ali and how proud she would be to see the results of our joint efforts for so many years.”
In honor of March’s Women’s History Month, Laura Kumin delivered talks to students and faculty in both the women’s studies and hospitality programs at Purdue University’s campus in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Laura, the author of “All Stirred Up: Suffrage Cookbooks, Food, and the Battle for Women’s Rights to Vote” (Pegasus Books, 2020), prepared coconut kisses (seen here) as well as Jack London’s stuffed celery during her demo to participants in the hospitality program. “Both are simple, easy recipes that suffragists and others would use for entertaining,” Laura tells us. “And both were ‘dainty,’ a favorite description of home economists of the time.”
Communications Officer Deb Lindsey is typically behind the camera, but we caught her in action at Real Food for Kids' recent student Culinary Challenge held at Hayfield Secondary School in Alexandria.
Member News - March 2024
Susan Barocas and Bonnie Benwick spent Presidents’ Day weekend feeding some 200 people at the second B'teavon Jewish Food Conference. The four-day event, which took place at a camp and retreat center in the north Georgia mountains, brought together food and non-food professionals to explore the tastes, techniques, history and connections of Jewish food culture. Susan served as the chef d'cuisine for the gathering, creating menus that reflect the diversity of Jewish and Sephardic food from such places as Persia, Turkey, Morocco and medieval Spain. At each meal, she also presented short talks about the culture and history featured in the dishes. Knowing she'd need a good, hard-working baker, Susan invited Bonnie to join her, and she jumped into action, baking special breads like Turkish pide and Moroccan kobz as well as many delicious cakes and cookies rooted in the featured cuisines. The annual B'teavon conference is open to the public.
Kim Bryden, CEO and founder of Cureate, a company that consults with small businesses on growth strategy, diversified revenue streams and new market opportunities, has a project in the works: providing instruction for the 2024 Nourish DC Packaged Food Business Cohort. The cohort is free for Washington D.C.-based packaged food and non-alcoholic beverage business owners, who will learn more about wholesale, foodservice, and growing/scaling their operations. Approximately 10-15 local business owners will be selected; here’s the application. The deadline is Friday, March 8.
Exciting news from Debbie Moser, principal of MeatCrafters, the Landover, Md. charcuterie company. A selection of the firm’s best-selling sausages are headed to some of the top retailers in Mexico this spring. “We will now be selling throughout the United States and Mexico!” reports Debbie.
Member News - February 2024
So proud of our James Beard Foundation’s 2024 Restaurant and Chef Award semi-finalists Pluma By Bluebird Bakery, for Outstanding Bakery (Camila Arango), and Best Chef semifinalists (Mid-Atlantic) Najmieh Batmanglij (and Christopher Morgan) of Joon and Amy Brandwein of Centrolina.
Do not miss Lori Gardner’s inspiring post in her January 3 Been There Eaten That blog entitled “Navigating Restaurants and Cancer.” Our indefatigable co-First Vice President of Membership details her 2023 journey with leukemia and her determination to continue to eat well.
Pasta fiore was part of a celebratory meal at Amy Brandwein’s Centrolina; Lori was declared cancer-free in November.
Dames kicked off the new year right by volunteering at DC Central Kitchen on January 1 to help assemble chicken wraps.
Avery Meetre and her husband Jesse welcomed daughter Charlotte Rose on January 8. Charlotte was three weeks early so she shares a birthday with Elvis.
While on a work trip to Thailand, Jessica Van Dop DeJesus, founder of The Dining Traveler blog, took a cooking class in Chiang Rai, and made pad Thai.
Member News - January 2024
Pre-cut veggies, tomatoes on the vine, full-fat dairy and lots of eggs are among the items in Carla Hall’s supermarket shopping basket, according to an article in the December-January issue of AARP Magazine. Carla was one of five “notables from the world of food and nutrition” who were featured in a piece called “What’s in Your Shopping Cart?”
Kudos to Monica Thomas, who was part of an article about personal chefs in the November/December issue of the American Culinary Federation’s publication, National Culinary Review. The story explains how Monica, owner of Tailored Tastes, goes into the homes of about a dozen clients every other week, spending four or five hours cooking as many meals as they’d like, which then go into the refrigerator or freezer. She also really enjoys catering parties. Check out Monica on page 40.
Member News - December 2023
All in a day’s work: Bonnie Benwick and Carole Sugarman served as two of the judges for the Bethesda Central Farm Market’s November pie baking contest. The fundraiser, which drew 22 local entrants, netted $1200 for Montgomery County’s Manna Food Center.
Congrats to Meryl Feinstein and Toni Tipton-Martin, whose books were chosen by the Los Angeles Times as two of the best cookbooks of the year. The article notes Meryl’s 200,000-plus Instagram followers and that Pasta Every Day: Make It, Shape It, Sauce It, Eat It, is an “extremely approachable first cookbook.” Toni’s Juke Joints, Jazz Clubs & Juice: Cocktails from Two Centuries of African American Cookbooks, is recognized as being a way to remedy the often overlooked contributions of African Americans to mixology. Toni also got big play in a piece about her in the November 11-12 weekend edition of the Wall St. Journal.
Hey, that’s Rachel Martin, pictured in the November-December issue of The Tasting Panel Magazine. Rachel is co-founder and CEO of Oceano Wines in San Luis Obispo, California, and the accompanying article is about “unique sips” for the holiday season.
And here’s Katherine Miller at her recent book talk at People’s Book store in Takoma Park. In At the Table: The Chef’s Guide to Advocacy, released in September by Island Press, Katherine shares a recipe that anyone can use on how to be an effective advocate. The book also spotlights work by Dames here and around the country, including Paola Valez (our chapter), Tanya Holland (San Francisco) and Tiffany Derry (Dallas).
Cover girl Erinn Tucker-Oluwole took the top slot on the September issue of Global Hospitality Magazine. Erinn, department chair and associate professor at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Hospitality and Tourism Management Department, served on the 2023 Board of Judges for the International Hospitality Hall of Fame.
Member News - November 2023
Johanna Mendelson Forman and students from her American University graduate school class, “Food as Soft Power: A History of the Culinary-Diplomatic Partnership,” had the honor of visiting the newly reopened Blair House. “It was a wonderful inside look at how our government uses cuisine as statecraft,” Johanna reports.
Aviva Goldfarb scored a conversation with TikTok phenom Jeremy Scheck, author of “ScheckEats—Cooking Smarter: Friendly Recipes with a Side of Science.” The free event is at Politics & Prose on Sunday, Nov. 5 at 3 p.m. 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW Washington D.C.
“I have been to paradise. Today I’ll find out if it’s still there.” So begins the piece in the November issue of Food & Wine Magazine by Kristen Hartke entitled “Bequia Beckons: A Writer Returns to the Tiny Caribbean Island That Healed Her Family.” Kristin and her mother lived in Bequia for three years– nearly 50 years ago. The article is the story of her memories and visit back, with recommendations on how to get there and where to stay, eat and drink.
Movin’ on: After a 16-year stint as production manager at Atwater’s, Nona Nielsen Parker has left the longtime Baltimore food purveyor. “I’m thinking about what I want to do next and ready for my next challenge,” Nona tells us.
Speaking out: On October 25, Tambra Raye Stevenson of WANDA participated in a panel as part of “Local Change, National Impact: CSPI’s Partner Convening,” a three-day conference bringing nearly 50 food leaders to Washington to learn, engage and build fellowship. And on November 30, Tambra will speak on the closing panel at the Food as Medicine: Policy Summit along with panelists from Whole Foods, Instacart, and Community Servings. The summit will be at the Madison Hotel in Washington, DC. For more information, see here.
Member News - October 2023
Super exciting news about new member Amber Croom: In August, she won Season 2 of FOX’s “Crime Scene Kitchen” cooking competition show, sharing $100,000 with her co-contestant Yassmeen Haskins. Amber is the founder and executive pastry chef of And 4 Dessert, an appointment-only confectionery studio in Baltimore. And she’s no stranger to cooking competitions, having appeared on Food Network’s “Holiday Baking Championship,” “Beat Bobby Flay,” and “Chopped Sweets,” where she was crowned Chopped Sweets Champion. The win received a lot of media coverage; here’s just one article. Don’t miss the YouTube video at the end that shows the “and the winners are” announcement.
Ellen Kassoff has big news about Equinox Restaurant, the downtown eatery she’s helmed for 25 years with her chef-husband/business partner Todd Gray. Later this month, Equinox will be moving to a new location at 900 19th St. NW, a short walk from its former digs at 818 Connecticut Ave. NW. And with the location change comes a small name change: It will soon be known as Equinox on 19th. Bigger changes: a kitchen twice the size of the old, expanded bar seating and private dining options, a proper composting facility, a much larger patio, 30-foot windows and more.
Hot Stuff: Daniella Senior's Colada Shop was named one of Nation's Restaurant News' Hot Concepts 2023. According to the magazine, the awards recognize young, emerging regional chains that demonstrate potential to scale into national success stories, and the winners are determined based on their growth momentum, uniqueness of concept, entrepreneurial spirit and more.
Paola Velez teamed up for some cool collaborations for Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated Sept. 15-Oct. 15. The award-winning chef, community activist and entrepreneur got a gig selling her pecan-plantain sticky buns in Nordstrom stores’ restaurants and e-bars, until mid-October. Paola also dipped into food fashion, with a limited edition kitchen workwear line for Urban Outfitters’ Urban Renewal brand. The pieces include a T-shirt, chore jacket, utility jacket and pants with cheffy embroidered details including strawberries, tomatoes, “Si, Chef,” and “Te quiero mucho” (“I love you a lot”).
Member News - September 2023
Nadine Brown, Carla Hall, Tonya Thomas and Toni Tipton-Martin were among the participants last month in The Family Reunion in Middleburg, Va., a culinary gathering whose mission is to nurture, develop, and celebrate racial and ethnic diversity within the next generation of hospitality professionals. The third annual event was presented by Chef Kwame Onwuachi in partnership with Sheila Johnson’s Salamander Collection and Food and Wine.
Kudos to Carolyn Crow, who has joined the staff of the Jacques Pépin Foundation as Marketing & Events Associate. Her main focus will be to assist with the planning of the annual fundraising gala in NYC and other events, as well as supporting digital marketing. Founded in 2016, the Jacques Pépin Foundation supports community kitchens that offer free life skills and culinary training to adults with high barriers to employment. “I'm a longtime fan of Jacques Pépin and I'm excited to help the Foundation turn fans into donors for a very worthy cause!” says Carolyn.
“Make Ravioli. Make Friends,” is the motto for Meryl Feinstein’s Pasta Social Club, a carbs club that was prominently featured in a July DC Eater profile. Meryl will be among the Dame authors on the “How to Pitch and Promote a Food Book” panel at our September 30 symposium; her debut cookbook, “Pasta Every Day” is due out on September 12.
It’s back to school for Kristen Hartke, who has joined the Adjunct Faculty at American University, where she’ll begin teaching Food Journalism in the School of Communication during the Fall 2023 semester.
Rachel Martin, co-founder and CEO of the San Luis Obispo-based Oceano Wines, just launched a new project: a luxury non-alcoholic Pinot Noir called Oceano Zero. Salute!
Whoops! In our July issue, we noted that new member Sara Morgan, founder and CEO of Eleven Eleven PR, made the Washington Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Awards list. But so did Daniella Senior, founder of Colada Shop, Serenata and Zumo, among other accomplishments. Many congrats to both!
Sausage success: Debbie Moser, president of Meatcrafters, reports that the company’s charcuterie products are now sold in 150 Giant stores throughout the DMV and Eastern Shore.
On August 12, Leni Sorensen spent a “wonderful evening” at her house with eight dinner guests and a film crew. The occasion? They were filming a documentary about Black women who are game changers in culinary history. It’ll be released in 2024, so stay tuned.
Member News - July 2023
Super exciting news for Najmieh Batmanglij, who teamed up with Christopher Morgan (former co-executive chef of Michelin-starred Maydan) plus restaurateur/investor Reza Farahini to open Joon, an upscale Persian restaurant in Tysons, Va. in mid-June. Najmieh, a cookbook author, cooking teacher and restaurant consultant, is a widely known expert on her native cuisine. The opening created quite a splash; for more information, read the articles in Arlington Magazine, Northern Virginia Magazine, and Washingtonian.
I scream, you scream, we all scream for Carolyn Crow, whose ice cream podcast was just selected by EarBuds Podcast Collective as one of five top food review podcasts. Carolyn and her husband, Marcello Goldberger, host the Sundae Funday program, rating a different ice cream flavor each episode. Listen to it on Spotify or everywhere you like to get podcasts.
Woo-hoo to Lani Furbank, who was one of four recipients of LDEI’s new Scholarships for Impactful Change. The $5,000 scholarship will support Lani’s tuition at the Culinary Institute of America, where she’s been accepted into the Sustainable Food Systems graduate program, the only graduate program approaching sustainability from a culinary lens. Lani tells us that the program “will build on my food journalism career, my nonprofit communications experience, and my passion for sustainability to help me gain expertise in advocacy and policy. I hope to use the degree to develop and lead grassroots campaigns to advocate for systems change and sustainable solutions.”
Dames gathered at Ris in the West End to help Ris Lacoste celebrate her honor of receiving the 2023 Duke Zeibert Capital Achievement Award from the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington.
Congrats to Sara Morgan, who made the 2023 Washington Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Awards list. According to the WBJ, the list honors a group of young leaders who are judged on their professional accomplishments, community leadership, and awards and milestones. Sara, a new member, is the founder and CEO of Eleven Eleven PR.
Member News - June 2023
Susan Barocas, launched her SavorExperience.com business’ first overseas tour in May with a Sephardic food-and-Ladino-music-filled trip to Greece and Turkey. Bonnie Benwick joined the group for the Istanbul leg, which included Susan’s class at a professional culinary academy, a night on the Bosphorus, a guided street food day, visits to ancient synagogues, the bazaars, Hagia Sophia, and the Blue Mosque. Brava, Susan!
Congrats to the grad: Jessica Botta graduated on May 19 with a Master of Arts in Food Studies from New York University.
Kim Bryden’s company, Cureate, which helps small, local food and beverage businesses achieve their visions, is hosting a Made in Maryland Vendor Fair at the Baltimore Convention Center on Thursday, June 22 from 1 to 4 p.m. “I’d love to invite the LDE community of potential food service/retail buyers, resource partners, and/or media to attend,” writes Kim. “It's free, and it's specifically designed to foster more sales and business connections in our food community.” Here's the registration link.
Last month, Johanna Mendelson Forman joined host Mitchell Davis of the Galilee Culinary Institute’s What’s Burning podcast series to provide an understanding of gastrodiplomacy, social gastronomy and the paradoxical power food has to both create and resolve conflicts. Listen to it here.
Le Chef’s Wife food blogger Anina Belle Giannini and her husband Sebastien were featured in a May 3 Washington Post article entitled “Two French Gourmets, One Petite Kitchen.” “I love that the writer shared how we, a family of foodies, cook and entertain from a small kitchen,” reports Anina Belle. “My kids had so much fun being in the article too!”
Dames trifecta: After several delays due to paper shortages and other issues related to Covid, Paula Jacobson, Alba Johnson and Sheilah Kaufman’s book collaboration, “Flavors of the Maghreb & Southern Italy: Recipes from the Land of the Setting Sun” has finally been published. A region of North Africa, the Maghreb included Spain, Sicily and Malta in ancient times, and before the Arab conquest, the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Italians, and French colonized the area, each leaving influences that created a multicultural cuisine. The book features the region’s colorful, aromatic foods, including over 100 recipes such as Crostini with Dill and Pecorino, Spicy Cauliflower Minestra, and Lamb Chops in Dried Fig Sauce.
House warming wishes to Cary Kelly and her husband Kevin, who sold their Alexandria home of 28 years and purchased a waterfront condo in Fells Point. Fortunately, this means she remains a member of our chapter. Cary is looking forward to meeting and engaging the Baltimore Dames and exploring the vibrant food scene of Charm City.
Nation’s Restaurant News featured a story on May 16 about Micheline and Catherine Mendelsohn’s announcement of a new president of their Sunnyside Restaurant Group. Industry veteran Michael Sternberg will oversee operations of the family company’s 14 restaurants as well as expansion efforts.
Member News - May 2023
Last month, a number of our amazing members spoke at the Black Women in Food Summit in Washington D.C. Carla Hall gave the opening address. Mary Blackford of Market 7 and Tambra Raye Stevenson of WANDA were panelists on the WANDA-sponsored “Black Women Fighting for Food Freedom for All,” sharing strategies from farm to health that shift the narrative, center Black food culture, and create generational health through food policy and building local food economies. Sommelier Nadine Brown participated in “Sip on This: Making Moves on Wine and Spirits Industry,” a panel about the strides and contributions Black women are making in the alcoholic beverage industry, and Tonya Thomas of H3irloom Food Group, was part of “Match Made in Heaven?,” a discussion that explored the different types of partnerships and collaborations that Black women food business owners have made. And then, near the end of the day. Aba Kwawu, founder and president of TAA PR, had a Fireside Chat with Fawn Weaver, serial entrepreneur, author and CEO of Grant Sidney, Inc. and Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey. Side note: Tambra successfully defended her dissertation proposal at American University School of Communication and is now a PhD candidate. Her research focuses on a sense of belonging in online communities to improve Black women's health.
The LDEI Spring 2023 Quarterly included lots of great content written by and about our members. On page 12, Sheila Crye wrote about The Edna Lewis Menu Trial, created by Orange County, Virginia, in honor of the 50th anniversary of Lewis’ first cookbook. On page 13, a feature by Ellen Kanner goes into detail about happy hour meet-ups, including our own Dames Who Drink group. There are quotes from Aviva Goldfarb, acknowledgement of Holly Barzyk and Erinn Tucker-Oluwole’s contributions, and a photo, too. And while you’re at it, check out write-ups about our chapter in Chapter Programs (page 30) and Member Milestones (page 35).
Photographer Laura Chase de Formigny is “so incredibly excited to announce” that her work was selected to appear online as part of The AI-AP Archive at ai-ap.com. Two of her images were selected from over 7000 submissions this year, according to LC. The AI (American Illustration) and AP (American Photography) Archive is a comprehensive gallery of current and past jury-selected images representing a who’s who of the industry’s most talented artists and creatives, says the website.
Well-deserved kudos go to Ris Lacoste, who was named on April 26 as the recipient of the 2023 Duke Zeibert Capital Achievement Award by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington. “One of the most respected and dedicated chefs in the region, Lacoste has earned a reputation built on genuine hospitality, mentoring the next generation of industry workers, and a true love for her team members and the guests she serves. Diners adore her use of high-quality ingredients, bold innovative techniques, and food that is both familiar and delicious," read the RAMW press release. The award, named in honor of legendary Washington restaurateur Duke Zeibert, is one of the awards presented during the upcoming RAMMY Awards season.
Many congrats to Sophia Maroon, who just celebrated the 11th anniversary of her company, Dress It Up Dressing. And…“drumroll please,” writes Sophia, “we’re about to launch nationally at Whole Foods!”
In late March, culinary historian/writer/consultant Leni Sorensen gave three food-related talks at Virginia Tech. For one of them, a talk about Chef Edna Lewis, Leni (third from left) and a group of students prepared several pans of Lewis' fabulous bread pudding. “Delicious,” Leni reports. She’ll be doing more cooking on Juneteenth, this time over an open fire, while discussing the foods of the enslaved community at an antebellum plantation, President James Madison’s Montpelier. She’ll be one of many presenters at the all-day event on Saturday, June 17, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Here’s more info.
But before that, our chapter will be featuring Leni in an online presentation, “Juneteenth: Food as a Form of Celebration.” Look for an email soon about this June 1 chapter program.
Member News - April 2023
"Fresh and Flavorful for Passover" was the theme of this March’s Passover cooking class led by Susan Barocas and Bonnie Benwick at the Hill Center on Capitol Hill. Susan taught two Sephardic dishes–apyo, which is celeriac and carrots in a dill-lemon-olive oil sauce, and anchusa, a spinach and onion casserole. Bonnie led the preparation of brown-braised fennel and pomegranate poached pears.
Also at the Hill Center, Lizette Corro took this photo of Alison Ricketts, Janet Cam and Jodi Lehr, who were among the participants at Janet’s food and wine pairing class, “Inspired Wine Pairing with an Exquisite Chinese Cuisine Feast” on March 19. Two Madeiras–an exploration outside of the commonly held ideas of wine suggestions with Chinese food–were paired with the celebratory dishes of Janet’s mother and grandmother: Steamed 8 Jewel Duck, Daikon Boiled with Oyster Sauce and Scallion Garnish, and Festival Fried Rice.
Check out this timely article written by Johanna Mendelson Forman in Inkstick, entitled “Dining Under the Drones in Ukraine: One year into war with Russia, Ukranians continue to go to restaurants in their cities in a powerful demonstration of a will to survive.” Johanna traveled to Ukraine prior to the war in the fall of 2021 at the invitation of Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Funding was provided by the U.S. Department of State through the Arts Envoy Program. In the article she is pictured with Yurii Kovryzhenko, Chef-Ambassador for the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine.
That was Ellen Kanner, doing a cooking demo and tasting of these coconut mignardises with 800 attendees at F&B@Sea, the first-ever dedicated conference for the cruise industry's F&B sector. It was held at the end of March in Fort Lauderdale.
Ana Reyes and Daniella Senior had the honor of spending the afternoon at the White House for the Small Business Administration’s Second Annual Women’s Business Summit, where President Biden delivered remarks. The summit was “truly an empowering and renewing experience,” Ana wrote on her Facebook page.
Where there’s talk about restaurants, there are Dames, including at the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington’s annual meeting on March 21 at Hook Hall.
After ten years of working as a pastry chef, Jonni Scott is combining her love for food and photography to start a new venture, Jonni Scott Photography. She’ll be offering food and product photography as well as social media management services.
Greetings from Sarasota: After developing a three-year Zoom, email, text and phone friendship during the pandemic, Carole Sugarman and Judy Rusignuolo met in person for the first time last month. Carole, who lives in Maryland, and dual member Judy, who lives in New Jersey, served together on the Dames Board, and were co-chairs of the 2021-2022 Nominating Committee. The two both happened to be in Sarasota at the same time, and finally had lunch together.
Member News - March 2023
Way to go, Amy Brandwein and Daniella Senior, who were named to the Department of State’s American Culinary Corps, a network of more than 80 of the United States’ influential chefs and culinary professionals. According to the government’s website, the chefs participate in programs and events on behalf of the Department of State in the United States and abroad to foster cross-cultural exchange. The chefs were honored at a ceremony at the Department of State on February 9, attended by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the Foreign Diplomatic Corps and others.
Congrats to Mary Blackford and Erinn Tucker-Oluwole, who were honored by the Washington Business Journal with a Diversity in Business Award. The awards, which celebrate diversity and inclusion in the workforce and honor inspiring leaders of color, will be presented on March 23 at the Four Seasons Hotel.
Janet Cam and Bonnie Benwick spent a February afternoon and evening with Chef Gerard Pangaud, serving as kitchen assistants for one of his wine-pairing dinners at Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital in DC. They helped prepare and serve a four-course menu that included his signature squab and lobster dish, and a mango tarte tatin with passion fruit sauce.
The latest scoop: Carolyn Crow and her husband Marcello Goldberger are launching and hosting a family-friendly ice cream review podcast called Sundae Funday. “We hope to help dessert lovers of all ages make mindful choices in the ice cream aisle, but mostly our mission is to have fun and eat treats!’ says Carolyn. The trailer is out now, and the first episode premieres on Monday, March 6. Any Dames with suggestions of brands and flavors to feature, or who are experts in ice cream and desserts and are interested in being a guest on the show can email Carolyn at [email protected] or message her on Instagram.
Yes, that was our own Anina Belle Giannini on the Today Show on February 9 with her husband Sebastien Giannini, making French onion soup and dark chocolate lava cakes. Anina Belle tells us that “being on the Today Show was an absolutely surreal experience. It really hit me when I walked into studio 1A and saw the crowd in the Plaza waving at me. I still can't get over it!”
Vickie Reh, Jodi Lehr, and Jill Collins toasted Linda Roth's landmark birthday on February 11 at Truluck's restaurant in DC. Happy Belated Landmark Birthday, Linda!
Founded by Janet Yu in 1996, Hollywood East Cafe in the Westfield Montgomery Mall has been “renowned for decades,” says an article in the February 2 DC Eater, which listed Janet’s Hong Kong-style dim sum spot as one of its 23 Essential Chinese Restaurants in D.C.
Congratulations DC Regional Chapter! Click here to view the certificate of Appreciation for fulfilling our Brock Circle pledge!
Member News - February 2023
How to nourish your mental health was the topic discussed by Mary Beth Albright, author of Eat & Flourish: How Food Supports Emotional Well Being, at a Smithsonian Associates Zoom program on January 18. Mary Beth was joined in conversation with Carla Hall as they discussed the connection between food and mood.
Jill Collins was honored at a reception at her client, Carmine’s, on January 15 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Jill Collins Public Relations Group, Inc. Among the friends and colleagues who stopped by was LDE-DC President Linda Roth. Johanna Mendelson Forman, adjunct professor of Conflict Cuisine at the School of International Service at American University, wrote an interesting commentary in Inkstick about the gastrodiplomacy of Turkish coffee. Check it out here.
Mazel tov to Lori Gardner and her husband Todd, who welcomed their fourth grandchild to the family. Granddaughter Nico Bloom Gardner-Barak was born on January 12.
In the Daily Meal’s “12 Best Italian Sausage Brands You Need to Try,” Debra Moser’s MeatCrafters’’ company placed not once, but twice. The food and beverage website picked the Landover, Maryland firm’s spicy Italian and sweet Italian sausages as two of the best.
Regional Sales Manager Cindy Selby recently found out that she ranks eighth in the world (!) at her employer, RATIONAL, an international manufacturer and retailer of professional kitchen appliances. The criteria include sales, growth over the past year, and participation in live demonstrations. “I’m very excited!” Cindy reports.
A big wow to pastry chef and social justice activist Paola Velez, who made the Food Network’s “hot list” of stars to watch in 2023. Paola was one of only nine culinary celebs to make the cut; the write-up noted that “her food videos will have you DROOLING!”
Member News - January 2023
Susan Barocas is working on two new exciting food projects. The first, in partnership with singer Sarah Aroeste, is Savor: A Sephardic Music & Food Experience. The project includes songs in Ladino/Judeo-Spanish about food, cooking videos by chefs around the world, programs, classes, concerts and in May, a gourmet food and music cruise from Athens to Istanbul. Savor was created to present and preserve the history, culture and cuisine of the Jews of Spain and Portugal, including Susan and Sarah's ancestors, who were forced to leave in the 15th century by the Inquisition. More information about the project is here. In February, Susan is a featured presenter at the inaugural B'teavon, a four-day culinary exploration through the tastes, history, diversity and connections of all things related to Jewish food culture, to be held at a camp/retreat center outside Atlanta. More information can be found here.
Jill Collins and Erinn Tucker-Oluwole hit the opening of the Royal Sands Social Club, the huge Florida-themed restaurant/bar in the Navy Yard that Washingtonian Magazine described as “one big pool party.” The owners are longtime clients of PR rep Jill. Speaking of which, the Jill Collins Public Relations Group celebrates its 30th anniversary this month. Many congrats Jill!
After three years in house with a Latina-owned vegan restaurant group based in Philadelphia, restaurant marketing and PR specialist Aviva Goldfarb has returned to working with local clients, particularly those owned by women and people of color. Olivia Macaron, a Latina-owned bakery with locations in Georgetown and Tysons Corner, is one of those clients--a treat for Aviva, who started eating a primarily plant-based diet about a year ago. The shop has started selling vegan macarons.
Jonni Scott is baking for change again, this time leading a DC Bakers Box project that will raise money for the Very Asian Foundation Creators Fund. The fund will be administered by the nonprofit Very Asian Foundation, whose mission is to shine a light on Asian experiences through advocacy and celebration. Unique sweets in the bake sale will include Jonni’s Addictive Taiwanese Snowflake Crisps, Lani Furbank’s Auspicious Miso Peanut Butter Cookies, plus creations from about a dozen other local chefs and bakers. The Bakers Boxes will be available for pick-up on January 14 at Sababa restaurant in Cleveland Park; for more information about the fundraiser, click here.
Last month, Tambra Raye Stevenson spoke on how food democracy matters to the food is medicine movement at the Salamander Hotel in DC as part of the Milken Institute’s Future of Health Summit. Moderated by NPR’s Allison Aubrey, Tambra shared the panel with speakers from Instacart, ProMedica, and the White House. Here’s the post she penned for Milken’s “Power of Ideas” blog. Watch the recording here. In this photo, Tambra (right) is at the summit with Catherine Oakar (left), Special Assistant to the President for Public Health and Disparities at The White House.
Member News - December 2022
Chicken coconut curry, vegetarian curry, rice, cabbage, salad and applesauce. That’s the menu Executive Chef Cheryl Bell was cooking and coordinating in a November 23 article in The Washington Post about Miriam’s Kitchen. The organization provides housing support and weekday breakfast and dinner to homeless citizens in Washington D.C.
Susan Callahan, an instructor in Delaware Technical Community College’s Culinary Arts program, is also a quilter extraordinaire. Here she is with “Crab Feast,” her 72x70-inch quilt that premiered at an international exhibit in Houston last month. “This is an homage to my favorite painting, ‘Luncheon of the Boating Party,’ by Pierre-Auguste Renoir,” writes Susan. In other exciting news, Susan’s culinary students were invited to the White House this fall to meet First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, a former faculty member at Del Tech. Students also received a tour of the White House and met the culinary staff.
As part of her trip to Jordan last month, Johanna Mendelson Forman prepared magloubeh (a molded dish of meat, eggplant, rice and spices) with women at the Iraq Al-Amir Women’s Cooperative Association. Johanna was in Amman speaking about gastrodiplomacy at the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts for the State Department’s Arts Envoy Program.
So happy to hear about Nancy Piho’s fabulous recovery; she had a seven-hour heart operation in October at the Cleveland Clinic to repair her mitral valve. During the Thanksgiving holiday, she visited Rome and Venice with her family. Bravo! A final note from Nancy: “Please remember to talk to your doctor about heart disease, as symptoms are so easy to miss!”
Linda Roth visited family (ex-pats) in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico in November, just in time to enjoy the city’s Festival Internacional de Jazz & Blues as well as delicious hometown favorites, including this beautiful presentation of two-tone gazpacho soup, with tiny melon balls, and crushed croutons. It was at the Rosewood Hotel, where every dish comes with a spectacular presentation.
Maryland Governor-elect Wes Moore and his campaign team celebrated their win with a private brunch at Khepera's Kitchen on Friday, November 11. In October, chef and owner Taueret Thomas celebrated her six-year anniversary of the 20-seat Baltimore cafe, which offers personal chef services and weekend-only brunch. Way to go Taueret!
Congrats to Toni Tipton-Martin for being one of the five winners of the 2022 IACP Members of the Year Award. Also, according to Toni’s Facebook, she recently moved (from Baltimore). “It’s official: We are Texans again! Let’s just say we’re within driving distance of everyone!” she wrote.
Our hearts go out to Jessica van Dop DeJesus, on the passing of her mother, Lydia Aponte DeJesus, shortly before Thanksgiving. In this essay that appeared in The Inquirer soon after her death, Jessica writes beautifully about her family’s Thanksgiving traditions and her mom’s arroz con gandules. “I’m so proud I was able to honor her,” Jessica told us.
Northern Virginia Magazine called it “one of the most disarmingly romantic dining experiences in NoVA," and the smoked tomato fettuccine “one of the best pasta dishes in the region.” Those are among the accolades for Juste Zidelyte’s Maple Ave Restaurant, which was named as one of the top 10 restaurants in Northern Virginia in the magazine’s 50 best restaurant list for 2022. “It's especially meaningful and personal because Ricardo (my work/life partner) and I are the only current employees - an extremely reassuring achievement,” Juste said.
Member News - November 2022
Well-deserved kudos go to Gladys Abi-Najm and her family for being among the honorees at the Rene Moawad Foundation’s (RMF) Gala Dinner on November 16 at the Ritz-Carlton Washington D.C. Gladys’ family, who started Lebanese Taverna restaurants more than 40 years ago, will be given the Outstanding Community Service Award by RMF, whose mission is to promote peace, stability and prosperity in Lebanon. The Abi-Najm’s immigrated from Lebanon to the U.S. in 1976, and as their restaurant holdings have grown, they’ve focused on giving back to the community, participating in more than 100 events and donating to more than 1,000 organizations a year.
A highlight of Lori Gardner’s 17-day tour of Japan last month was an exquisite kaiseki dinner at Tsurutokame restaurant in Tokyo. Everyone on the staff, both in and out of the kitchen, are women, which is very unique in Japan, Lori said. (The restaurant is owned by a husband and wife team.)
Here’s to Nancy Hart Trice and her Gunther & Co. restaurant for being named the best venue for hosting a wedding rehearsal dinner, according to a Baltimore Weddings magazine’s readers’ poll. Nancy’s restaurant, which has a large variety of event spaces, is located in the Brewer’s Hill section of Baltimore.
This month, Johanna Mendelson Forman will be speaking about gastrodiplomacy at the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts in Amman as part of the State Department’s Arts Envoy Program. In addition, she’ll be giving a lecture entitled “Feeding Nine-Billion People: Food Security and Beyond” at the Columbia University Middle East Center, also in Jordan.
After two years of working as the corporate pastry chef at Itaberco, a dessert ingredient company in Stevensville, Maryland, Jonni Scott is moving on. “I am not entirely sure what I want to do next,” she tells us. “I hope that I can find something food industry adjacent— whether that’s getting into marketing, event planning, PR, food photography, or even something that I don’t know exists yet! I love restaurants, and I love pastry— but I am looking for the next chapter in my career.”
Tambra Raye Stevenson will participate in "A Seat at the Table: A Conversation about Food Equity,” a program hosted by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) where attendees will share dinner and consider challenging questions about race, identity, and economic justice. Tambra will join other panelists to discuss food sovereignty in urban areas like Washington D.C. and how black communities navigate and resist unequal food distribution systems. After the presentation, audience members can share their stories and ideas in a workshop activity. Friday, November 4, 6:45 to 9 p.m., Heritage Hall, NMAAHC, 1400 Constitution Ave. NW Washington D.C. For more information, click here.
It’s full-on for Jessica Botta, who is now a full-time faculty member in the Hospitality Management program at Montgomery College in Rockville. Jessica has been teaching for the last year as an adjunct professor.
While visiting the Eastern Shore, Lori Gardner stopped by Piazza Italian Market, an all-inclusive market in Easton that offers a dine-in menu, carryout meals, catering, pastries, groceries, wine, spirits and more which is owned and managed by Emily Chandler. "We had a nice conversation about Les Dames," says Lori. "It was great to meet Emily." Entre News contacted Emily in Easton, and the feeling was mutual. “It was an honor to host a fellow Dame passing through,” she said.
Lizette Corro nailed a slot as one of the 25 Women Who Mean Business, the Washington Business Journal’s highly competitive awards program that honors 25 of the region’s top female executives. Lizette, a former chapter president and Dame of Distinction, is currently President and Chief Executive Officer of Corro Nobil Associates, a strategic planning and consulting firm for nonprofits.
Kudos to Lani Furbank, who was awarded another Scholarship for Impactful Change from Les Dames d'Escoffier International and The Wine Group. This is Lani’s second year receiving the scholarship award. “I am incredibly grateful for the support to continue pursuing my master’s degree in sustainable food systems from the Culinary Institute of America,” Lani tells us.
Jodi Lehr, Linda Roth, and Cindy Kacher joined new member Mel Gold, director of communications and marketing at D.C. Central Kitchen, at a celebration last month of the release of the new edition of The Food Fighters: A History of DC Central Kitchen. In case you missed it, Carla Hall, our Grande Dame, got a ginormous spread inside LDEI’s recent the feast newsletter.
Way to go Rachael Jackson, a new member whose blog, EatOrToss.com, is a finalist in the blog category of the International Association of Culinary Professionals Awards. According to Rachael’s site, the blog helps consumers use accessible science to take the “doubt” out of “when in doubt throw it out.” Here’s a full listing of IACP finalists (which includes Pati Jinich and Toni Tipton-Martin); winners will be announced on Thursday, September 26.
Smithsonian Curator of Food History Paula Johnson has a new book, Julia Child’s Kitchen: The Design, Tools, Stories, and Legacy of an Iconic Space (Abrams, 2024), which will be published October 8. It will be hot off the presses for the Smithsonian’s Food History Weekend (see above), where Paula will discuss her book.
Washington Post restaurant critic Tom Sietsema called it “the most captivating new restaurant in Northern Virginia.” That would be Neutral Ground Bar and Kitchen, the restaurant Simone Rathle and her husband David Guas opened in McLean in June. They also run Bayou Bakery in Arlington. Congrats to Simone and David on their new restaurant and the positive review.
Maryland Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen stopped by Sunflower Bakery in Rockville last month with a $75,000 check from the federal government to help support and expand the bakery’s mission. New member Jody Tick is executive director of the full-service bakery, which provides skilled job training and pathways to employment in pastry arts, hospitality, and related industries for young adults and teens with learning differences. Aside from the training center and bakery in Rockville, there’s another retail location in North Bethesda called Cafe Sunflower.
Sweet news for Diane Welland, who has a new job as the Director of Nutrition Policy and Scientific Affairs for the National Confectioners Association. Diane is a registered dietitian who has been involved in food associations for more than 25 years. Prior to joining NCA, she was Director of Nutrition Communications at Kellen, a global association management and communications firm.
Member News - July 2024
New member Kerry Brodie, founder and executive director of Emma’s Torch, a Washington D.C. nonprofit that provides refugees with culinary training and runs a cafe and a catering operation, reports that the organization welcomed a special customer last month: Secretary of State Antony Blinken. It was June 20, World Refugee Day, an annual international day designated by the United Nations to honor refugees around the world, and Blinken stopped by Emma’s Torch Cafe to meet Kerry, her staff and some of the program participants. “The work they do exemplifies the best of America: providing a welcoming space for refugees and empowering them with skills to succeed,” Blinken said afterwards on X.
“I am honored, thrilled and delighted to be elected to the Smithsonian Food History Project’s advisory group, the Kitchen Cabinet,” Janet Cam tells us. The group, composed of leaders in food scholarship, culinary history and food-related businesses, helps the National Museum of American History shape and expand its research, collections, programs and exhibitions related to food agriculture and beverage history, according to its website. Other chapter members listed on the site as being part of the advisory board include Johanna Mendelson Forman, Pati Jinich, Ris Lacoste, Joan Nathan and Maru Valdes.
Anina Belle Giannini, formerly director of public relations at the Four Seasons Hotel, has a new gig: Last month, she launched her own company, Savoir Faire, a PR, marketing and branding agency that specializes in food, beverage and hospitality communications. Anina Belle partnered with her long term mentee, Christa Machado, to build the company, which offers social media management as well as full service PR and marketing. “I am fortunate to count several Dames as my mentors and inspiration as I left my corporate role to found my company,” she said.
Cary Kelly has been engaged by a DC-based woman-owned company, The Neighborgoods (a gala auction donor) to be a guest contributor to the brand’s monthly blog newsletter. The Neighborgoods is an online shop featuring founder Jodi Kostelnik's own screen-printed products including kitchen towels, aprons, totes and greeting cards. Cary will create recipes and photograph the dishes to go along with the colorful food-focused textiles.
Member News - June 2024
In the amazing accomplishment category: One year ago, Sheila Crye’s son John was hit by a car and seriously injured on his way to deliver his capstone presentation at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy. Astonishingly, he recovered and graduated on time last month. Sheila and her family are profoundly grateful.
Jen Lin-Liu, author and events director at Chang Chang, and Chef-Owner Peter Chang hosted a banquet last month in honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. The dinner featured a talk by cookbook author Grace Young, a fierce advocate of Chinatowns across America, and the recipient of the James Beard Humanitarian of the Year Award.
This just in: Rachel Martin and Jodi Lehr are teaming up to present a session at the 2024 LDEI Conference in Phoenix in October. In “Beyond the Buzz: The Art of Non-Alcoholic and Decaffeinated Drinks,” Rachel, Founder and CEO of Oceano Wines, and Jodi, President of Santa Lucia Coffee, will dive into the evolving world of these luxury beverages, focusing on the parallel journeys of non-alcoholic wine and decaffeinated coffee as well as the meticulous processes of caffeine and alcohol removal. It’ll happen on Friday, October 18, from 10:30 a.m. to noon. For hotel reservations at the Wigwam Resort, click here.
Lots of news from Johanna Mendelson Forman, who was recently awarded the Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Award for Teaching at American University’s School of International Service. The award was given for her contribution to the study of food and conflict and for the graduate practicum she hosted on the Culinary Diplomatic Partnership Program at the State Department. She was also part of a segment last month on the “CBS Morning News” speaking about Korean food and gastrodiplomacy. And on May 20, she celebrated her 40th anniversary with David Forman. What’s more, Johanna managed to accomplish all of this despite still recovering from foot surgery. Way to go, Johanna! We hope you’re literally back on your feet soon.
Sweet or sassy? That was the choice Karen Vartan gave attendees at a health fair in Columbia, Md., last month. Karen, a dietitian, managed a sampling table, and gave out recipes and information about the positive effects of high-antioxidant foods. She also made the treats: The “sweet” was a soft-serve-thick frozen blend of blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and acai that could be topped with a bit of honey or dark chocolate, and the “sassy” was a green smoothie featuring kale macerated with olive oil and sea salt, plus avocado, apple, mango, turmeric, black pepper, and cumin. Karen reports that the table was a huge success, and that she’s been asked to present a similar program for the City of Baltimore this summer.
Member News- May 2024
Way to go, ladies! Several of our members have been nominated in recent weeks for esteemed awards.
Aside from Meryl Feinstein (who led our Italy’s Tagliatelle Zoom event), members who were nominated for a James Beard Foundation Media Award are: Pati Jinich for La Frontera with Pati Jinich, Season 2; Katherine Miller for her book At the Table: The Chef’s Guide to Advocacy; and Toni Tipton-Martin for her book, Juke Joints, Jazz Clubs, and Juice: Cocktails from Two Centuries of African American Cookbooks. Colada Shop, owned by CEO and Founder Daniella Senior, was announced as a finalist in the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) RAMMY Awards in the “Hottest Sandwich Spot” category. Incoming member Masako Morishita hit the RAMMY list in the “Rising Culinary Star of the Year” category. Masako, executive chef at Perry’s restaurant in Adams Morgan, also made the list of nominees in the “Emerging Chef” category of the James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards.
The New Yorker noted that she has “often been referred to as the Jewish Julia Child.” That would be our own Joan Nathan, whose book, My Life in Recipes: Food, Family and Memories was published last month by Knopf. The author of 12 books, Joan’s latest focuses a personal lens on food and family history.
After working for 16 years at Atwater’s in Baltimore, Nona Nielsen-Parker was ready for a new adventure. On April 18, she started as director of purchasing at Columbia Country Club in Chevy Chase. The country club has 1500 memberships, so Nona and her department of four will be busy purchasing for the three restaurants on site. Congrats, Nona!
George and Barbara Bush, Vernon Jordan, Ben Bradlee and Sally Quinn, Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Oprah, Maria Carey. Those are among the notables who have dined over the years at i Ricchi, Chris Ricchi’s downtown D.C. Tuscan restaurant that’s been in business since 1989. In an engaging piece in the April issue of Politico Magazine, Mark Kaminski–who worked as a parking valet at the restaurant in 1990–profiles Chris and details how i Ricchi brought European cosmopolitanism to a city that was more glamorous than it is today. Check it out here.
Jessica van Dop DeJesus grew up in Guayama, Puerto Rico, so who better to pen an article about the rich culture, food, beaches, nature and people of the southern coast of the U.S. territory? And that she did–in her first article in The Washington Post!
Member News - April 2024
Amy Brandwein says that she’s “honored and thrilled” to be serving as one of the chef mentors for the M. Frances, a nonprofit, female-led fine dining restaurant that will be opening in Union Market this summer. The project is part of the LEE Initiative, an organization that creates programs that aim to make the restaurant industry more diverse, equitable, sustainable and compassionate. For more about the M. Frances, check out this January Axios article by Anna Spiegel.
On March 15, Susan Callahan presented D.C. Central Kitchen CEO Mike Curtin with this original artwork inspired by the nonprofit’s mission of combating hunger and poverty through job training and job creation. A vintage tablecloth printed with forks, spoons and other table items, it was hung in the new DCCK facility on 2121 First Street SW. Susan was the original teaching chef for the organization in the mid-1990’s and was the faculty advisor for Campus Kitchens ( a project of DCCK ) from 2007 to 2019. “I was beyond thrilled to see the new kitchen,” Susan reports. “I thought about all the memories I had from the old kitchen at 3rd and E Streets NW, I thought about Marianne Ali and how proud she would be to see the results of our joint efforts for so many years.”
In honor of March’s Women’s History Month, Laura Kumin delivered talks to students and faculty in both the women’s studies and hospitality programs at Purdue University’s campus in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Laura, the author of “All Stirred Up: Suffrage Cookbooks, Food, and the Battle for Women’s Rights to Vote” (Pegasus Books, 2020), prepared coconut kisses (seen here) as well as Jack London’s stuffed celery during her demo to participants in the hospitality program. “Both are simple, easy recipes that suffragists and others would use for entertaining,” Laura tells us. “And both were ‘dainty,’ a favorite description of home economists of the time.”
Communications Officer Deb Lindsey is typically behind the camera, but we caught her in action at Real Food for Kids' recent student Culinary Challenge held at Hayfield Secondary School in Alexandria.
Member News - March 2024
Susan Barocas and Bonnie Benwick spent Presidents’ Day weekend feeding some 200 people at the second B'teavon Jewish Food Conference. The four-day event, which took place at a camp and retreat center in the north Georgia mountains, brought together food and non-food professionals to explore the tastes, techniques, history and connections of Jewish food culture. Susan served as the chef d'cuisine for the gathering, creating menus that reflect the diversity of Jewish and Sephardic food from such places as Persia, Turkey, Morocco and medieval Spain. At each meal, she also presented short talks about the culture and history featured in the dishes. Knowing she'd need a good, hard-working baker, Susan invited Bonnie to join her, and she jumped into action, baking special breads like Turkish pide and Moroccan kobz as well as many delicious cakes and cookies rooted in the featured cuisines. The annual B'teavon conference is open to the public.
Kim Bryden, CEO and founder of Cureate, a company that consults with small businesses on growth strategy, diversified revenue streams and new market opportunities, has a project in the works: providing instruction for the 2024 Nourish DC Packaged Food Business Cohort. The cohort is free for Washington D.C.-based packaged food and non-alcoholic beverage business owners, who will learn more about wholesale, foodservice, and growing/scaling their operations. Approximately 10-15 local business owners will be selected; here’s the application. The deadline is Friday, March 8.
Exciting news from Debbie Moser, principal of MeatCrafters, the Landover, Md. charcuterie company. A selection of the firm’s best-selling sausages are headed to some of the top retailers in Mexico this spring. “We will now be selling throughout the United States and Mexico!” reports Debbie.
Member News - February 2024
So proud of our James Beard Foundation’s 2024 Restaurant and Chef Award semi-finalists Pluma By Bluebird Bakery, for Outstanding Bakery (Camila Arango), and Best Chef semifinalists (Mid-Atlantic) Najmieh Batmanglij (and Christopher Morgan) of Joon and Amy Brandwein of Centrolina.
Do not miss Lori Gardner’s inspiring post in her January 3 Been There Eaten That blog entitled “Navigating Restaurants and Cancer.” Our indefatigable co-First Vice President of Membership details her 2023 journey with leukemia and her determination to continue to eat well.
Pasta fiore was part of a celebratory meal at Amy Brandwein’s Centrolina; Lori was declared cancer-free in November.
Dames kicked off the new year right by volunteering at DC Central Kitchen on January 1 to help assemble chicken wraps.
Avery Meetre and her husband Jesse welcomed daughter Charlotte Rose on January 8. Charlotte was three weeks early so she shares a birthday with Elvis.
While on a work trip to Thailand, Jessica Van Dop DeJesus, founder of The Dining Traveler blog, took a cooking class in Chiang Rai, and made pad Thai.
Member News - January 2024
Pre-cut veggies, tomatoes on the vine, full-fat dairy and lots of eggs are among the items in Carla Hall’s supermarket shopping basket, according to an article in the December-January issue of AARP Magazine. Carla was one of five “notables from the world of food and nutrition” who were featured in a piece called “What’s in Your Shopping Cart?”
Kudos to Monica Thomas, who was part of an article about personal chefs in the November/December issue of the American Culinary Federation’s publication, National Culinary Review. The story explains how Monica, owner of Tailored Tastes, goes into the homes of about a dozen clients every other week, spending four or five hours cooking as many meals as they’d like, which then go into the refrigerator or freezer. She also really enjoys catering parties. Check out Monica on page 40.
Member News - December 2023
All in a day’s work: Bonnie Benwick and Carole Sugarman served as two of the judges for the Bethesda Central Farm Market’s November pie baking contest. The fundraiser, which drew 22 local entrants, netted $1200 for Montgomery County’s Manna Food Center.
Congrats to Meryl Feinstein and Toni Tipton-Martin, whose books were chosen by the Los Angeles Times as two of the best cookbooks of the year. The article notes Meryl’s 200,000-plus Instagram followers and that Pasta Every Day: Make It, Shape It, Sauce It, Eat It, is an “extremely approachable first cookbook.” Toni’s Juke Joints, Jazz Clubs & Juice: Cocktails from Two Centuries of African American Cookbooks, is recognized as being a way to remedy the often overlooked contributions of African Americans to mixology. Toni also got big play in a piece about her in the November 11-12 weekend edition of the Wall St. Journal.
Hey, that’s Rachel Martin, pictured in the November-December issue of The Tasting Panel Magazine. Rachel is co-founder and CEO of Oceano Wines in San Luis Obispo, California, and the accompanying article is about “unique sips” for the holiday season.
And here’s Katherine Miller at her recent book talk at People’s Book store in Takoma Park. In At the Table: The Chef’s Guide to Advocacy, released in September by Island Press, Katherine shares a recipe that anyone can use on how to be an effective advocate. The book also spotlights work by Dames here and around the country, including Paola Valez (our chapter), Tanya Holland (San Francisco) and Tiffany Derry (Dallas).
Cover girl Erinn Tucker-Oluwole took the top slot on the September issue of Global Hospitality Magazine. Erinn, department chair and associate professor at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Hospitality and Tourism Management Department, served on the 2023 Board of Judges for the International Hospitality Hall of Fame.
Member News - November 2023
Johanna Mendelson Forman and students from her American University graduate school class, “Food as Soft Power: A History of the Culinary-Diplomatic Partnership,” had the honor of visiting the newly reopened Blair House. “It was a wonderful inside look at how our government uses cuisine as statecraft,” Johanna reports.
Aviva Goldfarb scored a conversation with TikTok phenom Jeremy Scheck, author of “ScheckEats—Cooking Smarter: Friendly Recipes with a Side of Science.” The free event is at Politics & Prose on Sunday, Nov. 5 at 3 p.m. 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW Washington D.C.
“I have been to paradise. Today I’ll find out if it’s still there.” So begins the piece in the November issue of Food & Wine Magazine by Kristen Hartke entitled “Bequia Beckons: A Writer Returns to the Tiny Caribbean Island That Healed Her Family.” Kristin and her mother lived in Bequia for three years– nearly 50 years ago. The article is the story of her memories and visit back, with recommendations on how to get there and where to stay, eat and drink.
Movin’ on: After a 16-year stint as production manager at Atwater’s, Nona Nielsen Parker has left the longtime Baltimore food purveyor. “I’m thinking about what I want to do next and ready for my next challenge,” Nona tells us.
Speaking out: On October 25, Tambra Raye Stevenson of WANDA participated in a panel as part of “Local Change, National Impact: CSPI’s Partner Convening,” a three-day conference bringing nearly 50 food leaders to Washington to learn, engage and build fellowship. And on November 30, Tambra will speak on the closing panel at the Food as Medicine: Policy Summit along with panelists from Whole Foods, Instacart, and Community Servings. The summit will be at the Madison Hotel in Washington, DC. For more information, see here.
Member News - October 2023
Super exciting news about new member Amber Croom: In August, she won Season 2 of FOX’s “Crime Scene Kitchen” cooking competition show, sharing $100,000 with her co-contestant Yassmeen Haskins. Amber is the founder and executive pastry chef of And 4 Dessert, an appointment-only confectionery studio in Baltimore. And she’s no stranger to cooking competitions, having appeared on Food Network’s “Holiday Baking Championship,” “Beat Bobby Flay,” and “Chopped Sweets,” where she was crowned Chopped Sweets Champion. The win received a lot of media coverage; here’s just one article. Don’t miss the YouTube video at the end that shows the “and the winners are” announcement.
Ellen Kassoff has big news about Equinox Restaurant, the downtown eatery she’s helmed for 25 years with her chef-husband/business partner Todd Gray. Later this month, Equinox will be moving to a new location at 900 19th St. NW, a short walk from its former digs at 818 Connecticut Ave. NW. And with the location change comes a small name change: It will soon be known as Equinox on 19th. Bigger changes: a kitchen twice the size of the old, expanded bar seating and private dining options, a proper composting facility, a much larger patio, 30-foot windows and more.
Hot Stuff: Daniella Senior's Colada Shop was named one of Nation's Restaurant News' Hot Concepts 2023. According to the magazine, the awards recognize young, emerging regional chains that demonstrate potential to scale into national success stories, and the winners are determined based on their growth momentum, uniqueness of concept, entrepreneurial spirit and more.
Paola Velez teamed up for some cool collaborations for Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated Sept. 15-Oct. 15. The award-winning chef, community activist and entrepreneur got a gig selling her pecan-plantain sticky buns in Nordstrom stores’ restaurants and e-bars, until mid-October. Paola also dipped into food fashion, with a limited edition kitchen workwear line for Urban Outfitters’ Urban Renewal brand. The pieces include a T-shirt, chore jacket, utility jacket and pants with cheffy embroidered details including strawberries, tomatoes, “Si, Chef,” and “Te quiero mucho” (“I love you a lot”).
Member News - September 2023
Nadine Brown, Carla Hall, Tonya Thomas and Toni Tipton-Martin were among the participants last month in The Family Reunion in Middleburg, Va., a culinary gathering whose mission is to nurture, develop, and celebrate racial and ethnic diversity within the next generation of hospitality professionals. The third annual event was presented by Chef Kwame Onwuachi in partnership with Sheila Johnson’s Salamander Collection and Food and Wine.
Kudos to Carolyn Crow, who has joined the staff of the Jacques Pépin Foundation as Marketing & Events Associate. Her main focus will be to assist with the planning of the annual fundraising gala in NYC and other events, as well as supporting digital marketing. Founded in 2016, the Jacques Pépin Foundation supports community kitchens that offer free life skills and culinary training to adults with high barriers to employment. “I'm a longtime fan of Jacques Pépin and I'm excited to help the Foundation turn fans into donors for a very worthy cause!” says Carolyn.
“Make Ravioli. Make Friends,” is the motto for Meryl Feinstein’s Pasta Social Club, a carbs club that was prominently featured in a July DC Eater profile. Meryl will be among the Dame authors on the “How to Pitch and Promote a Food Book” panel at our September 30 symposium; her debut cookbook, “Pasta Every Day” is due out on September 12.
It’s back to school for Kristen Hartke, who has joined the Adjunct Faculty at American University, where she’ll begin teaching Food Journalism in the School of Communication during the Fall 2023 semester.
Rachel Martin, co-founder and CEO of the San Luis Obispo-based Oceano Wines, just launched a new project: a luxury non-alcoholic Pinot Noir called Oceano Zero. Salute!
Whoops! In our July issue, we noted that new member Sara Morgan, founder and CEO of Eleven Eleven PR, made the Washington Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Awards list. But so did Daniella Senior, founder of Colada Shop, Serenata and Zumo, among other accomplishments. Many congrats to both!
Sausage success: Debbie Moser, president of Meatcrafters, reports that the company’s charcuterie products are now sold in 150 Giant stores throughout the DMV and Eastern Shore.
On August 12, Leni Sorensen spent a “wonderful evening” at her house with eight dinner guests and a film crew. The occasion? They were filming a documentary about Black women who are game changers in culinary history. It’ll be released in 2024, so stay tuned.
Member News - July 2023
Super exciting news for Najmieh Batmanglij, who teamed up with Christopher Morgan (former co-executive chef of Michelin-starred Maydan) plus restaurateur/investor Reza Farahini to open Joon, an upscale Persian restaurant in Tysons, Va. in mid-June. Najmieh, a cookbook author, cooking teacher and restaurant consultant, is a widely known expert on her native cuisine. The opening created quite a splash; for more information, read the articles in Arlington Magazine, Northern Virginia Magazine, and Washingtonian.
I scream, you scream, we all scream for Carolyn Crow, whose ice cream podcast was just selected by EarBuds Podcast Collective as one of five top food review podcasts. Carolyn and her husband, Marcello Goldberger, host the Sundae Funday program, rating a different ice cream flavor each episode. Listen to it on Spotify or everywhere you like to get podcasts.
Woo-hoo to Lani Furbank, who was one of four recipients of LDEI’s new Scholarships for Impactful Change. The $5,000 scholarship will support Lani’s tuition at the Culinary Institute of America, where she’s been accepted into the Sustainable Food Systems graduate program, the only graduate program approaching sustainability from a culinary lens. Lani tells us that the program “will build on my food journalism career, my nonprofit communications experience, and my passion for sustainability to help me gain expertise in advocacy and policy. I hope to use the degree to develop and lead grassroots campaigns to advocate for systems change and sustainable solutions.”
Dames gathered at Ris in the West End to help Ris Lacoste celebrate her honor of receiving the 2023 Duke Zeibert Capital Achievement Award from the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington.
Congrats to Sara Morgan, who made the 2023 Washington Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Awards list. According to the WBJ, the list honors a group of young leaders who are judged on their professional accomplishments, community leadership, and awards and milestones. Sara, a new member, is the founder and CEO of Eleven Eleven PR.
Member News - June 2023
Susan Barocas, launched her SavorExperience.com business’ first overseas tour in May with a Sephardic food-and-Ladino-music-filled trip to Greece and Turkey. Bonnie Benwick joined the group for the Istanbul leg, which included Susan’s class at a professional culinary academy, a night on the Bosphorus, a guided street food day, visits to ancient synagogues, the bazaars, Hagia Sophia, and the Blue Mosque. Brava, Susan!
Congrats to the grad: Jessica Botta graduated on May 19 with a Master of Arts in Food Studies from New York University.
Kim Bryden’s company, Cureate, which helps small, local food and beverage businesses achieve their visions, is hosting a Made in Maryland Vendor Fair at the Baltimore Convention Center on Thursday, June 22 from 1 to 4 p.m. “I’d love to invite the LDE community of potential food service/retail buyers, resource partners, and/or media to attend,” writes Kim. “It's free, and it's specifically designed to foster more sales and business connections in our food community.” Here's the registration link.
Last month, Johanna Mendelson Forman joined host Mitchell Davis of the Galilee Culinary Institute’s What’s Burning podcast series to provide an understanding of gastrodiplomacy, social gastronomy and the paradoxical power food has to both create and resolve conflicts. Listen to it here.
Le Chef’s Wife food blogger Anina Belle Giannini and her husband Sebastien were featured in a May 3 Washington Post article entitled “Two French Gourmets, One Petite Kitchen.” “I love that the writer shared how we, a family of foodies, cook and entertain from a small kitchen,” reports Anina Belle. “My kids had so much fun being in the article too!”
Dames trifecta: After several delays due to paper shortages and other issues related to Covid, Paula Jacobson, Alba Johnson and Sheilah Kaufman’s book collaboration, “Flavors of the Maghreb & Southern Italy: Recipes from the Land of the Setting Sun” has finally been published. A region of North Africa, the Maghreb included Spain, Sicily and Malta in ancient times, and before the Arab conquest, the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Italians, and French colonized the area, each leaving influences that created a multicultural cuisine. The book features the region’s colorful, aromatic foods, including over 100 recipes such as Crostini with Dill and Pecorino, Spicy Cauliflower Minestra, and Lamb Chops in Dried Fig Sauce.
House warming wishes to Cary Kelly and her husband Kevin, who sold their Alexandria home of 28 years and purchased a waterfront condo in Fells Point. Fortunately, this means she remains a member of our chapter. Cary is looking forward to meeting and engaging the Baltimore Dames and exploring the vibrant food scene of Charm City.
Nation’s Restaurant News featured a story on May 16 about Micheline and Catherine Mendelsohn’s announcement of a new president of their Sunnyside Restaurant Group. Industry veteran Michael Sternberg will oversee operations of the family company’s 14 restaurants as well as expansion efforts.
Member News - May 2023
Last month, a number of our amazing members spoke at the Black Women in Food Summit in Washington D.C. Carla Hall gave the opening address. Mary Blackford of Market 7 and Tambra Raye Stevenson of WANDA were panelists on the WANDA-sponsored “Black Women Fighting for Food Freedom for All,” sharing strategies from farm to health that shift the narrative, center Black food culture, and create generational health through food policy and building local food economies. Sommelier Nadine Brown participated in “Sip on This: Making Moves on Wine and Spirits Industry,” a panel about the strides and contributions Black women are making in the alcoholic beverage industry, and Tonya Thomas of H3irloom Food Group, was part of “Match Made in Heaven?,” a discussion that explored the different types of partnerships and collaborations that Black women food business owners have made. And then, near the end of the day. Aba Kwawu, founder and president of TAA PR, had a Fireside Chat with Fawn Weaver, serial entrepreneur, author and CEO of Grant Sidney, Inc. and Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey. Side note: Tambra successfully defended her dissertation proposal at American University School of Communication and is now a PhD candidate. Her research focuses on a sense of belonging in online communities to improve Black women's health.
The LDEI Spring 2023 Quarterly included lots of great content written by and about our members. On page 12, Sheila Crye wrote about The Edna Lewis Menu Trial, created by Orange County, Virginia, in honor of the 50th anniversary of Lewis’ first cookbook. On page 13, a feature by Ellen Kanner goes into detail about happy hour meet-ups, including our own Dames Who Drink group. There are quotes from Aviva Goldfarb, acknowledgement of Holly Barzyk and Erinn Tucker-Oluwole’s contributions, and a photo, too. And while you’re at it, check out write-ups about our chapter in Chapter Programs (page 30) and Member Milestones (page 35).
Photographer Laura Chase de Formigny is “so incredibly excited to announce” that her work was selected to appear online as part of The AI-AP Archive at ai-ap.com. Two of her images were selected from over 7000 submissions this year, according to LC. The AI (American Illustration) and AP (American Photography) Archive is a comprehensive gallery of current and past jury-selected images representing a who’s who of the industry’s most talented artists and creatives, says the website.
Well-deserved kudos go to Ris Lacoste, who was named on April 26 as the recipient of the 2023 Duke Zeibert Capital Achievement Award by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington. “One of the most respected and dedicated chefs in the region, Lacoste has earned a reputation built on genuine hospitality, mentoring the next generation of industry workers, and a true love for her team members and the guests she serves. Diners adore her use of high-quality ingredients, bold innovative techniques, and food that is both familiar and delicious," read the RAMW press release. The award, named in honor of legendary Washington restaurateur Duke Zeibert, is one of the awards presented during the upcoming RAMMY Awards season.
Many congrats to Sophia Maroon, who just celebrated the 11th anniversary of her company, Dress It Up Dressing. And…“drumroll please,” writes Sophia, “we’re about to launch nationally at Whole Foods!”
In late March, culinary historian/writer/consultant Leni Sorensen gave three food-related talks at Virginia Tech. For one of them, a talk about Chef Edna Lewis, Leni (third from left) and a group of students prepared several pans of Lewis' fabulous bread pudding. “Delicious,” Leni reports. She’ll be doing more cooking on Juneteenth, this time over an open fire, while discussing the foods of the enslaved community at an antebellum plantation, President James Madison’s Montpelier. She’ll be one of many presenters at the all-day event on Saturday, June 17, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Here’s more info.
But before that, our chapter will be featuring Leni in an online presentation, “Juneteenth: Food as a Form of Celebration.” Look for an email soon about this June 1 chapter program.
Member News - April 2023
"Fresh and Flavorful for Passover" was the theme of this March’s Passover cooking class led by Susan Barocas and Bonnie Benwick at the Hill Center on Capitol Hill. Susan taught two Sephardic dishes–apyo, which is celeriac and carrots in a dill-lemon-olive oil sauce, and anchusa, a spinach and onion casserole. Bonnie led the preparation of brown-braised fennel and pomegranate poached pears.
Also at the Hill Center, Lizette Corro took this photo of Alison Ricketts, Janet Cam and Jodi Lehr, who were among the participants at Janet’s food and wine pairing class, “Inspired Wine Pairing with an Exquisite Chinese Cuisine Feast” on March 19. Two Madeiras–an exploration outside of the commonly held ideas of wine suggestions with Chinese food–were paired with the celebratory dishes of Janet’s mother and grandmother: Steamed 8 Jewel Duck, Daikon Boiled with Oyster Sauce and Scallion Garnish, and Festival Fried Rice.
Check out this timely article written by Johanna Mendelson Forman in Inkstick, entitled “Dining Under the Drones in Ukraine: One year into war with Russia, Ukranians continue to go to restaurants in their cities in a powerful demonstration of a will to survive.” Johanna traveled to Ukraine prior to the war in the fall of 2021 at the invitation of Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Funding was provided by the U.S. Department of State through the Arts Envoy Program. In the article she is pictured with Yurii Kovryzhenko, Chef-Ambassador for the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine.
That was Ellen Kanner, doing a cooking demo and tasting of these coconut mignardises with 800 attendees at F&B@Sea, the first-ever dedicated conference for the cruise industry's F&B sector. It was held at the end of March in Fort Lauderdale.
Ana Reyes and Daniella Senior had the honor of spending the afternoon at the White House for the Small Business Administration’s Second Annual Women’s Business Summit, where President Biden delivered remarks. The summit was “truly an empowering and renewing experience,” Ana wrote on her Facebook page.
Where there’s talk about restaurants, there are Dames, including at the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington’s annual meeting on March 21 at Hook Hall.
After ten years of working as a pastry chef, Jonni Scott is combining her love for food and photography to start a new venture, Jonni Scott Photography. She’ll be offering food and product photography as well as social media management services.
Greetings from Sarasota: After developing a three-year Zoom, email, text and phone friendship during the pandemic, Carole Sugarman and Judy Rusignuolo met in person for the first time last month. Carole, who lives in Maryland, and dual member Judy, who lives in New Jersey, served together on the Dames Board, and were co-chairs of the 2021-2022 Nominating Committee. The two both happened to be in Sarasota at the same time, and finally had lunch together.
Member News - March 2023
Way to go, Amy Brandwein and Daniella Senior, who were named to the Department of State’s American Culinary Corps, a network of more than 80 of the United States’ influential chefs and culinary professionals. According to the government’s website, the chefs participate in programs and events on behalf of the Department of State in the United States and abroad to foster cross-cultural exchange. The chefs were honored at a ceremony at the Department of State on February 9, attended by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the Foreign Diplomatic Corps and others.
Congrats to Mary Blackford and Erinn Tucker-Oluwole, who were honored by the Washington Business Journal with a Diversity in Business Award. The awards, which celebrate diversity and inclusion in the workforce and honor inspiring leaders of color, will be presented on March 23 at the Four Seasons Hotel.
Janet Cam and Bonnie Benwick spent a February afternoon and evening with Chef Gerard Pangaud, serving as kitchen assistants for one of his wine-pairing dinners at Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital in DC. They helped prepare and serve a four-course menu that included his signature squab and lobster dish, and a mango tarte tatin with passion fruit sauce.
The latest scoop: Carolyn Crow and her husband Marcello Goldberger are launching and hosting a family-friendly ice cream review podcast called Sundae Funday. “We hope to help dessert lovers of all ages make mindful choices in the ice cream aisle, but mostly our mission is to have fun and eat treats!’ says Carolyn. The trailer is out now, and the first episode premieres on Monday, March 6. Any Dames with suggestions of brands and flavors to feature, or who are experts in ice cream and desserts and are interested in being a guest on the show can email Carolyn at [email protected] or message her on Instagram.
Yes, that was our own Anina Belle Giannini on the Today Show on February 9 with her husband Sebastien Giannini, making French onion soup and dark chocolate lava cakes. Anina Belle tells us that “being on the Today Show was an absolutely surreal experience. It really hit me when I walked into studio 1A and saw the crowd in the Plaza waving at me. I still can't get over it!”
Vickie Reh, Jodi Lehr, and Jill Collins toasted Linda Roth's landmark birthday on February 11 at Truluck's restaurant in DC. Happy Belated Landmark Birthday, Linda!
Founded by Janet Yu in 1996, Hollywood East Cafe in the Westfield Montgomery Mall has been “renowned for decades,” says an article in the February 2 DC Eater, which listed Janet’s Hong Kong-style dim sum spot as one of its 23 Essential Chinese Restaurants in D.C.
Congratulations DC Regional Chapter! Click here to view the certificate of Appreciation for fulfilling our Brock Circle pledge!
Member News - February 2023
How to nourish your mental health was the topic discussed by Mary Beth Albright, author of Eat & Flourish: How Food Supports Emotional Well Being, at a Smithsonian Associates Zoom program on January 18. Mary Beth was joined in conversation with Carla Hall as they discussed the connection between food and mood.
Jill Collins was honored at a reception at her client, Carmine’s, on January 15 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Jill Collins Public Relations Group, Inc. Among the friends and colleagues who stopped by was LDE-DC President Linda Roth. Johanna Mendelson Forman, adjunct professor of Conflict Cuisine at the School of International Service at American University, wrote an interesting commentary in Inkstick about the gastrodiplomacy of Turkish coffee. Check it out here.
Mazel tov to Lori Gardner and her husband Todd, who welcomed their fourth grandchild to the family. Granddaughter Nico Bloom Gardner-Barak was born on January 12.
In the Daily Meal’s “12 Best Italian Sausage Brands You Need to Try,” Debra Moser’s MeatCrafters’’ company placed not once, but twice. The food and beverage website picked the Landover, Maryland firm’s spicy Italian and sweet Italian sausages as two of the best.
Regional Sales Manager Cindy Selby recently found out that she ranks eighth in the world (!) at her employer, RATIONAL, an international manufacturer and retailer of professional kitchen appliances. The criteria include sales, growth over the past year, and participation in live demonstrations. “I’m very excited!” Cindy reports.
A big wow to pastry chef and social justice activist Paola Velez, who made the Food Network’s “hot list” of stars to watch in 2023. Paola was one of only nine culinary celebs to make the cut; the write-up noted that “her food videos will have you DROOLING!”
Member News - January 2023
Susan Barocas is working on two new exciting food projects. The first, in partnership with singer Sarah Aroeste, is Savor: A Sephardic Music & Food Experience. The project includes songs in Ladino/Judeo-Spanish about food, cooking videos by chefs around the world, programs, classes, concerts and in May, a gourmet food and music cruise from Athens to Istanbul. Savor was created to present and preserve the history, culture and cuisine of the Jews of Spain and Portugal, including Susan and Sarah's ancestors, who were forced to leave in the 15th century by the Inquisition. More information about the project is here. In February, Susan is a featured presenter at the inaugural B'teavon, a four-day culinary exploration through the tastes, history, diversity and connections of all things related to Jewish food culture, to be held at a camp/retreat center outside Atlanta. More information can be found here.
Jill Collins and Erinn Tucker-Oluwole hit the opening of the Royal Sands Social Club, the huge Florida-themed restaurant/bar in the Navy Yard that Washingtonian Magazine described as “one big pool party.” The owners are longtime clients of PR rep Jill. Speaking of which, the Jill Collins Public Relations Group celebrates its 30th anniversary this month. Many congrats Jill!
After three years in house with a Latina-owned vegan restaurant group based in Philadelphia, restaurant marketing and PR specialist Aviva Goldfarb has returned to working with local clients, particularly those owned by women and people of color. Olivia Macaron, a Latina-owned bakery with locations in Georgetown and Tysons Corner, is one of those clients--a treat for Aviva, who started eating a primarily plant-based diet about a year ago. The shop has started selling vegan macarons.
Jonni Scott is baking for change again, this time leading a DC Bakers Box project that will raise money for the Very Asian Foundation Creators Fund. The fund will be administered by the nonprofit Very Asian Foundation, whose mission is to shine a light on Asian experiences through advocacy and celebration. Unique sweets in the bake sale will include Jonni’s Addictive Taiwanese Snowflake Crisps, Lani Furbank’s Auspicious Miso Peanut Butter Cookies, plus creations from about a dozen other local chefs and bakers. The Bakers Boxes will be available for pick-up on January 14 at Sababa restaurant in Cleveland Park; for more information about the fundraiser, click here.
Last month, Tambra Raye Stevenson spoke on how food democracy matters to the food is medicine movement at the Salamander Hotel in DC as part of the Milken Institute’s Future of Health Summit. Moderated by NPR’s Allison Aubrey, Tambra shared the panel with speakers from Instacart, ProMedica, and the White House. Here’s the post she penned for Milken’s “Power of Ideas” blog. Watch the recording here. In this photo, Tambra (right) is at the summit with Catherine Oakar (left), Special Assistant to the President for Public Health and Disparities at The White House.
Member News - December 2022
Chicken coconut curry, vegetarian curry, rice, cabbage, salad and applesauce. That’s the menu Executive Chef Cheryl Bell was cooking and coordinating in a November 23 article in The Washington Post about Miriam’s Kitchen. The organization provides housing support and weekday breakfast and dinner to homeless citizens in Washington D.C.
Susan Callahan, an instructor in Delaware Technical Community College’s Culinary Arts program, is also a quilter extraordinaire. Here she is with “Crab Feast,” her 72x70-inch quilt that premiered at an international exhibit in Houston last month. “This is an homage to my favorite painting, ‘Luncheon of the Boating Party,’ by Pierre-Auguste Renoir,” writes Susan. In other exciting news, Susan’s culinary students were invited to the White House this fall to meet First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, a former faculty member at Del Tech. Students also received a tour of the White House and met the culinary staff.
As part of her trip to Jordan last month, Johanna Mendelson Forman prepared magloubeh (a molded dish of meat, eggplant, rice and spices) with women at the Iraq Al-Amir Women’s Cooperative Association. Johanna was in Amman speaking about gastrodiplomacy at the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts for the State Department’s Arts Envoy Program.
So happy to hear about Nancy Piho’s fabulous recovery; she had a seven-hour heart operation in October at the Cleveland Clinic to repair her mitral valve. During the Thanksgiving holiday, she visited Rome and Venice with her family. Bravo! A final note from Nancy: “Please remember to talk to your doctor about heart disease, as symptoms are so easy to miss!”
Linda Roth visited family (ex-pats) in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico in November, just in time to enjoy the city’s Festival Internacional de Jazz & Blues as well as delicious hometown favorites, including this beautiful presentation of two-tone gazpacho soup, with tiny melon balls, and crushed croutons. It was at the Rosewood Hotel, where every dish comes with a spectacular presentation.
Maryland Governor-elect Wes Moore and his campaign team celebrated their win with a private brunch at Khepera's Kitchen on Friday, November 11. In October, chef and owner Taueret Thomas celebrated her six-year anniversary of the 20-seat Baltimore cafe, which offers personal chef services and weekend-only brunch. Way to go Taueret!
Congrats to Toni Tipton-Martin for being one of the five winners of the 2022 IACP Members of the Year Award. Also, according to Toni’s Facebook, she recently moved (from Baltimore). “It’s official: We are Texans again! Let’s just say we’re within driving distance of everyone!” she wrote.
Our hearts go out to Jessica van Dop DeJesus, on the passing of her mother, Lydia Aponte DeJesus, shortly before Thanksgiving. In this essay that appeared in The Inquirer soon after her death, Jessica writes beautifully about her family’s Thanksgiving traditions and her mom’s arroz con gandules. “I’m so proud I was able to honor her,” Jessica told us.
Northern Virginia Magazine called it “one of the most disarmingly romantic dining experiences in NoVA," and the smoked tomato fettuccine “one of the best pasta dishes in the region.” Those are among the accolades for Juste Zidelyte’s Maple Ave Restaurant, which was named as one of the top 10 restaurants in Northern Virginia in the magazine’s 50 best restaurant list for 2022. “It's especially meaningful and personal because Ricardo (my work/life partner) and I are the only current employees - an extremely reassuring achievement,” Juste said.
Member News - November 2022
Well-deserved kudos go to Gladys Abi-Najm and her family for being among the honorees at the Rene Moawad Foundation’s (RMF) Gala Dinner on November 16 at the Ritz-Carlton Washington D.C. Gladys’ family, who started Lebanese Taverna restaurants more than 40 years ago, will be given the Outstanding Community Service Award by RMF, whose mission is to promote peace, stability and prosperity in Lebanon. The Abi-Najm’s immigrated from Lebanon to the U.S. in 1976, and as their restaurant holdings have grown, they’ve focused on giving back to the community, participating in more than 100 events and donating to more than 1,000 organizations a year.
A highlight of Lori Gardner’s 17-day tour of Japan last month was an exquisite kaiseki dinner at Tsurutokame restaurant in Tokyo. Everyone on the staff, both in and out of the kitchen, are women, which is very unique in Japan, Lori said. (The restaurant is owned by a husband and wife team.)
Here’s to Nancy Hart Trice and her Gunther & Co. restaurant for being named the best venue for hosting a wedding rehearsal dinner, according to a Baltimore Weddings magazine’s readers’ poll. Nancy’s restaurant, which has a large variety of event spaces, is located in the Brewer’s Hill section of Baltimore.
This month, Johanna Mendelson Forman will be speaking about gastrodiplomacy at the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts in Amman as part of the State Department’s Arts Envoy Program. In addition, she’ll be giving a lecture entitled “Feeding Nine-Billion People: Food Security and Beyond” at the Columbia University Middle East Center, also in Jordan.
After two years of working as the corporate pastry chef at Itaberco, a dessert ingredient company in Stevensville, Maryland, Jonni Scott is moving on. “I am not entirely sure what I want to do next,” she tells us. “I hope that I can find something food industry adjacent— whether that’s getting into marketing, event planning, PR, food photography, or even something that I don’t know exists yet! I love restaurants, and I love pastry— but I am looking for the next chapter in my career.”
Tambra Raye Stevenson will participate in "A Seat at the Table: A Conversation about Food Equity,” a program hosted by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) where attendees will share dinner and consider challenging questions about race, identity, and economic justice. Tambra will join other panelists to discuss food sovereignty in urban areas like Washington D.C. and how black communities navigate and resist unequal food distribution systems. After the presentation, audience members can share their stories and ideas in a workshop activity. Friday, November 4, 6:45 to 9 p.m., Heritage Hall, NMAAHC, 1400 Constitution Ave. NW Washington D.C. For more information, click here.
Member News - October 2022
On September 27, Cheryl Bell, executive chef at Miriam’s Kitchen, had some new assistants: The cast and crew of the show “Hamilton,” who helped her and her team prepare and serve dinner to 200 guests. Among its programs to end chronic homelessness, Miriam’s Kitchen serves restaurant-quality breakfasts and dinners Monday through Friday. And among the cast members pitching in were Marcus Choi (center in hat, gray shirt) who portrays George Washington in the production, currently playing at the Kennedy Center. The nonprofit organization is a client of Jill Collins of Jill Collins Public Relations Group, pictured here with Cheryl during the cooking preparations.
More about Anina Belle Giannini, director of public relations at the Four Seasons Hotel, and founder of Le Chef’s Wife, a French food blog: She’s one of the elegantly-attired Dynamic Women featured in the September issue of Modern Luxury DC Magazine. Anina Belle’s quote, which accompanies her photo and bio: “Leaning into change instead of resisting it is one of the most powerful things you can do as a woman.”
In honor of the 100th anniversary of Better Homes & Gardens, four celebrity chefs shared their favorite special occasion cake recipes, which graced the covers of the magazine’s September double issue. (When it was launched in 1922, it was called Fruit, Garden & Home, and largely covered gardening; by 1928, it had a first-of-its-kind “taste-testing kitchen.”) Among the celebratory cake recipes is none other than Carla Hall’s Gingerbread Cake with Lemon Cream. Here’s the recipe, and also a link to an interesting CBS Sunday Morning segment about the history of the magazine, and the photo shoot that included Carla’s contribution.
Beautiful piece by Kristen Hartke in the September 20 Washington Post about Brother Victor-Antoine d’Avila-Latourrette, a Benedictine monk and cookbook author who is now in a nursing home in Rhinebeck, New York. “In a world where we are obsessed with the false promises of clicks and likes, this story is about how a community was built, slowly, lovingly, over bowls of soup in a Hudson Valley monastery tucked away from the hustle and bustle of modern life,” Kristen wrote on her Facebook page.
Big career news for Kathy Hollinger, who stepped into a new job on October 3 as CEO of the Greater Washington Partnership, a civic alliance of the region’s business leaders aimed at advancing inclusive growth. Kathy served as president and CEO of the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) for a decade. Read the Partnership’s press release that details Kathy’s accomplishments and describes the goals of the organization.
From left, Nadine Brown, Jody Lehr, Kathy Hollinger and Erinn Tucker-Oluwole on the rooftop of RAMW headquarters after Kathy’s last board meeting on September 19. Nadine and Erinn are members of the RAMW Board; Jody is a RAMW member.
The results of the 2022 M.F.K. Fisher Prizes for Excellence in Culinary Media Content are in, and Pati Jinich takes home second prize and $2,000 for her “La Frontera with Pati Jinich” TV series on PBS Broadcasting. The series can be seen here. The judges also recognized “Five Works of Distinction'' for their overall excellence, and kudos to Linda Joyce Forristal for one of those honors. Her article “A Butcher Shop with Wild Dreams/Dreaming Wild,” appeared in The Epoch Times. For a full listing of the winners, click here.
After a decade of offering specialty foods and cookware to DMV customers, Cary Kelly closed her Arlington-based shop The Cookery this past April to explore new ventures. These days, she can be found blogging at caryinthekitchen.com; cooking in her kitchen on Alexandria’s ZebraTV monthly cooking show; and doing freelance food writing for Alexandria Stylebook and Zebra Press online. Less time in retail means more time in the kitchen. Cary was recently featured in Alexandria Stylebook.
Joan Nathan moderated a conversation with Michael Twitty on September 22 at the Weitzman National Museum of Jewish History in Philadelphia. Twitty, author of the new book, Koshersoul: The Faith and Food Journey of an African American Jew, spoke with Joan about the crossroads of Jewish and African diasporic cuisines and the related issues of memory, identity and food. “It went great!” reports Joan.
When Linda Roth was in Los Angeles last month attending the Emmy Awards Gala following the awards ceremony (her nephew, Austin Roth, was nominated for Sound Mixing for “Euphoria”), she met Sherry Yard, a member of Les Dames’ LA/Orange County chapter. Sherry was one of the select chefs asked to prepare dishes (in this case, desserts) for the guests. Pictured here, the Emmy for Best Desserts went to: Apollonia-infused Espresso Affogato with Vanilla Gelato and Triple Sweet Cream; Kokoleka Chocolate Banana Beignet with Smoky Salted Butterscotch Sauce.
Exciting update from Julia Rutland, who recently had two new cookbooks published: Eggs: 50 Tried & True Recipes (Adventure Publications) and The Christmas Movie Cookbook (Simon Element). Julia tells us that the Christmas book, which was produced much further in advance, involved very different research from any other project: She had to watch more than 65 movies to come up with a recipe that appeared in or at least was inspired by each film. “There are some sweet and tender movies, some action-packed, some animated, some funny, and some bawdy and adult-only. There are a few foreign films…and there are a few that are downright weird–like the British teen musical about zombies at Christmas. But that was part of the fun,” says Julia.
Tonya Thomas, executive pastry chef and partner of H3irloom Food Group in Baltimore, was selected as one of the fellows to participate in the Women’s Entrepreneurial Program (WEL), an initiative of the James Beard Foundation. Run in conjunction with Cornell University, WEL aims to support women food industry entrepreneurs and restaurant owners in order to grow their careers and scale their businesses, according to the September announcement. This year’s program will include sessions on negotiating, design thinking, business and financial models, business funding, and more. Here’s more info about WEL.
Ann Yonkers was awarded one of this year’s LDEI Women of Purpose Growth Grants, given in partnership with YETI to four Dames who are making a difference in their communities. Ann is co-founder of FRESHFARM, which helps create a more resilient, equitable and sustainable food future through producer-only farmers markets, hands-on gardening and cooking classes and food distribution program, according to LDEI’s announcement. The $2,500 grant will enable FRESHFARM to start a monthly farm stand at one of its newest Washington D.C. partner schools, Whittier Elementary.
Meanwhile, Ann, Nora Pouillon and Lizette Corro are on the event committee for the FRESHFARM 2022 Feast, the farm-to-table party celebrating 25 years of the organization’s achievements. It’ll take place on Wednesday, October 19 at 6 p.m. at the Potomac View Terrace, 2215 Constitution Ave. NW and will feature artisanal cocktails and small plates crafted from D.C.’s top chefs including Amy Brandwein. For more info, click here.
On September 27, Cheryl Bell, executive chef at Miriam’s Kitchen, had some new assistants: The cast and crew of the show “Hamilton,” who helped her and her team prepare and serve dinner to 200 guests. Among its programs to end chronic homelessness, Miriam’s Kitchen serves restaurant-quality breakfasts and dinners Monday through Friday. And among the cast members pitching in were Marcus Choi (center in hat, gray shirt) who portrays George Washington in the production, currently playing at the Kennedy Center. The nonprofit organization is a client of Jill Collins of Jill Collins Public Relations Group, pictured here with Cheryl during the cooking preparations.
More about Anina Belle Giannini, director of public relations at the Four Seasons Hotel, and founder of Le Chef’s Wife, a French food blog: She’s one of the elegantly-attired Dynamic Women featured in the September issue of Modern Luxury DC Magazine. Anina Belle’s quote, which accompanies her photo and bio: “Leaning into change instead of resisting it is one of the most powerful things you can do as a woman.”
In honor of the 100th anniversary of Better Homes & Gardens, four celebrity chefs shared their favorite special occasion cake recipes, which graced the covers of the magazine’s September double issue. (When it was launched in 1922, it was called Fruit, Garden & Home, and largely covered gardening; by 1928, it had a first-of-its-kind “taste-testing kitchen.”) Among the celebratory cake recipes is none other than Carla Hall’s Gingerbread Cake with Lemon Cream. Here’s the recipe, and also a link to an interesting CBS Sunday Morning segment about the history of the magazine, and the photo shoot that included Carla’s contribution.
Beautiful piece by Kristen Hartke in the September 20 Washington Post about Brother Victor-Antoine d’Avila-Latourrette, a Benedictine monk and cookbook author who is now in a nursing home in Rhinebeck, New York. “In a world where we are obsessed with the false promises of clicks and likes, this story is about how a community was built, slowly, lovingly, over bowls of soup in a Hudson Valley monastery tucked away from the hustle and bustle of modern life,” Kristen wrote on her Facebook page.
Big career news for Kathy Hollinger, who stepped into a new job on October 3 as CEO of the Greater Washington Partnership, a civic alliance of the region’s business leaders aimed at advancing inclusive growth. Kathy served as president and CEO of the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) for a decade. Read the Partnership’s press release that details Kathy’s accomplishments and describes the goals of the organization.
From left, Nadine Brown, Jody Lehr, Kathy Hollinger and Erinn Tucker-Oluwole on the rooftop of RAMW headquarters after Kathy’s last board meeting on September 19. Nadine and Erinn are members of the RAMW Board; Jody is a RAMW member.
The results of the 2022 M.F.K. Fisher Prizes for Excellence in Culinary Media Content are in, and Pati Jinich takes home second prize and $2,000 for her “La Frontera with Pati Jinich” TV series on PBS Broadcasting. The series can be seen here. The judges also recognized “Five Works of Distinction'' for their overall excellence, and kudos to Linda Joyce Forristal for one of those honors. Her article “A Butcher Shop with Wild Dreams/Dreaming Wild,” appeared in The Epoch Times. For a full listing of the winners, click here.
After a decade of offering specialty foods and cookware to DMV customers, Cary Kelly closed her Arlington-based shop The Cookery this past April to explore new ventures. These days, she can be found blogging at caryinthekitchen.com; cooking in her kitchen on Alexandria’s ZebraTV monthly cooking show; and doing freelance food writing for Alexandria Stylebook and Zebra Press online. Less time in retail means more time in the kitchen. Cary was recently featured in Alexandria Stylebook.
Joan Nathan moderated a conversation with Michael Twitty on September 22 at the Weitzman National Museum of Jewish History in Philadelphia. Twitty, author of the new book, Koshersoul: The Faith and Food Journey of an African American Jew, spoke with Joan about the crossroads of Jewish and African diasporic cuisines and the related issues of memory, identity and food. “It went great!” reports Joan.
When Linda Roth was in Los Angeles last month attending the Emmy Awards Gala following the awards ceremony (her nephew, Austin Roth, was nominated for Sound Mixing for “Euphoria”), she met Sherry Yard, a member of Les Dames’ LA/Orange County chapter. Sherry was one of the select chefs asked to prepare dishes (in this case, desserts) for the guests. Pictured here, the Emmy for Best Desserts went to: Apollonia-infused Espresso Affogato with Vanilla Gelato and Triple Sweet Cream; Kokoleka Chocolate Banana Beignet with Smoky Salted Butterscotch Sauce.
Exciting update from Julia Rutland, who recently had two new cookbooks published: Eggs: 50 Tried & True Recipes (Adventure Publications) and The Christmas Movie Cookbook (Simon Element). Julia tells us that the Christmas book, which was produced much further in advance, involved very different research from any other project: She had to watch more than 65 movies to come up with a recipe that appeared in or at least was inspired by each film. “There are some sweet and tender movies, some action-packed, some animated, some funny, and some bawdy and adult-only. There are a few foreign films…and there are a few that are downright weird–like the British teen musical about zombies at Christmas. But that was part of the fun,” says Julia.
Tonya Thomas, executive pastry chef and partner of H3irloom Food Group in Baltimore, was selected as one of the fellows to participate in the Women’s Entrepreneurial Program (WEL), an initiative of the James Beard Foundation. Run in conjunction with Cornell University, WEL aims to support women food industry entrepreneurs and restaurant owners in order to grow their careers and scale their businesses, according to the September announcement. This year’s program will include sessions on negotiating, design thinking, business and financial models, business funding, and more. Here’s more info about WEL.
Ann Yonkers was awarded one of this year’s LDEI Women of Purpose Growth Grants, given in partnership with YETI to four Dames who are making a difference in their communities. Ann is co-founder of FRESHFARM, which helps create a more resilient, equitable and sustainable food future through producer-only farmers markets, hands-on gardening and cooking classes and food distribution program, according to LDEI’s announcement. The $2,500 grant will enable FRESHFARM to start a monthly farm stand at one of its newest Washington D.C. partner schools, Whittier Elementary.
Meanwhile, Ann, Nora Pouillon and Lizette Corro are on the event committee for the FRESHFARM 2022 Feast, the farm-to-table party celebrating 25 years of the organization’s achievements. It’ll take place on Wednesday, October 19 at 6 p.m. at the Potomac View Terrace, 2215 Constitution Ave. NW and will feature artisanal cocktails and small plates crafted from D.C.’s top chefs including Amy Brandwein. For more info, click here.
Our New Honorary Member!
Super exciting news: The board has awarded an honorary membership to Stephanie Hersh, Julia Child’s full-time personal executive assistant from 1989 to 2004. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America with a Masters in Gastronomy from Boston University, Stephanie has worked in restaurants, run a pastry/catering business and taught cooking classes. In 2016, she joined the culinary instructor team onboard Oceania Cruise Lines. We are thrilled to welcome Stephanie, who we hope will attend events as well as do her best to generate them, and also spread the word about our chapter as she sails the world.
Super exciting news: The board has awarded an honorary membership to Stephanie Hersh, Julia Child’s full-time personal executive assistant from 1989 to 2004. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America with a Masters in Gastronomy from Boston University, Stephanie has worked in restaurants, run a pastry/catering business and taught cooking classes. In 2016, she joined the culinary instructor team onboard Oceania Cruise Lines. We are thrilled to welcome Stephanie, who we hope will attend events as well as do her best to generate them, and also spread the word about our chapter as she sails the world.
Member News - September 2022
Kudos to Najmieh Batmanglij for the August 30 release of “Persian Cooking for Dummies.” “I’ve long admired this series and I’m honored Wiley asked me to write this book so that my 40 years of cooking knowledge and techniques will now be available for any and everyone,” Najmieh wrote on social media.
Mary Blackford was among those featured in a July article in The Washington Post about the efforts of Black entrepreneurs to alleviate food deserts in the District’s Wards 7 and 8. Mary is working to open Market 7, a food hall on Benning Road NE that will showcase eight Black-owned businesses.
Check out this write-up in the August 30 DC Eater about the expansion of Amy Brandwein’s Piccolina in CityCenter DC. Amy doubled the size of her Italian cafe and added new food and drink offerings as well.
Washingtonian did a piece last month about sommelier Nadine Brown’s cool new project, “Re-Imagining Wine,” a series of events and tastings that will pair wine with Caribbean, Laotian, Philippine and other cuisines. At the first dinner, which took place on August 15, Nadine worked with Trinidadian chef Peter Prime at the Caribbean restaurant Bammy’s in the Navy Yard. “The dinner was a huge success,” Nadine reports. “The series is about building community by bringing divergent peoples together around a table and highlighting chefs and international cuisines around the region.
Susan Callahan has accepted a position as an adjunct professor at Delaware Technical Community College in Dover. She’ll be teaching American Regional Cuisine, and the food produced in the class will be sold in the student dining room. “This class, by the way, is one of my favorites,” reports Susan.
We learned lots of fun stuff about Anina Belle Giannini, one of three food bloggers interviewed in an article in District Fray Magazine (i.e. she grew up on an organic farm in British Columbia with 20,000 peach trees; she’s lived in five countries; roast chicken is her signature dish). There’s more about Anina in a June piece in Virginia Living (including her recipes for branzino, salade nicoise and homemade baguettes for beginners).
Our own Ice Cream Lady Rabia Kamara, owner of Ruby Scoops in Richmond’s Northside, was featured in a July 14 article in Food & Wine. According to the write-up, Rabia signed a seven-year lease for a new 3,700-square foot shop, also in the same Richmond neighborhood.
This just in: George Washington University's School of Media and Public Affairs announced on August 31 that Katherine Miller has been named a 2022-23 Terker Distinguished Fellow. A leading voice in helping socially responsible companies address the world's most pressing problems, Katherine will be participating in class discussions, student lunches and public events throughout the year, according to the announcement. Read more about the honor here.
Tambra Raye Stevenson was featured in NPR and the Food Tank this August in proposing a Food Bill of Rights and representation in the upcoming White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health. Through WANDA, she is conducting a national survey on food democracy, which you can complete.
Hurrah to Erinn Tucker-Oluwole and her July honor–the inaugural Grace Award for outstanding contribution to the culinary landscape of the Washington D.C. region for DMV Black Restaurant Week.
More ice cream news: Paola Velez, pastry chef and co-founder of Bakers Against Racism, worked with Haagen Dazs to create an ice cream sundae that was featured in its scoop shops this summer. Paola’s PB&J Sundae, as described in an article in DC Eater, consisted of Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel ice cream topped with pretzel pieces, a spoonful of jam, and slices of banana. As part of Paola’s partnership with Häagen-Dazs Shops, a portion of the sales proceeds will go to D.C. nonprofit Dreaming Out Loud, which supports underrepresented food entrepreneurs and increases access to healthy food, the article says. And more Paola news: On September 1, she was invited to cook on Selena + Chef, the HBO Max cooking show hosted by Selena Gomez.
Congrats to Ashley Rose Young on her June 4 nuptials in her hometown of Pittsburgh. “My husband Christopher Coutin and I can’t believe how quickly the summer has flown by and we often find ourselves reminiscing about the wedding, including the mouth-watering menu,” writes Ashley, historian for the American Food History Project at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. A few highlights: chilled radish bisque, smoked trout salad, and roasted herb crusted Elysian Fields lamb chops.
Kudos to Najmieh Batmanglij for the August 30 release of “Persian Cooking for Dummies.” “I’ve long admired this series and I’m honored Wiley asked me to write this book so that my 40 years of cooking knowledge and techniques will now be available for any and everyone,” Najmieh wrote on social media.
Mary Blackford was among those featured in a July article in The Washington Post about the efforts of Black entrepreneurs to alleviate food deserts in the District’s Wards 7 and 8. Mary is working to open Market 7, a food hall on Benning Road NE that will showcase eight Black-owned businesses.
Check out this write-up in the August 30 DC Eater about the expansion of Amy Brandwein’s Piccolina in CityCenter DC. Amy doubled the size of her Italian cafe and added new food and drink offerings as well.
Washingtonian did a piece last month about sommelier Nadine Brown’s cool new project, “Re-Imagining Wine,” a series of events and tastings that will pair wine with Caribbean, Laotian, Philippine and other cuisines. At the first dinner, which took place on August 15, Nadine worked with Trinidadian chef Peter Prime at the Caribbean restaurant Bammy’s in the Navy Yard. “The dinner was a huge success,” Nadine reports. “The series is about building community by bringing divergent peoples together around a table and highlighting chefs and international cuisines around the region.
Susan Callahan has accepted a position as an adjunct professor at Delaware Technical Community College in Dover. She’ll be teaching American Regional Cuisine, and the food produced in the class will be sold in the student dining room. “This class, by the way, is one of my favorites,” reports Susan.
We learned lots of fun stuff about Anina Belle Giannini, one of three food bloggers interviewed in an article in District Fray Magazine (i.e. she grew up on an organic farm in British Columbia with 20,000 peach trees; she’s lived in five countries; roast chicken is her signature dish). There’s more about Anina in a June piece in Virginia Living (including her recipes for branzino, salade nicoise and homemade baguettes for beginners).
Our own Ice Cream Lady Rabia Kamara, owner of Ruby Scoops in Richmond’s Northside, was featured in a July 14 article in Food & Wine. According to the write-up, Rabia signed a seven-year lease for a new 3,700-square foot shop, also in the same Richmond neighborhood.
This just in: George Washington University's School of Media and Public Affairs announced on August 31 that Katherine Miller has been named a 2022-23 Terker Distinguished Fellow. A leading voice in helping socially responsible companies address the world's most pressing problems, Katherine will be participating in class discussions, student lunches and public events throughout the year, according to the announcement. Read more about the honor here.
Tambra Raye Stevenson was featured in NPR and the Food Tank this August in proposing a Food Bill of Rights and representation in the upcoming White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health. Through WANDA, she is conducting a national survey on food democracy, which you can complete.
Hurrah to Erinn Tucker-Oluwole and her July honor–the inaugural Grace Award for outstanding contribution to the culinary landscape of the Washington D.C. region for DMV Black Restaurant Week.
More ice cream news: Paola Velez, pastry chef and co-founder of Bakers Against Racism, worked with Haagen Dazs to create an ice cream sundae that was featured in its scoop shops this summer. Paola’s PB&J Sundae, as described in an article in DC Eater, consisted of Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel ice cream topped with pretzel pieces, a spoonful of jam, and slices of banana. As part of Paola’s partnership with Häagen-Dazs Shops, a portion of the sales proceeds will go to D.C. nonprofit Dreaming Out Loud, which supports underrepresented food entrepreneurs and increases access to healthy food, the article says. And more Paola news: On September 1, she was invited to cook on Selena + Chef, the HBO Max cooking show hosted by Selena Gomez.
Congrats to Ashley Rose Young on her June 4 nuptials in her hometown of Pittsburgh. “My husband Christopher Coutin and I can’t believe how quickly the summer has flown by and we often find ourselves reminiscing about the wedding, including the mouth-watering menu,” writes Ashley, historian for the American Food History Project at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. A few highlights: chilled radish bisque, smoked trout salad, and roasted herb crusted Elysian Fields lamb chops.
Member News - July 2022
On July 1, Sheila Crye stepped off the board as recording secretary for Les Dames DC and onto the board as a director for the International Association of Culinary Professionals. At the beginning of the pandemic, Sheila began her term as chair of the IACP Professional Interest Section: Cooking Schools and Teachers, organizing 69 online events during the last two years. She will be leaving this post to assume new responsibilities to benefit association members.
Johanna Mendelson Forman, adjunct professor of Conflict Cuisine at American University’s School of International Service, will be presenting a paper at the Oxford Food Symposium, which runs July 8-10. This year’s theme is portability and Johanna’s paper, “An Army Marches on its Stomach,” discusses the history of Meals Ready-to-Eat (MREs) and their influence on other types of portable foods we take for granted–energy bars, freeze-dried camping food, and even junk foods. The event can be viewed online July 15-31.
Carla Hall and Erinn Tucker-Oluwole are among the participants in the Kennedy Center’s first-ever colloquium celebrating African-American foodways, on Saturday, July 9. The day will involve a discussion about the historic role African Americans have played in the development of our nation’s culinary industry; provide insights about our regional food ecosystem, and spotlight local Black-owned restaurants and DMV Black Restaurant Week. The event, being held in the Kennedy Center’s REACH in the Skylight Pavilion, is a project of award-winning producer, artistic director, composer and cultural curator Nolan Williams, Jr., the creator of the recent musical, “GRACE” at Ford’s Theatre. Admission is free and registration is required, but unfortunately the colloquium is currently sold out.
Member News - June 2022
Kudos to the prolific Pati Jinich for a Gracie Award for her role as executive producer of La Frontera, a PBS culinary travel program focusing on the U.S.-Mexico border. The Gracie Awards are presented by the Alliance for Women in Media.
Congratulations to new member Ashley Rose Young, who will be married on June 4! Because she and her husband will be honeymooning, she will not be with us for the Spring General Membership Meeting.
Kudos to the prolific Pati Jinich for a Gracie Award for her role as executive producer of La Frontera, a PBS culinary travel program focusing on the U.S.-Mexico border. The Gracie Awards are presented by the Alliance for Women in Media.
Congratulations to new member Ashley Rose Young, who will be married on June 4! Because she and her husband will be honeymooning, she will not be with us for the Spring General Membership Meeting.
Member News - May 2022
At the recent Pittsburgh conference of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, Nancy Baggett spoke on the topic of making cookies your business. Nancy's All-American Cookie Book was published shortly after 9/11 and became a big hit when Americans were searching for the ultimate comfort food. Sheila Crye served on the conference planning committee, set up three lunch-time culinary demonstrations, and organized a class on how to shape dumplings from three cuisines–Polish pierogies, Chinese dumplings, and Italian ravioli.
Great expansion news for Angela Chester-Johnson, the founder and CEO of a D.C. spice, tea and sauce company called Plum Good LLC. Angela, who sells her products online, at the Good Food Market, The Fresh Food Factory and to caterers in the DMV, will open a kiosk at BWI Airport (Concourse D) starting May 20. Among the items that will be featured are proprietary spice and tea blends like Gourmet Coffee Rub and Moroccan Morning Tea, hot sauces that promote local taste and culture, and a few culinary knick knacks like tea and spice infusers. In late August, Angela will launch a bricks and mortar shop at the new Lexington Market, where the full line of Plum Good products will be sold.
Johanna Mendelson Forman continues to spread the word about the power of food to build community. Johanna, an adjunct professor at American University’s School of International Service, gave a speech on May 1 at Colby College entitled “Peace Enters the Kitchen,” a telling of food history through the story of Ukrainian borsch. The lecture included a meal prepared by a chef at one of the local Waterville restaurants. Black bread was served, and of course, borsch.
Dames trifecta: Paula Jacobson, Alba Johnson and Sheilah Kaufman have collaborated on an exciting new cookbook, “Flavors of the Maghreb,” to be released November 1. A region of North Africa, the Maghreb included Spain, Sicily and Malta in ancient times, and before the Arab conquest, the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Italians and French colonized the area, each leaving influences that created a multicultural cuisine. The unique book, featuring the region’s colorful, aromatic foods, includes over 100 recipes, such as Crostini with Dill and Pecorino, Spicy Cauliflower Minestra and Lamb Chops in Dried Fig Sauce.
"It was such a fun project photographing for the cover of Bethesda Magazine’s May/June edition,” reports Deb Lindsey, who took this shot (and all the others) in the magazine’s comprehensive article on Montgomery County bakeries. Deb visited shops to document desserts ranging from this decorated event cake to Japanese cheesecake to French baguettes and croissants. The other goodies were photographed in her home studio. “So I didn’t get to visit each location, but definitely got to taste everything,” says Deb.“The best part of my job.” Read about the details of the $300 cake here.
To market, to market (once again): Central Farm Markets, co-founded by Debbie Moser, will be adding a new locale–in the Capitol Riverfront neighborhood right near the Washington Nationals stadium. This will be the fourth market for Debbie and her husband Mitch Berliner, who also run operations in Bethesda, Rockville and Falls Church. The new location, at 1250 Half Street SE, opens Saturday May 7 from 9 a.m to 1:30 p.m., and will continue with those hours through December.
Great back-to-school news for Wendy Nevett Bazil, who was accepted into the University of Maryland Graduate School for its Master of Community Planning program for Fall 2022. Wendy says she got interested in the program after working on zoning and land use issues for the Montgomery County Food Council and digging deeper into how the high cost of housing is a root cause of food insecurity in our area. “This ties together my background in law, my work in food systems and interest in community work and hopefully, will allow me to research and understand food systems planning in new ways,” she said.
Our own Ann Yonkers is one of the panelists in the upcoming LDEI webinar “How to Put Your Philanthropic Passion into Action.” Ann, founder of FRESHFARM Markets, was one of the 21 women nominated for the 2021 LDEI Woman of Purpose Award. The virtual event, which takes place Monday, May 9 at 6:30 p.m. is free. Click here for more information and registration.
At the recent Pittsburgh conference of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, Nancy Baggett spoke on the topic of making cookies your business. Nancy's All-American Cookie Book was published shortly after 9/11 and became a big hit when Americans were searching for the ultimate comfort food. Sheila Crye served on the conference planning committee, set up three lunch-time culinary demonstrations, and organized a class on how to shape dumplings from three cuisines–Polish pierogies, Chinese dumplings, and Italian ravioli.
Great expansion news for Angela Chester-Johnson, the founder and CEO of a D.C. spice, tea and sauce company called Plum Good LLC. Angela, who sells her products online, at the Good Food Market, The Fresh Food Factory and to caterers in the DMV, will open a kiosk at BWI Airport (Concourse D) starting May 20. Among the items that will be featured are proprietary spice and tea blends like Gourmet Coffee Rub and Moroccan Morning Tea, hot sauces that promote local taste and culture, and a few culinary knick knacks like tea and spice infusers. In late August, Angela will launch a bricks and mortar shop at the new Lexington Market, where the full line of Plum Good products will be sold.
Johanna Mendelson Forman continues to spread the word about the power of food to build community. Johanna, an adjunct professor at American University’s School of International Service, gave a speech on May 1 at Colby College entitled “Peace Enters the Kitchen,” a telling of food history through the story of Ukrainian borsch. The lecture included a meal prepared by a chef at one of the local Waterville restaurants. Black bread was served, and of course, borsch.
Dames trifecta: Paula Jacobson, Alba Johnson and Sheilah Kaufman have collaborated on an exciting new cookbook, “Flavors of the Maghreb,” to be released November 1. A region of North Africa, the Maghreb included Spain, Sicily and Malta in ancient times, and before the Arab conquest, the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Italians and French colonized the area, each leaving influences that created a multicultural cuisine. The unique book, featuring the region’s colorful, aromatic foods, includes over 100 recipes, such as Crostini with Dill and Pecorino, Spicy Cauliflower Minestra and Lamb Chops in Dried Fig Sauce.
"It was such a fun project photographing for the cover of Bethesda Magazine’s May/June edition,” reports Deb Lindsey, who took this shot (and all the others) in the magazine’s comprehensive article on Montgomery County bakeries. Deb visited shops to document desserts ranging from this decorated event cake to Japanese cheesecake to French baguettes and croissants. The other goodies were photographed in her home studio. “So I didn’t get to visit each location, but definitely got to taste everything,” says Deb.“The best part of my job.” Read about the details of the $300 cake here.
To market, to market (once again): Central Farm Markets, co-founded by Debbie Moser, will be adding a new locale–in the Capitol Riverfront neighborhood right near the Washington Nationals stadium. This will be the fourth market for Debbie and her husband Mitch Berliner, who also run operations in Bethesda, Rockville and Falls Church. The new location, at 1250 Half Street SE, opens Saturday May 7 from 9 a.m to 1:30 p.m., and will continue with those hours through December.
Great back-to-school news for Wendy Nevett Bazil, who was accepted into the University of Maryland Graduate School for its Master of Community Planning program for Fall 2022. Wendy says she got interested in the program after working on zoning and land use issues for the Montgomery County Food Council and digging deeper into how the high cost of housing is a root cause of food insecurity in our area. “This ties together my background in law, my work in food systems and interest in community work and hopefully, will allow me to research and understand food systems planning in new ways,” she said.
Our own Ann Yonkers is one of the panelists in the upcoming LDEI webinar “How to Put Your Philanthropic Passion into Action.” Ann, founder of FRESHFARM Markets, was one of the 21 women nominated for the 2021 LDEI Woman of Purpose Award. The virtual event, which takes place Monday, May 9 at 6:30 p.m. is free. Click here for more information and registration.
Member News - April 2022
The countdown continues: In the March issue of Entre News, we noted that Amy Brandwein of Centrolina was named a semifinalist in the 2022 James Beard Awards; now we can report that Amy is a finalist for the Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic category. Winners will be announced on Monday, June 13.
What an honor: At an awards ceremony on March 24, Kathy Hollinger was named the DowntownDC Person of the Year by The DowntownDC Business Improvement District (BID). Kathy, who’s president of the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington, was cited “for her strong leadership in developing a comprehensive road map for restaurant and foodservice industry recovery throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Watch Alba Johnson prepare Chicken Kiev with Garlic Butter and Potatoes Ukrainian Style for an online World Central Kitchen fundraiser being held Friday, May 6, from 7 to 8 p.m. All funds collected will be given directly to WCK, which is distributing fresh meals across Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, Moldova and Romania. Sign up here.
Congrats are in order for Paula Johnson, curator of food history in the Division of Work and Industry at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. After a COVID-caused delay, Paula was chosen to receive the 2020 Smithsonian Distinguished Scholar Award in the Humanities. The award, first given in 2000, honors the achievement of two outstanding Smithsonian scholars each year—one in the sciences and one in the humanities. The winners deliver a lecture on some aspect of their work to the Smithsonian community and interested members of the general public, and receive a medal and a contribution to their research funds. Paula presented a talk, “Appetite for Change: Research and Reflections of a Food History Curator,” on March 3, which can be viewed here.
Last month, Joan Nathan traveled to Israel to cook with Guy Pines, the foodie host of an Israeli television show. The meet-and-eat was organized by ANU The Museum of the Jewish People, and a preview article about it appeared in the Times of Israel. We contacted Joan to hear how it went: “It was very exciting to see the ANU Museum of the Jewish People, the reinvented Museum of the Diaspora where I first learned from their database about Jews from other lands. In addition, I tasted some biblical dishes on a hillside in the Judean Hills where I tasted an ancient risotto, visited Future Meat, a fascinating startup for future food, and ate at some great restaurants. In addition, I went to Germany where I visited the towns in Bavaria, seeking out recipes of my family. All very interesting.”
Julia Rutland has the Blue Ridge Parkway covered–in fact, she wrote the cover story for the April issue of Southern Living magazine about it. “You guys/y’all know I love a road trip and this is one of the best in the South and entire U.S...” Julia wrote on her Facebook page.
Kudos to Linda Roth, who was asked to join the Federal City Council, an organization of business, professional, education and civic leaders who focus on major challenges and opportunities that face the District, helping both local and federal government agencies meet community needs.
Among the speakers at the upcoming TedxFoggyBottom conference is Tambra Raye Stevenson, founder/CEO of WANDA: Women Advancing Nutrition Dietetics and Agriculture. The theme of the all-day event is “Re [verb]” to signify how we can recreate, rebuild, re-inspire and execute other action verbs after the past two years. Tambra will speak about how she is reclaiming the power of food and storytelling as medicine. Tickets, both in-person and via livestream, are available here. The conference takes place Saturday, April 23, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Carole Sugarman appears as a talking head (albeit briefly) in “We Feed People,” Director Ron Howard’s new documentary about chef and World Central Kitchen phenom Jose Andres.The film debuted last month at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, and will be streamed on the Disney+ channel at the end of May. Carole came to the attention of the producers who read her 2019 interview with Andres and his wife in Bethesda Magazine.
On Tuesday, May 10, Hollywood East Cafe owner Janet Yu will present “Food for the Body and Soul: Advocating for Community Through Culinary Traditions,” part of a spring series of virtual cooking demonstrations and conversations featuring women chefs in the D.C. area, organized by the Smithsonian National Museum of American History and the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum. According to the Smithsonian blurb, Janet will share stories and prepare recipes from her home kitchen that draw upon her family’s heritage from Taishan, a village in the Guangdong Province of China. She’ll also discuss her role as a mentor and her work preserving and sharing Chinese food culture in the Washington area. The free presentation runs from 6:45 to 8:15 p.m. Sign up here.
Meanwhile, Laura Chase de Formigny took the photo of Janet (above) that appears in the accompanying indoor-outdoor exhibit at the Anacostia Community Museum called “Food for the People: Eating and Activism in Greater Washington.”
The countdown continues: In the March issue of Entre News, we noted that Amy Brandwein of Centrolina was named a semifinalist in the 2022 James Beard Awards; now we can report that Amy is a finalist for the Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic category. Winners will be announced on Monday, June 13.
What an honor: At an awards ceremony on March 24, Kathy Hollinger was named the DowntownDC Person of the Year by The DowntownDC Business Improvement District (BID). Kathy, who’s president of the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington, was cited “for her strong leadership in developing a comprehensive road map for restaurant and foodservice industry recovery throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Watch Alba Johnson prepare Chicken Kiev with Garlic Butter and Potatoes Ukrainian Style for an online World Central Kitchen fundraiser being held Friday, May 6, from 7 to 8 p.m. All funds collected will be given directly to WCK, which is distributing fresh meals across Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, Moldova and Romania. Sign up here.
Congrats are in order for Paula Johnson, curator of food history in the Division of Work and Industry at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. After a COVID-caused delay, Paula was chosen to receive the 2020 Smithsonian Distinguished Scholar Award in the Humanities. The award, first given in 2000, honors the achievement of two outstanding Smithsonian scholars each year—one in the sciences and one in the humanities. The winners deliver a lecture on some aspect of their work to the Smithsonian community and interested members of the general public, and receive a medal and a contribution to their research funds. Paula presented a talk, “Appetite for Change: Research and Reflections of a Food History Curator,” on March 3, which can be viewed here.
Last month, Joan Nathan traveled to Israel to cook with Guy Pines, the foodie host of an Israeli television show. The meet-and-eat was organized by ANU The Museum of the Jewish People, and a preview article about it appeared in the Times of Israel. We contacted Joan to hear how it went: “It was very exciting to see the ANU Museum of the Jewish People, the reinvented Museum of the Diaspora where I first learned from their database about Jews from other lands. In addition, I tasted some biblical dishes on a hillside in the Judean Hills where I tasted an ancient risotto, visited Future Meat, a fascinating startup for future food, and ate at some great restaurants. In addition, I went to Germany where I visited the towns in Bavaria, seeking out recipes of my family. All very interesting.”
Julia Rutland has the Blue Ridge Parkway covered–in fact, she wrote the cover story for the April issue of Southern Living magazine about it. “You guys/y’all know I love a road trip and this is one of the best in the South and entire U.S...” Julia wrote on her Facebook page.
Kudos to Linda Roth, who was asked to join the Federal City Council, an organization of business, professional, education and civic leaders who focus on major challenges and opportunities that face the District, helping both local and federal government agencies meet community needs.
Among the speakers at the upcoming TedxFoggyBottom conference is Tambra Raye Stevenson, founder/CEO of WANDA: Women Advancing Nutrition Dietetics and Agriculture. The theme of the all-day event is “Re [verb]” to signify how we can recreate, rebuild, re-inspire and execute other action verbs after the past two years. Tambra will speak about how she is reclaiming the power of food and storytelling as medicine. Tickets, both in-person and via livestream, are available here. The conference takes place Saturday, April 23, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Carole Sugarman appears as a talking head (albeit briefly) in “We Feed People,” Director Ron Howard’s new documentary about chef and World Central Kitchen phenom Jose Andres.The film debuted last month at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, and will be streamed on the Disney+ channel at the end of May. Carole came to the attention of the producers who read her 2019 interview with Andres and his wife in Bethesda Magazine.
On Tuesday, May 10, Hollywood East Cafe owner Janet Yu will present “Food for the Body and Soul: Advocating for Community Through Culinary Traditions,” part of a spring series of virtual cooking demonstrations and conversations featuring women chefs in the D.C. area, organized by the Smithsonian National Museum of American History and the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum. According to the Smithsonian blurb, Janet will share stories and prepare recipes from her home kitchen that draw upon her family’s heritage from Taishan, a village in the Guangdong Province of China. She’ll also discuss her role as a mentor and her work preserving and sharing Chinese food culture in the Washington area. The free presentation runs from 6:45 to 8:15 p.m. Sign up here.
Meanwhile, Laura Chase de Formigny took the photo of Janet (above) that appears in the accompanying indoor-outdoor exhibit at the Anacostia Community Museum called “Food for the People: Eating and Activism in Greater Washington.”
Member News - March 2022
This year marks the 60th anniversary of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and Gladys Abi-Najm and her family’s Lebanese Taverna restaurants have been longtime supporters of the hospital, whose mission is to find cures for children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. Watch this wonderful tribute to Gladys, part of St. Jude’s milestone celebration.
A big shout out to Amy Brandwein of Centrolina, a semifinalist in the 2022 James Beard Awards in the “Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic” category. The nominees were announced by the James Beard Foundation on February 23.
In a Zoom event hosted by Books and Books on February 21, Ellen Kanner spoke with Mayukh Sen, author of Taste Makers: Seven Immigrant Women Who Revolutionized Food in America. Among the women Sen profiles is the DC chapter's own incomparable Najmieh Batmanglij.
Now here’s a work project with a dreamy locale: Maria Kopsidas, founder and owner of the Metropolitan Culinary Arts Institute and Cookology Recreational Culinary School, has partnered with Events USA and is collaborating with Our TV, the Caribbean Food Network, and celebrity chef Charles Mereday to launch a cooking classes weekend and concert series in Fredericksted, St. Croix April 8-10. The event, sponsored by two Caribbean NGOs, is open to island locals and tourists, and is free.
Personal and professional congrats are in order for Erinn Tucker, or rather Erinn Tucker Oluwole. Erinn got married on December 17 to lucky man Arthur Oluwole at the Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner. “Janet Cam was the wine consultant for the wedding and her pairings with each course really took the event over the top,” reports the newlywed. To top that off, in January, Erinn, faculty director of the Global Hospitality Leadership master’s program at Georgetown University, was named as one of 2021’s 25 Most Influential Educators in Hospitality by the
International Hospitality Institute.
If you haven’t seen it already, this must-read cover story in The Washington Post Magazine details Janet Yu and her family’s struggles in keeping her restaurant Hollywood East Cafe afloat during the pandemic. What’s more, Laura Chase de Formigny took the photos. A subscription to The Post is necessary to access the piece.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and Gladys Abi-Najm and her family’s Lebanese Taverna restaurants have been longtime supporters of the hospital, whose mission is to find cures for children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. Watch this wonderful tribute to Gladys, part of St. Jude’s milestone celebration.
A big shout out to Amy Brandwein of Centrolina, a semifinalist in the 2022 James Beard Awards in the “Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic” category. The nominees were announced by the James Beard Foundation on February 23.
In a Zoom event hosted by Books and Books on February 21, Ellen Kanner spoke with Mayukh Sen, author of Taste Makers: Seven Immigrant Women Who Revolutionized Food in America. Among the women Sen profiles is the DC chapter's own incomparable Najmieh Batmanglij.
Now here’s a work project with a dreamy locale: Maria Kopsidas, founder and owner of the Metropolitan Culinary Arts Institute and Cookology Recreational Culinary School, has partnered with Events USA and is collaborating with Our TV, the Caribbean Food Network, and celebrity chef Charles Mereday to launch a cooking classes weekend and concert series in Fredericksted, St. Croix April 8-10. The event, sponsored by two Caribbean NGOs, is open to island locals and tourists, and is free.
Personal and professional congrats are in order for Erinn Tucker, or rather Erinn Tucker Oluwole. Erinn got married on December 17 to lucky man Arthur Oluwole at the Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner. “Janet Cam was the wine consultant for the wedding and her pairings with each course really took the event over the top,” reports the newlywed. To top that off, in January, Erinn, faculty director of the Global Hospitality Leadership master’s program at Georgetown University, was named as one of 2021’s 25 Most Influential Educators in Hospitality by the
International Hospitality Institute.
If you haven’t seen it already, this must-read cover story in The Washington Post Magazine details Janet Yu and her family’s struggles in keeping her restaurant Hollywood East Cafe afloat during the pandemic. What’s more, Laura Chase de Formigny took the photos. A subscription to The Post is necessary to access the piece.
Member News - February 2022
Dames duo does good: Chef, writer, teacher, and speaker Susan Barocas has been leading virtual mostly plant-based cooking classes through DC-based non-profit Iona Senior Services' Around Town DC program, and the sessions are moderated by Rose Clifford, a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) and Senior Manager of Nutrition Programs for Iona. Susan teaches Iona's seniors how to prepare simple, healthy meals while Rose weaves in nutrition and health pointers. During the pandemic, Rose and her Iona team have also been exceptionally busy working with low-income DC older adults facing hunger and food insecurity.
In a January 11 story in Washington City Paper about the District’s new indoor vaccine mandate, Annie Boutin King, special events manager at Central Michel Richard restaurant, provides colorful commentary in the lead of the piece. Read it here.
Congrats on the new assignments, ladies: Sheila Crye (left) has been appointed chair of educational sessions for the IACP conference, which will be held April 22-24, 2022 in Pittsburgh. And Laura Chase de Formigny (right) has been named board secretary for the American Photographic Artists (APA) National Executive Board of Directors.
After 11 years in Arlington, Cary Kelly has closed her culinary shop The Cookery in exchange for a slightly slower life pace. Cary is not ready for total retirement, so she’ll stay involved in the local food world primarily through a blog called Cary in the Kitchen and, of course, Les Dames DC! On Sunday, January 23, Cary held a champagne farewell for customers, colleagues, neighbors and friends to celebrate the impact the business had in the local community.
Happy Almost Valentine’s Day! In “30+ Recipes & Ideas for Valentine’s Party Foods,” Intentionalhospitalilty.com amassed a collection of goodies to prepare for your loved ones, including Laura Kumin’s Chocolate Raspberry Pots de Creme Custard. Here’s the full article or go directly to Laura’s recipe.
Working with the Ginger Network, Nancy Tringali Piho helped execute the seventh annual FoodFluence conference for 30 leading food and nutrition communicators, held this year in Washington. Tambra Raye Stevenson, founder of WANDA (Women Advancing Nutrition, Dietetics and Agriculture) gave the keynote address on “Opening New Doors to Food, Agriculture and Health.”
In celebration of February’s Black History Month, Target stores have been featuring and promoting a host of Black-owned or founded brands, including apparel and accessories from creative Black entrepreneurs. Toni Tipton-Martin was thrilled to learn that her book, “Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking” is part of this nationally available collection. “You know I do love my Indie bookstore supporters, but I am so proud that my two-year-old book Jubilee was worthy of inclusion in this recognition of #blackexcellence,” Toni wrote on Facebook.
Dames duo does good: Chef, writer, teacher, and speaker Susan Barocas has been leading virtual mostly plant-based cooking classes through DC-based non-profit Iona Senior Services' Around Town DC program, and the sessions are moderated by Rose Clifford, a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) and Senior Manager of Nutrition Programs for Iona. Susan teaches Iona's seniors how to prepare simple, healthy meals while Rose weaves in nutrition and health pointers. During the pandemic, Rose and her Iona team have also been exceptionally busy working with low-income DC older adults facing hunger and food insecurity.
In a January 11 story in Washington City Paper about the District’s new indoor vaccine mandate, Annie Boutin King, special events manager at Central Michel Richard restaurant, provides colorful commentary in the lead of the piece. Read it here.
Congrats on the new assignments, ladies: Sheila Crye (left) has been appointed chair of educational sessions for the IACP conference, which will be held April 22-24, 2022 in Pittsburgh. And Laura Chase de Formigny (right) has been named board secretary for the American Photographic Artists (APA) National Executive Board of Directors.
After 11 years in Arlington, Cary Kelly has closed her culinary shop The Cookery in exchange for a slightly slower life pace. Cary is not ready for total retirement, so she’ll stay involved in the local food world primarily through a blog called Cary in the Kitchen and, of course, Les Dames DC! On Sunday, January 23, Cary held a champagne farewell for customers, colleagues, neighbors and friends to celebrate the impact the business had in the local community.
Happy Almost Valentine’s Day! In “30+ Recipes & Ideas for Valentine’s Party Foods,” Intentionalhospitalilty.com amassed a collection of goodies to prepare for your loved ones, including Laura Kumin’s Chocolate Raspberry Pots de Creme Custard. Here’s the full article or go directly to Laura’s recipe.
Working with the Ginger Network, Nancy Tringali Piho helped execute the seventh annual FoodFluence conference for 30 leading food and nutrition communicators, held this year in Washington. Tambra Raye Stevenson, founder of WANDA (Women Advancing Nutrition, Dietetics and Agriculture) gave the keynote address on “Opening New Doors to Food, Agriculture and Health.”
In celebration of February’s Black History Month, Target stores have been featuring and promoting a host of Black-owned or founded brands, including apparel and accessories from creative Black entrepreneurs. Toni Tipton-Martin was thrilled to learn that her book, “Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking” is part of this nationally available collection. “You know I do love my Indie bookstore supporters, but I am so proud that my two-year-old book Jubilee was worthy of inclusion in this recognition of #blackexcellence,” Toni wrote on Facebook.
Member News - January 2022
Camila Arango and her Pluma By Bluebird Bakery got a shout out in the December 20 Eater DC as one of “15 Essential D.C Bakeries.” She also looks forward to marking her January 13 wedding anniversary to husband and business partner, Tom Wellings, as well as her 40th birthday on the 18th of this month. The couple will be heading to Aruba to celebrate.
Olga Boikess has been writing pretty regularly these days about food and restaurant related news in Georgetown for The Georgetowner. Olga’s latest piece was about the Jane Austen Birthday Tea party at Dumbarton House, held on December 18. Check it out here.
After nearly 10 years, Jessica Botta has left Fabio Trabocchi Restaurants to focus on her Masters of Arts in Food Studies at NYU. “It was a big step for me personally, but I know that I will continue to work with Fabio and the team on different projects in the future,” she says. Meanwhile, in NYC, Jessica is working part-time as a Culinary Arts instructor at the Institute for Culinary Education (ICE). During the spring semester, she’ll be teaching as an adjunct instructor for an undergraduate food studies class at NYU called Food & Identity. Long term plans include returning to the D.C. area.
Attention chocoholics! Carolyn Crow, who coordinates cooking classes and special events for the City of Gaithersburg, is organizing the first-ever Great Gaithersburg Chocolate-Off. Winners will receive a Gaithersburg prize package, a blue ribbon and title of Great Gaithersburg Chocolate-Off Champion. You can submit your best original, unpublished chocolate-centric recipe by midnight on January 28. Judges will select three finalists to present their creations for an in-person tasting at the Casey Farmers Market on Thursday, February 17. Complete details and an official entry form can be found at http://gburg.md/ChocolateEntry
Last month, Laura Chase de Formigny had the honor of photographing the restaurant Maydan for a promotional piece for the Michelin Guide. LC characterized the assignment similarly: “Felt like a really big step,” she said.
For a U.S. State Department speaker series program on Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Growth, Ellen Kassoff, co-owner of Equinox Restaurant and Federal Fritter & Bistro, was asked to speak to women in the hospitality industry in Pakistan. At the December 14 Zoom program, Ellen talked about her own experiences and gave out practical advice and information such as understanding a marketing and business plan, how to calculate food and labor costs, marketing ideas that can be done anywhere, and the importance of community. “I also mentioned LDE and the good work we do around the world,” Ellen said.
Bethesda Magazine’s January-February “Best of Bethesda” issue just came out, featuring food photos taken by Deb Lindsey and Laura Chase de Formigny. Cocktails from Colada Shop, where Maru Valdes is one of the founders, are the cover photo (not shot by Deb or Laura). Carole Sugarman wrote several of the food items, including this one for “Best Fried Chicken Sandwich.” Deb took the photo. See details here.
Micheline Mendelsohn, deputy CEO of the Sunnyside Restaurant Group, was chosen as one of 21 participants for the James Beard Foundation’s 2021 Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Program. According to the Foundation, the program helps women food industry entrepreneurs and restaurant owners grow their careers and scale their businesses. Operated in conjunction with Cornell University, this year’s program includes sessions on negotiating, design thinking, business and financial models, and more. Here’s the announcement, which includes a link to more info about the program.
Belated baby congrats to Alison Rittenberg Ricketts who gave birth to Romi Kay Ricketts on October 2, 2021. “She’s a super happy, chatty girl who currently enjoys long walks around the neighborhood and playing with her mobile,” reports Alison, adding that “her big brother Liam (4) adores her and it is just so sweet to see their little relationship.”
Early last month, LDEI Woman of Purpose nominee Ann Yonkers was surprised to see a very heavy Federal Express package at her door.. “When I opened it , I was even more amazed,” says Ann. Inside was a handsome white Yeti cooler with the Les Dames d’Escoffier logo on it and a banner reading, “Woman of Purpose.” Inside the cooler were three insulated drinking vessels all embossed with the logo, plus a copy of the LDEI magazine featuring the 21 nominees and the winner. “Apparently all nominees received these packages,” says Ann. “So classy, So generous from Yeti who was the sponsor, and so well deserved by the remarkable LDEI women who were nominated.”
Camila Arango and her Pluma By Bluebird Bakery got a shout out in the December 20 Eater DC as one of “15 Essential D.C Bakeries.” She also looks forward to marking her January 13 wedding anniversary to husband and business partner, Tom Wellings, as well as her 40th birthday on the 18th of this month. The couple will be heading to Aruba to celebrate.
Olga Boikess has been writing pretty regularly these days about food and restaurant related news in Georgetown for The Georgetowner. Olga’s latest piece was about the Jane Austen Birthday Tea party at Dumbarton House, held on December 18. Check it out here.
After nearly 10 years, Jessica Botta has left Fabio Trabocchi Restaurants to focus on her Masters of Arts in Food Studies at NYU. “It was a big step for me personally, but I know that I will continue to work with Fabio and the team on different projects in the future,” she says. Meanwhile, in NYC, Jessica is working part-time as a Culinary Arts instructor at the Institute for Culinary Education (ICE). During the spring semester, she’ll be teaching as an adjunct instructor for an undergraduate food studies class at NYU called Food & Identity. Long term plans include returning to the D.C. area.
Attention chocoholics! Carolyn Crow, who coordinates cooking classes and special events for the City of Gaithersburg, is organizing the first-ever Great Gaithersburg Chocolate-Off. Winners will receive a Gaithersburg prize package, a blue ribbon and title of Great Gaithersburg Chocolate-Off Champion. You can submit your best original, unpublished chocolate-centric recipe by midnight on January 28. Judges will select three finalists to present their creations for an in-person tasting at the Casey Farmers Market on Thursday, February 17. Complete details and an official entry form can be found at http://gburg.md/ChocolateEntry
Last month, Laura Chase de Formigny had the honor of photographing the restaurant Maydan for a promotional piece for the Michelin Guide. LC characterized the assignment similarly: “Felt like a really big step,” she said.
For a U.S. State Department speaker series program on Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Growth, Ellen Kassoff, co-owner of Equinox Restaurant and Federal Fritter & Bistro, was asked to speak to women in the hospitality industry in Pakistan. At the December 14 Zoom program, Ellen talked about her own experiences and gave out practical advice and information such as understanding a marketing and business plan, how to calculate food and labor costs, marketing ideas that can be done anywhere, and the importance of community. “I also mentioned LDE and the good work we do around the world,” Ellen said.
Bethesda Magazine’s January-February “Best of Bethesda” issue just came out, featuring food photos taken by Deb Lindsey and Laura Chase de Formigny. Cocktails from Colada Shop, where Maru Valdes is one of the founders, are the cover photo (not shot by Deb or Laura). Carole Sugarman wrote several of the food items, including this one for “Best Fried Chicken Sandwich.” Deb took the photo. See details here.
Micheline Mendelsohn, deputy CEO of the Sunnyside Restaurant Group, was chosen as one of 21 participants for the James Beard Foundation’s 2021 Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Program. According to the Foundation, the program helps women food industry entrepreneurs and restaurant owners grow their careers and scale their businesses. Operated in conjunction with Cornell University, this year’s program includes sessions on negotiating, design thinking, business and financial models, and more. Here’s the announcement, which includes a link to more info about the program.
Belated baby congrats to Alison Rittenberg Ricketts who gave birth to Romi Kay Ricketts on October 2, 2021. “She’s a super happy, chatty girl who currently enjoys long walks around the neighborhood and playing with her mobile,” reports Alison, adding that “her big brother Liam (4) adores her and it is just so sweet to see their little relationship.”
Early last month, LDEI Woman of Purpose nominee Ann Yonkers was surprised to see a very heavy Federal Express package at her door.. “When I opened it , I was even more amazed,” says Ann. Inside was a handsome white Yeti cooler with the Les Dames d’Escoffier logo on it and a banner reading, “Woman of Purpose.” Inside the cooler were three insulated drinking vessels all embossed with the logo, plus a copy of the LDEI magazine featuring the 21 nominees and the winner. “Apparently all nominees received these packages,” says Ann. “So classy, So generous from Yeti who was the sponsor, and so well deserved by the remarkable LDEI women who were nominated.”
Member News - December 2021
Want to find out what drove blogger Lori Gardner’s obsession with food? How she picks restaurants to dine at? The answers to these questions, plus four more, can be found in “6 Questions for Lori Gardner,” an interview that appeared in the November 24 Washington Jewish Week. Find the q-and-a here.
Several members will take the stage at the MetroCooking DC show, which returns to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center December 4-5 after a 2020 hiatus. On December 4, Carla Hall will conduct a cooking demo on the James Beard Stage, followed by Amy Brandwein, owner of Centrolina and Piccolina. Carla will also have a book signing for her book, “Carla Hall’s Soul Food: Everyday and Celebration.” On December 5, Amy Riolo will be on the Taste Talks stage. Maria Kopsidas and her Cookology team will be teaching cooking classes both days. Jill Collins is the PR coordinator for the event, now in its 15th year. For tickets, click here.
Ugly cauliflower might not look appealing in a cold salad, but in a fritter, it’s perfect, according to Ellen Kassoff, whose restaurant Federal Fritter & Bistro in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, uses stems, leaves and other parts of vegetables for its namesake dishes. “All this kind of ‘food waste’ tastes great when it’s tempura or battered and, let’s face it, fried,” says Kassoff, who discusses restaurant strategies to reduce food wastage in this q-and-a blog from RescueDish.
After living in Washington D.C. for more than 50 years, longtime member and former Second VP for Education and Community Outreach Edee Hogan has moved to Ginger Cove, a retirement community on the water in Annapolis. While still maintaining an efficiency unit in D.C. and a home in Bethany Beach, Edee reports that Ginger Cove is a “terrific community” with “lots of activities--and the food is outstanding.”
Jodi Lehr of Santa Lucia Estate Coffee proudly announces an addition close to her heart: Son Marco Gutierrez, a recent Master’s graduate of the University of Michigan and no stranger to an industry he’s always called family, has officially become the newest member of the Santa Lucia Coffee team! Exciting things are ahead, including a January 2022 move of Santa Lucia’s warehouse from Gaithersburg to Silver Spring.
Cindy Selby and Morgan Nims (Miami) en route to a BBQ break at the famous Stubb’s BBQ in Austin, Texas while attending RATIONAL’s yearly kickoff meeting. Both women work for the global food service appliance firm.
Tambra Raye Stevenson, founder and CEO of WANDA, was recently appointed to the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics (NAREEE) Advisory Board by USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack. The Board provides feedback to the Secretary of Agriculture on food and agricultural research, education, extension, and economic priorities and policies. Also, more congrats are in order: Tambra passed her qualifying exams in her PhD program in Media, Technology and Democracy at the American University School of Communications where she recently was a part of a winning $15 million National Science Foundation-funded proposal to tackle food waste.
Lots of exciting news about Toni Tipton-Martin, who last month was presented with the Julia Child Award from the Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. Watch the presentation here. Toni also announced that she will use the $50,000 award to start the Toni Tipton-Martin Foundation, a nonprofit aimed at empowering the next generation of women in food. The foundation’s first program, “Recovering Food Histories with Toni Tipton-Martin and Friends” was a virtual salon with A’Lelia Bundles, Padma Lakshmi, and Sandra Gutierrez, which aired on the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History’s YouTube channel. Watch it here.
Kudos to Erinn Tucker and her work as a co-founder of Black Restaurant Week, which had its fourth successful annual run this year from November 7-14. Erinn will also be serving as co-chair for the Mid-Atlantic region of the 2022 James Beard Awards Restaurant and Chef Committee.
With less than 48 hours notice, chef and food stylist Danielle Turner created a fabulous vegan Thanksgiving feast for Aviva Goldfarb and her employer, HipCityVeg, for a Fox 5 DC holiday special. Danielle cooked all the “beauty shots” (finished dishes) and prepped the half cooked versions that HipCityVeg Founder and CEO Nicole Marquis completed on air.
Want to find out what drove blogger Lori Gardner’s obsession with food? How she picks restaurants to dine at? The answers to these questions, plus four more, can be found in “6 Questions for Lori Gardner,” an interview that appeared in the November 24 Washington Jewish Week. Find the q-and-a here.
Several members will take the stage at the MetroCooking DC show, which returns to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center December 4-5 after a 2020 hiatus. On December 4, Carla Hall will conduct a cooking demo on the James Beard Stage, followed by Amy Brandwein, owner of Centrolina and Piccolina. Carla will also have a book signing for her book, “Carla Hall’s Soul Food: Everyday and Celebration.” On December 5, Amy Riolo will be on the Taste Talks stage. Maria Kopsidas and her Cookology team will be teaching cooking classes both days. Jill Collins is the PR coordinator for the event, now in its 15th year. For tickets, click here.
Ugly cauliflower might not look appealing in a cold salad, but in a fritter, it’s perfect, according to Ellen Kassoff, whose restaurant Federal Fritter & Bistro in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, uses stems, leaves and other parts of vegetables for its namesake dishes. “All this kind of ‘food waste’ tastes great when it’s tempura or battered and, let’s face it, fried,” says Kassoff, who discusses restaurant strategies to reduce food wastage in this q-and-a blog from RescueDish.
After living in Washington D.C. for more than 50 years, longtime member and former Second VP for Education and Community Outreach Edee Hogan has moved to Ginger Cove, a retirement community on the water in Annapolis. While still maintaining an efficiency unit in D.C. and a home in Bethany Beach, Edee reports that Ginger Cove is a “terrific community” with “lots of activities--and the food is outstanding.”
Jodi Lehr of Santa Lucia Estate Coffee proudly announces an addition close to her heart: Son Marco Gutierrez, a recent Master’s graduate of the University of Michigan and no stranger to an industry he’s always called family, has officially become the newest member of the Santa Lucia Coffee team! Exciting things are ahead, including a January 2022 move of Santa Lucia’s warehouse from Gaithersburg to Silver Spring.
Cindy Selby and Morgan Nims (Miami) en route to a BBQ break at the famous Stubb’s BBQ in Austin, Texas while attending RATIONAL’s yearly kickoff meeting. Both women work for the global food service appliance firm.
Tambra Raye Stevenson, founder and CEO of WANDA, was recently appointed to the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics (NAREEE) Advisory Board by USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack. The Board provides feedback to the Secretary of Agriculture on food and agricultural research, education, extension, and economic priorities and policies. Also, more congrats are in order: Tambra passed her qualifying exams in her PhD program in Media, Technology and Democracy at the American University School of Communications where she recently was a part of a winning $15 million National Science Foundation-funded proposal to tackle food waste.
Lots of exciting news about Toni Tipton-Martin, who last month was presented with the Julia Child Award from the Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. Watch the presentation here. Toni also announced that she will use the $50,000 award to start the Toni Tipton-Martin Foundation, a nonprofit aimed at empowering the next generation of women in food. The foundation’s first program, “Recovering Food Histories with Toni Tipton-Martin and Friends” was a virtual salon with A’Lelia Bundles, Padma Lakshmi, and Sandra Gutierrez, which aired on the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History’s YouTube channel. Watch it here.
Kudos to Erinn Tucker and her work as a co-founder of Black Restaurant Week, which had its fourth successful annual run this year from November 7-14. Erinn will also be serving as co-chair for the Mid-Atlantic region of the 2022 James Beard Awards Restaurant and Chef Committee.
With less than 48 hours notice, chef and food stylist Danielle Turner created a fabulous vegan Thanksgiving feast for Aviva Goldfarb and her employer, HipCityVeg, for a Fox 5 DC holiday special. Danielle cooked all the “beauty shots” (finished dishes) and prepped the half cooked versions that HipCityVeg Founder and CEO Nicole Marquis completed on air.
Member News - November 2021
Najmieh Batmanglij is one of the women profiled in what looks like an interesting new book, “Taste Makers: Seven Immigrant Women Who Revolutionized Food in America,” by Mayukh Sen. Read more about the book in this Civil Eats article.
The Washington Business Journal’s Power 100 list of local leaders is out, and Mary Blackford and Kathy Hollinger are on it! Mary is cited for her plans to open Market 7, a food hall in Ward 7 that promises to be the premier marketplace for Black-owned food and health businesses. Kathy, along with the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington--where she’s the President and CEO--is recognized for being a vocal advocate for the survival and success of restaurants as they have struggled through the pandemic. View the slide show listing here.
Late breaking kudos to Sheila Crye and Jessica van Dop DeJesus, who were among the five winners of International Association of Culinary Professionals’ (IACP) Members of the Year Award. The announcement was made on October 23 at the association’s conference and awards ceremony in Birmingham, Alabama.
Learn about the artichoke’s intersection in Jewish and Italian cuisine in Marcia Friedman’s October 20 article in Tablet magazine entitled “Peeling Back the Layers of Italian Jewish Cuisine: Or, how I learned to stop worrying and love the artichoke.” The piece, which includes a recipe for spicy stuffed artichokes, can be found here.
Congrats to the indefatigable Pati Jinich, who won third prize and $1000 in the 2021 LDEI M.F.K. Fisher awards for her August 11, 2020 article in the New York Times entitled “Finding the Soul of Sonora in Carne Asada.” Read it here.
Fashionably gracing the cover of the October issue of Middleburg Life & Hunt Country magazine is Rachel Martin, owner and vintner of Oceano Wines. Inside, a four-page spread details her wine career, starting at her family’s winery and vineyard, Boxwood Estate Winery in Middleburg. Rachel then went on to open her own vineyard and winery on the coast of San Luis Obispo with her husband Kurt Deutsch. Here’s the article.
An upside to down times: When the pandemic first hit in 2020, Debbie Moser became president of MeatCrafters, the Landover, Md. charcuterie company where she had been a partner and handled marketing. Since then, the company has grown its online business, expanded its staff, acquired a gourmet bacon firm called Epic Curing, and partnered with Chapel Hill Farms in Berryville, Va. to sell their Randall Lineback breed beef as well as make pate with it. MeatCrafters is in the process of building a new curing room that will triple capacity to accommodate the increased sales of its products, which are now distributed in 14 states. Debbie says the growth of online food orders during the pandemic both propelled and saved the business, and that current supply chain shortages have created more demand among restaurants and distributors for locally made products.
In October, Tambra Raye Stevenson kicked off the Tufts Innovation Summit at the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, sharing her take on nutrition security with faculty, students and guests.
Najmieh Batmanglij is one of the women profiled in what looks like an interesting new book, “Taste Makers: Seven Immigrant Women Who Revolutionized Food in America,” by Mayukh Sen. Read more about the book in this Civil Eats article.
The Washington Business Journal’s Power 100 list of local leaders is out, and Mary Blackford and Kathy Hollinger are on it! Mary is cited for her plans to open Market 7, a food hall in Ward 7 that promises to be the premier marketplace for Black-owned food and health businesses. Kathy, along with the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington--where she’s the President and CEO--is recognized for being a vocal advocate for the survival and success of restaurants as they have struggled through the pandemic. View the slide show listing here.
Late breaking kudos to Sheila Crye and Jessica van Dop DeJesus, who were among the five winners of International Association of Culinary Professionals’ (IACP) Members of the Year Award. The announcement was made on October 23 at the association’s conference and awards ceremony in Birmingham, Alabama.
Learn about the artichoke’s intersection in Jewish and Italian cuisine in Marcia Friedman’s October 20 article in Tablet magazine entitled “Peeling Back the Layers of Italian Jewish Cuisine: Or, how I learned to stop worrying and love the artichoke.” The piece, which includes a recipe for spicy stuffed artichokes, can be found here.
Congrats to the indefatigable Pati Jinich, who won third prize and $1000 in the 2021 LDEI M.F.K. Fisher awards for her August 11, 2020 article in the New York Times entitled “Finding the Soul of Sonora in Carne Asada.” Read it here.
Fashionably gracing the cover of the October issue of Middleburg Life & Hunt Country magazine is Rachel Martin, owner and vintner of Oceano Wines. Inside, a four-page spread details her wine career, starting at her family’s winery and vineyard, Boxwood Estate Winery in Middleburg. Rachel then went on to open her own vineyard and winery on the coast of San Luis Obispo with her husband Kurt Deutsch. Here’s the article.
An upside to down times: When the pandemic first hit in 2020, Debbie Moser became president of MeatCrafters, the Landover, Md. charcuterie company where she had been a partner and handled marketing. Since then, the company has grown its online business, expanded its staff, acquired a gourmet bacon firm called Epic Curing, and partnered with Chapel Hill Farms in Berryville, Va. to sell their Randall Lineback breed beef as well as make pate with it. MeatCrafters is in the process of building a new curing room that will triple capacity to accommodate the increased sales of its products, which are now distributed in 14 states. Debbie says the growth of online food orders during the pandemic both propelled and saved the business, and that current supply chain shortages have created more demand among restaurants and distributors for locally made products.
In October, Tambra Raye Stevenson kicked off the Tufts Innovation Summit at the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, sharing her take on nutrition security with faculty, students and guests.
Member News - October 2021
In the September 2021 Entre News, we told you how Gladys Abi-Najm and her family’s restaurant, Lebanese Taverna, were working with World Central Kitchen to provide meals for Afghan refugees arriving at Dulles Airport. For more details, check out this article in the City Paper.
In a segment on WUSA9, Cheryl Bell was interviewed in a story about a group of George Washington University students who are growing produce in Foggy Bottom for Miriam’s Kitchen. Cheryl is executive chef of the nonprofit organization, which provides healthy meals to the homeless population in Washington D.C. Watch the clip here.
New member Mary Blackford was featured in the September 24 Washington Business Journal cover story, “The DMV Divide: Unhealthy Imbalance.” The article details how access to food, nutrition and health care remains as divided as ever in the region. Mary has been a leading force in bringing healthy food options and retail east of the Anacostia River. She organized, with nearly 60 Black-owned food and wellness businesses, the launch of pop-up markets in that part of the District. In addition, Mary’s plans to open a 7,000-square-foot food hall in Northeast Washington were featured in the September 29 DC Eater. The project, called Market 7, will focus on food stalls offering cuisines from the African diaspora. Read about it here.
Sheila Crye is sponsoring a program for the Culinary Historians of Washington (CHoW): A Taste of Maryland, by culinary historian Joyce M. White on Sunday, November 14 at 2 pm. Learn about the history of Maryland’s most iconic food traditions and food businesses, such as Maryland beaten biscuits, hominy, crab cakes, terrapin, muskrat, stuffed ham, coddies, the Baltimore fish pepper, McCormick Spices and Old Bay, as well as some lesser-known fare such as white potato pie and Jewish Apple Cake. Other notable facts will be explored, including Maryland’s history as the leading producer in the U.S. of both peaches and strawberries. Join the free Zoom presentation here, or join CHoW for $35 per year, and receive in the mail a box of sweet and savory Maryland treats to accompany the talk.
At the Food & Beverage Litigation Conference in Chicago on October 14, Michelle Douglas will be speaking about recent legal trends affecting restaurants and the hospitality industry. Her talk will cover the rise in Americans With Disabilities Act claims against restaurants by mass filers, the latest in eviction trends, and how COVID-19 has impacted the application of force majeure (act of God) clauses in contracts.
Johanna Mendelson Forman will be traveling to Ukraine for the State Department Arts Envoy program in October. She will be lecturing about Culinary Diplomacy, Gastrodiplomacy and Nation-branding to their Diplomatic Academy. Johanna will share her experiences of working with refugee chefs in Turkey, and also learning how Ukraine is starting its goal of creating borscht as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO.
Aviva Goldfarb and Carole Sugarman are working together as event consultants for “No Waste, Big Taste” a cooking competition sponsored by Montgomery County’s Manna Food Center and its program, Community Food Rescue. The contest, which takes place Saturday, October 9, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on the Ellsworth Drive pedestrian walkway between Fenton Street and Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring, highlights the issue of food waste and the efforts of the two anti-hunger organizations to recover perfectly good food from local businesses that would have been thrown away—and deliver it to groups helping people who are experiencing food insecurity. Two chefs and two sous chefs will be challenged to create a two-course meal using ‘ugly’ produce and other rescued foods. Sophia Maroon will be one of the sous chefs. Prizes will be awarded to audience members who correctly answer trivia questions about food wastage. Among the prizes are gift certificates to Lebanese Taverna, donated by Gladys Abi-Najm, and packages of cookies, donated by Nona Nielsen-Parker of Atwater’s. Everyone is welcome to attend and to help support this important cause.
Leni Sorensen has been awarded a grant by the Culinary Historians of New York to continue her research on the life of Henry Orr, the freedman waiter/caterer in Washington DC in the 1830s. In the meantime, read about Leni’s fascinating life in the September 21 New York Times profile.
In the September 2021 Entre News, we told you how Gladys Abi-Najm and her family’s restaurant, Lebanese Taverna, were working with World Central Kitchen to provide meals for Afghan refugees arriving at Dulles Airport. For more details, check out this article in the City Paper.
In a segment on WUSA9, Cheryl Bell was interviewed in a story about a group of George Washington University students who are growing produce in Foggy Bottom for Miriam’s Kitchen. Cheryl is executive chef of the nonprofit organization, which provides healthy meals to the homeless population in Washington D.C. Watch the clip here.
New member Mary Blackford was featured in the September 24 Washington Business Journal cover story, “The DMV Divide: Unhealthy Imbalance.” The article details how access to food, nutrition and health care remains as divided as ever in the region. Mary has been a leading force in bringing healthy food options and retail east of the Anacostia River. She organized, with nearly 60 Black-owned food and wellness businesses, the launch of pop-up markets in that part of the District. In addition, Mary’s plans to open a 7,000-square-foot food hall in Northeast Washington were featured in the September 29 DC Eater. The project, called Market 7, will focus on food stalls offering cuisines from the African diaspora. Read about it here.
Sheila Crye is sponsoring a program for the Culinary Historians of Washington (CHoW): A Taste of Maryland, by culinary historian Joyce M. White on Sunday, November 14 at 2 pm. Learn about the history of Maryland’s most iconic food traditions and food businesses, such as Maryland beaten biscuits, hominy, crab cakes, terrapin, muskrat, stuffed ham, coddies, the Baltimore fish pepper, McCormick Spices and Old Bay, as well as some lesser-known fare such as white potato pie and Jewish Apple Cake. Other notable facts will be explored, including Maryland’s history as the leading producer in the U.S. of both peaches and strawberries. Join the free Zoom presentation here, or join CHoW for $35 per year, and receive in the mail a box of sweet and savory Maryland treats to accompany the talk.
At the Food & Beverage Litigation Conference in Chicago on October 14, Michelle Douglas will be speaking about recent legal trends affecting restaurants and the hospitality industry. Her talk will cover the rise in Americans With Disabilities Act claims against restaurants by mass filers, the latest in eviction trends, and how COVID-19 has impacted the application of force majeure (act of God) clauses in contracts.
Johanna Mendelson Forman will be traveling to Ukraine for the State Department Arts Envoy program in October. She will be lecturing about Culinary Diplomacy, Gastrodiplomacy and Nation-branding to their Diplomatic Academy. Johanna will share her experiences of working with refugee chefs in Turkey, and also learning how Ukraine is starting its goal of creating borscht as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO.
Aviva Goldfarb and Carole Sugarman are working together as event consultants for “No Waste, Big Taste” a cooking competition sponsored by Montgomery County’s Manna Food Center and its program, Community Food Rescue. The contest, which takes place Saturday, October 9, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on the Ellsworth Drive pedestrian walkway between Fenton Street and Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring, highlights the issue of food waste and the efforts of the two anti-hunger organizations to recover perfectly good food from local businesses that would have been thrown away—and deliver it to groups helping people who are experiencing food insecurity. Two chefs and two sous chefs will be challenged to create a two-course meal using ‘ugly’ produce and other rescued foods. Sophia Maroon will be one of the sous chefs. Prizes will be awarded to audience members who correctly answer trivia questions about food wastage. Among the prizes are gift certificates to Lebanese Taverna, donated by Gladys Abi-Najm, and packages of cookies, donated by Nona Nielsen-Parker of Atwater’s. Everyone is welcome to attend and to help support this important cause.
Leni Sorensen has been awarded a grant by the Culinary Historians of New York to continue her research on the life of Henry Orr, the freedman waiter/caterer in Washington DC in the 1830s. In the meantime, read about Leni’s fascinating life in the September 21 New York Times profile.
Congratulations 2021 RAMMY Awardees and Nominees!
Congratulations to all our chapter members nominated for the 39th Annual Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington’s RAMMY Awards and to those who won awards at the September 19 ceremony. They are:
Standout Family Meal Packages To Go: Christianne Ricchi, Ristorante i Ricchi (pictured at left accepting her award)
Good Neighbor Award, Individual Honors: Anna Valero, Hook Hall Helps - PR Rep Jill Collins; Tim Ma, Chefs Stopping AAPI Hate – DC - PR Rep Aba Kwawu; David Guas, Bayou Bakery Chefs Feeding Families- PR Rep: Simone Rathle. Micheline Mendelsohn and Spike Mendelsohn, National Guard Inauguration Program, and More.
Good Neighbor Award, Company/Organization Honors: Pizzeria Paradiso, PR rep Charissa Benjamin; RASA, PR rep Kyle Schmitz
Sweet Relief: Baking and Pastry to Go --Honorable Mention: Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken, PR rep Charissa Benjamin; Pluma by Bluebird Bakery, Camila Arango.
2021 Honorary Milestone RAMMY Award: Pizzeria Paradiso, Ruth Gresser
Also, a shout out to Jodi Lehr, Legacy Chair of the RAMMYS Gala Committee.
Congratulations to all our chapter members nominated for the 39th Annual Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington’s RAMMY Awards and to those who won awards at the September 19 ceremony. They are:
Standout Family Meal Packages To Go: Christianne Ricchi, Ristorante i Ricchi (pictured at left accepting her award)
Good Neighbor Award, Individual Honors: Anna Valero, Hook Hall Helps - PR Rep Jill Collins; Tim Ma, Chefs Stopping AAPI Hate – DC - PR Rep Aba Kwawu; David Guas, Bayou Bakery Chefs Feeding Families- PR Rep: Simone Rathle. Micheline Mendelsohn and Spike Mendelsohn, National Guard Inauguration Program, and More.
Good Neighbor Award, Company/Organization Honors: Pizzeria Paradiso, PR rep Charissa Benjamin; RASA, PR rep Kyle Schmitz
Sweet Relief: Baking and Pastry to Go --Honorable Mention: Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken, PR rep Charissa Benjamin; Pluma by Bluebird Bakery, Camila Arango.
2021 Honorary Milestone RAMMY Award: Pizzeria Paradiso, Ruth Gresser
Also, a shout out to Jodi Lehr, Legacy Chair of the RAMMYS Gala Committee.
How Sweet it Is!
Our chapter’s past scholarship recipient Ashleigh Pearson is opening a chocolate shop, Petite Soeur, in Georgetown this fall at 1332 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Pearson, who received a Dames scholarship in 2015 to attend Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, has built up an all-star resume with stints at Marcel’s and Thomas Keller’s Per Se. Read the feature about Ashleigh in DC Eater.
Our chapter’s past scholarship recipient Ashleigh Pearson is opening a chocolate shop, Petite Soeur, in Georgetown this fall at 1332 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Pearson, who received a Dames scholarship in 2015 to attend Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, has built up an all-star resume with stints at Marcel’s and Thomas Keller’s Per Se. Read the feature about Ashleigh in DC Eater.
Happy belated birthday to Linda Forristal who celebrated her 70th in September with a gathering at La Piquette in Northwest Washington that included Cici Williamson, Karen Vartan and Philadelphia chapter Dame Pat Nogar.
Rabia Kamara Wins the Clash of the Cones!
Super exciting news! Rabia Kamara won the Food Network’s Ben & Jerry’s Clash of the Cones competition, taking home $20,000 with her Black Joy Sundae, a creation of salted malted dulce de leche ice cream, vanilla ice cream, Old Bay caramel swirl, dark chocolate fudge brownie chunks and salty toffee hazelnut blondies. Watch this great four-minute video with excerpts from the final episode.
Super exciting news! Rabia Kamara won the Food Network’s Ben & Jerry’s Clash of the Cones competition, taking home $20,000 with her Black Joy Sundae, a creation of salted malted dulce de leche ice cream, vanilla ice cream, Old Bay caramel swirl, dark chocolate fudge brownie chunks and salty toffee hazelnut blondies. Watch this great four-minute video with excerpts from the final episode.
WETA Cover Girl Pati Jinich!
Check out WETA magazine’s October cover girl: It’s Pati Jinich, whose two-part culinary travel special, “La Frontera with Pati Jinich” explores the cuisine and culture in areas along the U.S.-Mexico border. Her travels include the cities of El Paso, Ciudad Juarez. Laredo, Nuevo Laredo, McAllen and Brownsville. The show premieres on PBS stations and the PBS Video App on October 15 at 9 p.m.; the second segment airs October 22 at 9 p.m.
Check out WETA magazine’s October cover girl: It’s Pati Jinich, whose two-part culinary travel special, “La Frontera with Pati Jinich” explores the cuisine and culture in areas along the U.S.-Mexico border. Her travels include the cities of El Paso, Ciudad Juarez. Laredo, Nuevo Laredo, McAllen and Brownsville. The show premieres on PBS stations and the PBS Video App on October 15 at 9 p.m.; the second segment airs October 22 at 9 p.m.
