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November 19, 2014  
Message from the President

Dear Sister Dames,

 

By the time you are reading this, I will have attended, along with many of you, our chapter's initial planning meeting for the 2016 LDEI conference that will be held at the Fairmont Hotel in Georgetown. Ann Stratte heads up our planning committee. We want as many of you to be involved as possible. If you weren't able to attend the meeting, stay tuned for planning developments and volunteer opportunities. Boston organized a wonderful 2014 conference. We have no doubt that 2015 in Charleston will be fantastic. But, we want to make our LDEI Conference 2016 the best one yet!

 

The LDEI Charity Buzz auction went live on November 18. A big thank you to everyone who contributed to our two auction items: Carla Hall, Annie Boutin King, Ris Lacoste, Amanda Mannheim, Theresa Morrison, Ann Yonkers and Ann Stratte. Our fabulous auction items are:

1) Four VIP Tickets to ABC's The Chew in New York and lunch with Carla

2) A weekend at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in D.C.,dinner at the West End, brunch at Ris, a TBD experience at the Dupont Circle Fresh Farm Market and a very special wine tasting.

 

I look forward to seeing you at the Rustic Maryland Hunt Sideboard in Baltimore this coming Sunday, November 23. A big thanks to Diane Feffer Neas for organizing the event. The menu looks spectacular. Don't hesitate,  signups are due today.

 

Theresa Morrison has organized a unique Dames Who Drink Beer and Play Ping Pong evening on Monday, December 1. Come out and show us your skill with the paddle!    

 

The hustle and bustle of the holiday season is rapidly upon us. Make sure to mark your calendars for our holiday potluck on December 8 at Karen Vartan's home. This is always a warm and wonderful event and a great opportunity to socialize with your sister members.  

 

Do plan to attend the Culinary Women in Words event on Sunday, December 14. Meet and mingle with many of the published book author members of our chapter while completing your holiday shopping list. What could be better! Thanks to Ann Stratte for putting this event together.

 

We are looking for an administrator for our chapter. See the description in the job opportunities section. Initially, we would like a sister Dame who has an understanding of the workings of our chapter to fill this position. If you are interested, please contact me or Stacey Adams.

 

Planning for the Women in the Arts of Escoffier fundraiser is continuing. You all will receive additional information from the committee soon.

I wish you and your families a warm and wonderful Thanksgiving.

 

All my best,


 

Drew Faulkner

President

drewcooks@mac.com  

Hurrah!

  

Annie Boutin King for being featured in the November 2014 edition of Food Service Monthly's Fork in the Road column by Genevieve LeFranc "Excellence in Any Language: The Very French Très Charmante Annie Boutin King."  http://issuu.com/osbornepub/docs/fsm_10-29lr/13?e=1060738/9953722  

Ris Lacoste on the launch of her new Ris Catering and for being featured as a cover story , "Ris Catering is LIVE!" in the November 2014 edition of Food Service Monthly.http://issuu.com/osbornepub/docs/fsm_10-29lr/17?e=1060738/9953722http://foodservicemonthly.com/view-magazine/ 

Diane Feffer Neas for being invited to join the FIT Relationships Program advisory board. Fit Relationships provides financial literacy education and employment coaching to strengthen relationships in low-income families and improve the lives of their children. (see more in Job Opps -special)

Marjorie Meeks-Bradley for winning the DC Central Kitchen's Food Fight competition on November 11 at the Ronald Reagan Building. The competition was hosted by Anthony Bourdain and Carla Hall.

Bettina Stern and Suzanne Simon for signing a lease for a bricks and mortar Chaia vegetarian taco shop at 3207 Grace St. NW in Georgetown.

Robyn Webb for being named spokesperson for America Gets Cooking for Diabetes Month, November 2014. For this American Diabetes Association outreach program, Robyn created a holiday video, participated in a nationwide radio media tour and conducted an American Gets Cooking Twitter chat.

 

LOST AND FOUND  

 

This scarf was left behind at our annual membership meeting at Roofers Union

please contact Katherine Newell Smithkns4pr@erols.com  to retrieve.

 

 

A Brief History of Dames DC
   

 We are asking charter members of our chapter to write their remembrances of the beginnings of our chapter. This is for an occasional series. Here is the first installment by Distinguished Dame Carol Cutler.

 

 It was a crisp October day in 1981 when nearly a dozen women gathered at the Bethesda home of restaurateur Barbara Witt. Helene Bennet, co-founder with Carol Brock of the New York mother chapter of Les Dames d'Escoffier, had moved to Washington and decided to explore the possibilities of forming a group here. We were game and our first members were Barbara, Helene, me,   Joan Nathan, Kay Shaw Nelson, Anne Crutcher, Susan Derecksky, Susan Delean Hayes and Elizabeth "Tony" Esterling. 

 

To inaugurate the chapter, Carol Brock returned to officiate.  In true Brockian-style, she was wearing a bib napkin created by the great fashion designer, Halston.  She also came equipped with a candle which she lit as she officially welcomed Les Dames d'Escoffier's Washington D.C., as the organization's second chapter.      

 

Carol offered to order more Halston napkins for us.  We demurred.                  

 Anne Crutcher, Food editor of The Washington Times, was our first president and, in short order, we began raising funds for scholarships which we named the Anne Crutcher Scholarship Fund. We then became LDE rule breakers. We received a lot of applicants in response to our first scholarship notice.  The board carefully studied the applications and unanimously agreed that one individual rose above the others.  We then conducted personal interviews of the three or four leading candidates.  Imagine our surprise when a young man showed up.  He had an androgynous name, Randal, yet, after the interviews he was still the unanimous choice.  Our rules were quickly changed after that to specify women applicants.  We were on a steep learning curve.  Our inaugural winner went on to open a very successful restaurant in Richmond, VA.   

Another renegade experience also involved scholarships. We did not give cash to our recipients. Rather, tuition was paid directly to an established cooking school.  I was president when scholarship winner Kate Jansen explained that she had a job waiting for her in a fine restaurant in Tuscany and she needed cash for living expenses.  We agreed, but I asked for periodic reports on her progress. Kate sent them, of course, and upon her return, she invited me for lunch at the Cafe at L'Academie de Cuisine in Bethesda, MD for a full and impressive report.  Kate quickly became pastry chef at Roberto Donna's celebrated restaurant, Galileo, later co-founded Firehook Bakery, was named Pastry Chef of the Year in 2007 and now co-owns Willow restaurant in Arlington, VA with Tracy O'Grady. She also became a Dame and now heads our grants committee. We clearly made the right decision.   

About the same time we began our scholarship program, we decided that we needed a logo for our chapter.  We contact some artists who were friends of mine and after numerous versions, our current logo emerged. The cost was $800.  We offered it to the newly formed Philadelphia chapter if they would share the cost, but they declined. But, once they saw how useful it was, they chipped in. It was later adopted by our umbrella organization, LDEI. 

 

Many important programs were developed in our chapter in addition to scholarships. One that stands out is our bi-annual symposium, so expertly put together and directed by Gail Forman and Susan Callahan, that was first proposed by Gail. It is a chock-a-block full day of learning from high-profile experts and has attracted large numbers of enthusiastic participants who return year after year.  Philadelphia borrowed the concept and puts on a similar program in alternate years.

 

An initiative that honors our own is the designation of Dame of Distinction, created in 1996. We bestow this upon a Dame who has exhibited a history of generously giving her time, talents, energies and leadership to benefit our chapter in a lasting and meaningful way and to further its mission.

 

We all owe Carol Brock a great debt for her vision and determination.  Carol, who continues to attend every LDEI convention and many chapter events outside NYC, recently turned 90.  She is the Great Grand Dame Mother of us all.   
 

 

Job Ops

 

LDE-DC Administrative Job  

 

As many of you may recall from our discussion and budget approval at the general membership meeting in October, our board has created a paid position to help administer our chapter operations. This is a part-time position of approximately 10 hours a week for which we will offer $20.00 per hour. The person will report to our communications secretary, Stacey Adams. Here is the job description developed by Stacey:

 

1.  Re-type Entre News into Constant Contact and schedule email blast to membership.

2.  Add contacts to Constant Contact and maintain changes to email address.

Field membership questions about their email requests.

3.  Create email blasts in Constant Contact for chapter and public events.

4.  Maintain chapter calendar of events.  Communicate with BOD and committees to add important dates.

5.  Pick up mail if possible, but otherwise supervise mail pick-up from P.O. box and send to appropriate person.

6.  Answer chapter voicemail and send requests to appropriate person.

7.  Maintain chapter documents on website.

8.  Create Dame events on Eventbrite and coordinate with appropriate people.

9.  Print, mail, and assist in the processing of ballots.

10.  Maintain chapter email address list and forward emails to appropriate

people.

11.  Work with communications secretary to build content on website.

 

Special: Fit Relationships, a financial literacy education and employment coaching program for low-income individuals, would like to make its graduates available to Les Dames d' Escoffier members seeking employees at all levels.   Funded by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), FIT provides training in housekeeping, construction, dishwasher, receptionist, truck driver, logistics, supply chain management,   food preparation, administration and book keeping skills and helps match its graduates with potential employers. It also provides ongoing job coaching to help ensure their success in their new job.  If you have job opportunities, please contact Julio Rodriguez, Fit Relationships Project Director at 703-831-8300, ext 451. Diane Feffer Neas is a member of FIT Relationships' advisory board.

 

 

PROGRAMS   

 

RUSTIC MARYLAND HUNT SIDEBOARD 

Join us as we recreate the hunt breakfast, "something to enjoy after the hunt....the dine after the dash." Adapted from "Horse Canada" 

DATE: Sunday, November 23

TIME 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. 

PLACE:  Farmstead Grill, The Shops at Canton Crossing, 3721 Boston St., Baltimore, MD 21224 

PRICE:$59.00 per person inclusive for members and one guest
(price includes a $10.00 tax exempt donation forLDEI-DC scholarships)

$69.00 per person inclusive for non-members
(price includes a $20.00 tax exempt donation for LDEI-DC scholarships)

RSVP: For reservations, more information or questions :  www.lesdamesdc.org OR 202-973-2168

Reservation or cancellation deadline November 19, 2014

PARKING AND DIRECTIONS

There is a free parking lot adjacent to the restaurant.

From I-95 North or South, take Exit 57 to O'Donnell Street/Boston Street and merge onto Interstate Avenue, heading west. It becomes Boston Street.   

Reception

Maryland Claret Wine Punch

Hunt Club Rye Cocktail

Sage White Cheddar Cheese Balls

Traditional Scotch Eggs

Tangy Cheese Straws

Buffet

Straw and Hay with Crabmeat

Farmer's Sunday Quiche

Smoked Chicken & Root Vegetable Casserole

Braised Beef Chili with Spoon Bread

Scalloped Oysters

Jon's Honey-Ginger Roasted Carrots

Grit Souffle

Dessert

Cast Iron Baked Black Rock Orchard Apples

 

DAMES HOLIDAY POTLUCK

DATE: Monday, December 8

PLACE: Karen Vartan's home. 4103 Beechwood Rd, University Park, MD 20782

Bring a dish. Refer to signup genius here 

  

DAMES WHO DRINK BEER AND PLAY PING PONG

Come for a fun-filled evening of pizza, salads, beer, wine and, of course, ping pong. Offer your holiday cheers with a glass of sparkling wine, courtesy of Comet. 

DATE: Monday, December 1

PLACE: Comet Ping Pong, Connecticut Ave NW, DC

TIME: 6:00 p.m.

PRICE: Dutch treat

  

CULINARY WOMEN IN WORDS

Find perfect personalized gifts for the holidays!

Come spend an afternoon meeting award-winning Dame authors at a book-signing. You and your friends will enjoy sample tastings from the Dames' cookbooks' recipes along with festive beverages. You will also be supporting our chapter's scholarships program.

DATE: December 14

PLACE:   ILO, 3417 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, DC

TIME:  3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m..

PRICE: $25 per person. Monies raised through ticket sales and raffle/auction will benefit the LDE-DC scholarship fund. Book sales are separate and handled by Politics and Prose. 

Register at 

  https://lesdamesbookparty.eventbrite.com 

Authors:

Nancy Baggett "The 2 Day a Week Diet" September 15, 2014

Ruth Gresser "Kitchen Workshop-Pizza" February 1, 2014

Carla Hall "Carla's Comfort Foods" April 1, 2014

Cathy Barrow "Mrs. Wheelbarrow's Practical Pantry'" Nov. 3, 2014 

Along with Najmieh Batmanglij, Pati Jinich, Bonnie Benwick, Nongkran Daks, Paula Shoyer, Sheilah Kaufman,Domenica Marchetti, Katherine Tallmadge, Nancy Piho, Aviva Goldfarb and Amy Riolo.

 

Please advise if you have a book that has been or will be published this year.   

 A TOUCH OF THE HEART: THE ART OF DIM SUM

 

"Dim Sum" means a touch of the heart. Dame Janet Yu, chef/owner of Hollywood East Café, will talk about the history of dim sum and demonstrate the art of making dim sum. We will then enjoy a delicious lunch at the restaurant, known for serving some of the best dim sum in our area.

DATE: Saturday, January 10, 2015

TIME: 11:00 a.m.

PLACE: Hollywood East Café, 11160 Viers Mill Rd, Wheaton, MD 20902

(Located inside the Westfield Wheaton Shopping Center-near Door #12).

PRICE: TBD

RSVP: For reservations, more information or questions :  www.lesdamesdc.org OR 202-973-2168

 
WOMEN IN THE ARTS D'ESCOFFIER - FUNDRAISER

Do you have connections who would clamor to be a major supporter of Les Dames d'Escoffier and this stellar event? We're looking to identify potential supporters for the Table sales. Extraordinary wine and special attention will be splurged on these generous folks. Contact Theresa Morrison wine@34south.com to join the planning committee. MORE TO COME....

DATE: March 16, 2015

TIME: 6:30 p.m.

PLACE: Ritz Carlson Hotel, West End, 1150 22nd Street NW, DC

PRICE:

Dames-only cost: TBD

Escoffier Table for 10: $10,000

Grande Dame Table for 10: $7,500

Connoisseur Ticket for 2: $1,000

Individual Ticket: $450

OF INTEREST

Women Chefs - the Art Show - WANTED: Woman chef's to be muses for professional artists in preparation for a juried and invitational Women Chefs - the Art Show (working title) at the Strathmore Mansion, September 5th to November 8th 2015. Susan Callahan created the idea and Debra Moser is working with Susan to organize this special event. Thus far, the following chefs have agreed to be paired with artists. We could use an additional 12 female chefs:

 

Carla Hall

Nora Poullion

Beverly Bates

Ruth Gresser

Susan Wallace

Janis Mclean

Lynn Foster

Janet Yu

Nongkran Daks

Kate Jansen

Tracy O'Grady

Nona Nielson-Parker

Laurie Alleman-Weber

Michelle Houser

Mary Howley

Marianne Ali

Sue McWilliams

Elise Welland

Sarah Dwyer

 

The chefs and artists will coordinate their own schedules. The artists may work from a series of photographs or from meetings and interviews. Susan and Debra aim to make this a comfortable and rewarding experience for everyone! The entire Strathmore Mansion to fill with wonderful images of women chefs.

 

Gail Forman has planned a special 10-course Taiwanese dinner that showcases the ethnic and cultural diversity of the Taiwanese kitchen at Seven Seas Restaurant in Rockville. Sponsored by The Transition Network, Dames are invited to attend. December 4, 6:30 p.m., $30 all inclusive.  The menu includes Rou Bing (Original Roll-Your-Own Spring Roll), Crispy Squid Ball, Beef Tenderloin with Cilantro, Pumpkin Seafood Soup, Tropical Jumbo Shrimp, Crispy Chicken with Basil, Steamed Fish with Taiwanese-Style Black Bean Sauce, Taiwanese White Cabbage with Gourmet Mushroom, Pumpkin with Rice Noodle, On-Lei Cookies & Fresh Fruits.  To register, contact gailforman@comcast.net.


Editor's Note

ENTRE NEWS is published on the first and third Wednesdays of each month. Deadline for HURRAH! and other news is the second and fourth Thursday of each month. Please send a BRIEF paragraph with your professional and personal news that you would like your sister Dames to know about in HURRAH!

 

HURRAH! is not meant as an advertising opportunity for a cooking class or event, rather it offers a shout out to members for recent accomplishments and honors.

 

OF INTEREST offers Dames a chance to let their sister chapter members know about events they are involved in that might be of interest to a majority of the membership. OF INTEREST entries can be NO LONGER than 75 words. Less is always better.

 

JOB OPPS can open Dames networks to employment opportunities.

 

Send information to EN Editor Katherine Newell Smith kns4pr@erols.com  

 

Thank you for you continued interest and participation.

 

Katherine Newell Smith

Editor, Entre News

In this issue
 
Social Media Connections

 

Connect with Sister Dames

Like us on Facebook
LesDamesDC 

Follow us on Twitter
@LesDamesDC 
@LesDamesDC

We need ALL members who have FB, Twitter and Instagram accounts to follow and actively re-tweet our members' tweets to spread the great news about our activities and programs!
 
Connect with Les Dames d'Escoffier International

Please share news, events and updates.  Join the LDEI members-only LinkedIn Group to stay connected with other Dames.


Like us on Facebook   View our profile on LinkedIn
Join a Committee....
You were invited to join Dames because of your talents and achievements and you promised to be part of our chapter's committee work; so, now it is time to
Get Involved!

Our committees offer the perfect opportunity to get to know your sister Dames, share your skills and to give back to the community through service.  Every committee needs dedicated participants. Please contact the committee chairs and offer your time and skills, now.

 

Grants/Mentoring:

Kate Jansen

 jansenkt@comcast.net   

Cindy Kacher

ckacher@aol.com 

Scholarships: 

Sara Engram 

 sara.engram@gmail.com  

Michele Jacobs 

michele@unionstationevents.com 

 Green Tables: 

Danielle Turner

 chefdanielle@greattastepcs.com 

Aviva Goldfarb

aviva@thescramble.com 

Programs:

Gail Forman

gailforman@comcast.net 

Barbara Cullen & Eileen Dykes

bamc519@yahoo.com;

eileendykes@gmail.com 

Global Culinary Initiatives:

Amy Riolo

amy@amyriolo.com 

Public Relations:

Jill Collins  

jill@jillcollinspr.com 

Fundraising:

Theresa Morrison

wine@34south.com 

Entre News Update:
Please submit your Entre News information in a brief, concise statement to Katherine Newell Smith at kns4pr@erols.com .
Board Meeting Minutes
To view the latest approved board meeting minutes, go to www.lesdamesdc.org and

click on the Members Only tab and again on Member Login Page. Log in. Once you are logged in, click on the Bylaws, Roster & Minutes tab. You will see a link to the board meeting minutes. During each monthly board meeting, the board approves the previous month's minutes and they are then posted to our website. 

Members-Only Section to our Website


It is easy to find chapter documents and resources, our event archives and past editions of Entre News.  

 

We now have a single password that all Dames must use to access this section of the website.  The password is ldedc2014.  Please do not share this password with anyone outside of the Chapter.

 

If you are having trouble logging into the website please contact our Communications Officer, Stacey Adams, at lesdamesdc.list@gmail.com  

 

Once you log in under Members Only, you will see a revised toolbar where you can find:

  • past and current Entre News issues posted under the Chapter Events tab.
  • archives of past chapter activities in the Chapter Events dropdown menu along with upcoming events.
  • helpful files including chapter letterhead, name tag template, LDEI logos and tax-exempt certificates under Documents & Forms.
  • our chapter's standing rules, bylaws and membership roster under About Us/Governance 
Quick Links
 
 

Member Milestones - Share your professional news with Dames in all Chapters in our LDEI Quarterly. Submit your news to:

MemberMilestones@aol.com - Edited by - Edited by Dolores Koteski (Phil)

LDEI Quarterly Deadlines:

The deadline for sending in Member Milestones and Chapter News for the WINTER issue of the LDEI Quarterly is November 7, 2014. You can see archived Quarterly magazines online  at  www.ldei.org under the Our Members tab. If you are not receiving hard copies of Quarterly, please check your online contact information. If it is correct, please contact Greg Jewell to make sure you are on the mailing list. 

 

Milestone Submission:

PROVIDE DAME'S NAME and CHAPTER. Submit up to 50 words about honors or important business-related activities to appear in the LDEI Quarterly. You may email a quality headshot to accompany your news. Press releases and cookbook covers are not accepted. Entries received after the deadline may appear in a following issue.

 

Quarterly Guidelines:

Photography/Images-Electronic images must be properly focused, in color with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi (TIFF or JPEG). Cell phone photos are acceptable if they meet resolution requirements. Do not send photos taken off the internet or embedded with text in Word files or PDF files. Identify individuals in photos from left to right in the message of your email. Include photo credits, if required. CAPTIONS ARE REQUIRED FOR PUBLICATION.



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