Dear Sister Dames,
We Dames are a diverse group of incredibly talented and smart women with the common goal of giving back. We do this in many ways throughout the year according to our abilities and the time we have to devote to our chapter.
However, only when I became a board member, ten short years ago, did I begin to understand how many components are involved in running a chapter. As a businesswoman, I'm fascinated with team building and what great teams can accomplish. Each board position and committee chair requires unique talents and skills that are integral to our chapter's success.
As our chapter evolves every year, we have new opportunities to make a difference. I am encouraged by what our current board and previous boards have accomplished. Whether the focus is on streamlining the operations or raising funds for scholarships and grants, each board works to meet our mission to help support women in food, beverage, and hospitality.
Our Board Nominating Committee is actively working on the next slate of candidates for the 2020-21 Board of Directors. If you have been a member for years and can give more time or if you are a new member and are eager to become more involved, I encourage you to serve in a leadership role that aligns with your skill set. You will learn the inner processes of the chapter, work together as a cohesive team on various projects and continue to build a strong organization so we can fulfill our mission. For many of you, this would be the first time you would serve on a board. I can tell that you can learn a lot about governance, leadership, organization, collaboration and diplomacy. These are lessons that can help you in your own businesses.
Please consider how you can parlay your skills in service to the success of this chapter. We need you.
Should you have a chapter question, concern or idea, please shoot me an email at president@lesdamesdc.org or give me a call (410) 212-2224.
Stacey Adams
President Washington, DC Chapter, Les Dames d'Escoffier International |
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Our 2020 new member drive is now open. We seek exceptional women to bring their talent, ideas and energy to Les Dames DC. Your participation is very important to our chapter's success; so, we encourage you to submit names of qualified women to join us and work with them throughout the application process.
Please consider nominating individuals who you think will help us succeed and grow. Requirements for membership include but are not limited to a minimum of FIVE years as a distinguished professional in the food, beverage or hospitality industry.
Prospective new member recommendations from member sponsors are due February 17, 2020.
Becoming a member sponsor is critically important to the success of our chapter and is also fun and fulfilling. Sponsors:
- inform qualified prospective new members about the chapter's mission, goals, activities, and basic requirements.
- assess prospective new member's interest in becoming a contributing member of LDEI.
- submit nomination(s) to by February 17, 2020. Please include your nominees name and full contact information.
- attend our Prospective Member Reception (Date TBD)
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assist candidate in completing application by March 13, 2020.
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attend general meeting to introduce new member to DC chapter. (Date TBD)
Nominated individuals will receive an application and an invitation to attend the Prospective Member Reception. I look forward to receiving your nominations. Please email them to me at membership@lesdamesdc.org. Lori Gardner
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The nomination period for LDE-DC chapter officers and directors for 2020-2021 is open until Friday, March 15. Information about the positions can be found at www.lesdamesdc.org in the Member Resources Section.
Please consider nominating Dames who possess leadership qualities to represent our membership and who will work to achieve our chapter's goals in the coming year. Remember, you may nominate any chapter member in good standing or you may nominate yourself. Please submit your nomination(s) to committee chair, Olga Boikess at boikess@hotmail.com
Please be sure that the Dame you nominate agrees to participate as an active member of the board.
The LDE-DC Board of Director positions are: President, First Vice President (membership), Second Vice President (education and community outreach), Second Vice President (development), Recording Secretary, Communications (corresponding) Secretary and Financial Officer. Database and web-savvy individuals are suitable for the Communications Secretary and Financial Officer positions. QUICKBOOKS proficiency is also needed for the Financial Officer position.
In addition, there are four (4) directors, each of whom serve a two-year term and are expected to take on a committee responsibility. Two directors are selected each year. Each Officer is elected for a one (1) year term and is eligible for re-election to a second consecutive term. The exception is the finance officer who may serve total of four (4) consecutive terms. Each term period follows the fiscal year. Directors are elected for two years. After two (2) consecutive terms, an Officer is ineligible for reelection to the same office for a period of one (1) year, but she may be nominated and elected to a different position as either an Officer or Director. No member may serve on the board, as an officer or director, for more than seven (7) consecutive years.
2020-2021 Board Nominating Committee
Committee chair: Olga Boikess
Committee members: Cecilia Glembocki, Cynthia Glover, Aviva Goldfarb, Ellen Kassoff Gray
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Clear away your duplicate or unused cookbooks, kitchenware, table linens and accessories. DC Dames will once again stage its ever-popular Cookbook Jumble and Culinary Garage Sale during our biennial CELEBRATING FOOD! Women in Gastronomy Symposium's EXPO on March 28. We are a 501c3 organization, so your donations can qualify for tax deductions.
Click here for guidelines on how to claim a deduction for donated items.
HOW TO DONATE ITEMS: Please bring your donations in boxes or bags for easy transport.
COOKBOOKS:
Contact Cookbook Jumble Chair Susan Delbert,sdelbert@press.org, at the National Press Club, 529 14th Street, NW, (13th floor) in downtown DC, to drop COOKBOOKS off--or you can drop them at her home in Silver Spring (Off University Blvd, north of the Beltway) if that is more convenient. Susan will give location details when/if you phone (202) 486-4850). The NPC is at the corner of 14th and F streets, about two blocks from the White House. If you would like to phone ahead, chef office is (202) 662-7514.
KITCHENWARE and EQUIPMENT, TABLE LINENS: Contact Culinary Garage Sale Chair Katherine Newell Smith, kns4pr@erols.com, with "culinary garage sale" in the subject line, or call (703) 475-1833, and let her know WHEN and WHAT items you plan to donate, estimated value (we will use Salvation Army Valuation as a pricing guide. Katherine's home is in Bethesda, 5525 Devon Road (just off Bradley Blvd) where it will be stored in her basement. We will arrange to e-mail you a thank you receipt letter on our letterhead for your tax purposes once we receive your items.
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Pati Jinich interviewed The Washington Post Food Editor Joe Yonan at the Connecticut Avenue Politics and Prose on Tuesday, February 4 about his newest book, Cool Beans: The Ultimate Guide to Cooking with the World's Most Versatile Plant-Based Protein. In his book's acknowledgements, he thanks Kristen Hartke for her "expert recipe testing, invaluable insight and good-natured outlook."
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In the early '90's, Starbucks was just beginning its march across the continent. A designer coffee drink was not yet a routine part of the day for most Americans. And, as Jodi Lehr puts it, the coffee served in DC area restaurants and hotels was mostly "black water." Jodi and her husband, Nicaraguan-born William Gutierrez, decided to change that. With a background in fashion and the hospitality industry, Jodi was then director of Marketing and Sales for chef/restaurateur Roberto Donna. Gutierrez, who had worked for the Inter-American Bank, had family connections that gave him access to estate-grown coffee beans from his native country's high mountain region. Together, they established a boutique company, Santa Lucia Estate Coffee, to import and roast the top-flight beans.
Jodi's vibrant personality and rapport with the area's top chefs - Donna, Jean-Louis Palladin, Jeffrey Buben, Robert Weidmaier and many more - developed a niche market for the company by selling directly to restaurants, hotels and caterers. Her message was simple: "Chefs and managers who take pains to source top-flight oils and wines should not be satisfied with a Cisco coffee product."
At the time - some 25 years ago - Nicaraguan coffee was an unknown. Jodi and her husband wanted their customers to understand that growing beans is an art, like growing grapes. What's more, they wanted to share their passion for the country. So, they organized tours for these chefs so they could experience the family-run, hands-on, sustainable processes that result in top-notch coffee beans as well as the country's beaches and resorts. Those jaunts are legendary!
Jodi is an amazingly generous and civic-minded entrepreneur. She and her Santa Lucia Estate coffee have been a fixture at virtually every charitable food-focused event since the company got underway. She is also active in raising money and cancer awareness for the Children's National Medical Center. (Her son, Marco, is a two-time leukemia survivor who will graduate this year from the University of Michigan.) Marco and his older brother, Robert, a senior auditor, have always been involved with the company. They "avoided summer camp," Jodi said, to "learn about beans, business and community service." Asked what the second generation has in mind, she said that they are thinking about opening a coffeehouse.
- Olga Boikess
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HOSPITALITY MANAGER
Specialty food shop Piazza Italian Market , 218 North Washington St., Easton, MD 21601,
seeks a full-time hospitality manager-- a hybrid job of customer service manager tasked with working with customers and training staff on customer service and food and beverage manager monitoring the level of food service and staff at the cafe/store when on duty. The hospitality manager will work directly with the owner and customers at this bustling, independent business on Maryland's Eastern Shore. For more information contact: Emily Chandler at chandler.ea@gmail.com
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PROGRAMS
GUIDED TOUR OF PARK VIEW FARMERS MARKET AT HOOK HALL - DAMES AND PROSPECTIVE MEMBERS - BRING A FRIEND
Join us for a special tour of this year-round Sunday market which opened January 12 and is a first for this neighborhood. It connects local farmers, growers and producers to local consumers in the Park View, Petworth, Columbia Heights and surrounding communities.
Park View Farmers Market features the largest meat and seafood counter in Northwest DC and will grow to more than 30 vendors who represent some of the best farmers, growers and producers in the region. Vendors have been carefully curated for the dedication they demonstrate in connecting people to healthier food.
Market products will include fresh fruits and vegetables, seafood, meat, eggs, honey, bread, pastries, and plant and meat-based prepared foods. The venue at Hook Hall is one of the finest in the city and the perfect backdrop for a farmers market. With beautiful covered outdoor space, grand indoor space and a full-service bar, it truly is a community gathering spot.
DATE: Sunday, February 9
TIME: 11:00 a.m.
PLACE: Park View Farmers Market, at Hook Hall, 3400 Georgia Avenue NW, D.C.
Meet at the information booth for a private tour with owners Chuck Brodsky and Michelle Harburg. Each will receive a Park View Farmers Market goodie bag. There will be reserved seating in a Hook Hall private cabana for Dames who wish to gather after they have shopped. There are vendors selling prepared food along with Hook Hall's menu; so, lunch is an option.
PARKING: There is street parking in the neighborhood but ride sharing, Uber or Lyft, might be a better option. (The very popular Call Your Mother Deli is across the street and it is busy on Sunday!)
LES DAMES PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WEBINAR: The Ins and Outs of Influencer Marketing
This one-hour webinar will cover: why work with influencers, and some success stories; how to determine which influencers are a good fit for your company and goals; how to vet influencers you find (or who find you); how to work with influencers; negotiating dos and don'ts with influencers to get the most ROI and avoid costly mistakes.
Speaker Casey Benedict will also leave time to answer your questions.
As founder and CEO of Kitchen PLAY, Benedict has been at the leading edge of influencer marketing since 2010. She has guided many of the world's top brands, agencies and agricultural boards in successfully navigating the ever-changing world of influencer marketing while developing effective strategies to drive their growth. Benedict has built a community of over 2,000 culinary influencers across the globe and her groundbreaking conferences have brought together major brands including KitchenAid, Calphalon, OXO, Sun-Maid, California Avocados, Sugar in the Raw, US Potatoes to move the industry forward through education and connection. DATE: Thursday, February 27
TIME: 3:00 to 4:00 p.m.
PLACE: ZOOM online platform. More information on how to connect through ZOOM under RSVP.
PRICE: Free for Les Dames Members, $10 for the general public
RSVP: Click here to register. Note, the maximum capacity for the webinar is 100. We will open it to the general public next week, so please register now if you are interested before it fills up.
CIRCUMNAVIGATING SPAIN AND ITS REGIONAL FOODS - PUBLIC PROGRAM
Stacey Adams and CiCi Williamson will take you 2,000 miles around Spain and visit the top sites in Madrid, Toledo, Vitoria, Bilbao, San Sebastian, Pamplona, Barcelona, Valencia, Granada (Al Hambra), the Costa del Sol (Malaga) Seville, and Cordoba (Mosque of the Caliphs). The talk, illustrated by beautiful photos taken by the speakers, will be accompanied by tastes of regional foods from the Basque country in the north to the southern Moorish Andalusia and to eastern provincial Catalonia. Also, you will learn about the British overseas territory of Gibraltar that abuts southern Spain. Stacey Adams is the president of the Washington, D.C. Chapter. She is president and culinary director of Tastings Gourmet Market in Annapolis, which she founded in 2006. CiCi Williamson is a longtime food and travel writer. She is a past president of both the Les Dames d'Escoffier Washington, D.C., Chapter and of Les Dames d'Escoffier International.
DATE: Saturday, March 7, 2020
PLACE: Jaleo Crystal City, 2250-A Crystal Drive at 23rd St., Arlington, VA 22202, www.jaleo.com
TIME: 12:00 to 2:00 p.m.
PRICE: (Includes menu below). $35 for Members of Les Dames; $45 for non-members; Alcoholic and soft drinks for separate purchase.
RSVP: Click here to purchase your tickets. Reservation or cancellation deadline is Monday, March 2
PARKING: Free at Crystal City Parking Garage, where 23rd St. dead ends at Crystal Drive
METRO: Crystal City (Blue, Orange)
MENU (Each dish served to every diner)
FIRST COURSE (3)
Endibias con queso de cabra y naranjas
Endives with goat cheese, oranges and almonds
Pan con tomate
Toasted slices of rustic bread brushed with fresh tomato
Patatas bravas
A Jaleo favorite of potatoes with spicy tomato sauce and alioli
SECOND COURSE (4)
Gambas al ajillo
The very, very famous tapa of shrimp sautéed with garlic and brava sauce
Espinacas a la catalane
Sautéed spinach, pine nuts, raisins and apples
Chorizo a la sidra con puré de patatas al aceite de oliva
Homemade traditional chorizo with olive oil mashed potatoes
and cider sauce
Croquetas de pollo
Traditional chicken fritters
DESSERT (2)
Flan al estilo de mama Marisa con espuma de crema catalana
A classic Spanish custard dessert with "espuma" of Catalan cream and oranges
Pan con chocolate
Chocolate flan with caramelized bread, olive oil and brioche ice cream
CELEBRATING FOOD! SALUTE TO WOMEN IN GASTRONOMY SYMPOSIUM
DATE: Saturday, March 28, 2020
TIME: 8:30 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.
PLACE: The Universities at Shady Grove, 9630 Gudelsky Dr., Rockville, MD 20850
PRICE: $145 by Friday, February 28; $155 after February 28. Price includes parking fee.REDUCED RATE FOR DAME VOLUNTEERS.
RSVP: Click here for Dames Volunteer registration
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We are looking for a Dame to assist with our social media as part of the Communications committee. She will post on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter promoting our events, give shout outs for Dame "sightings" at non-Dame events and post photos taken at our and non-Dame events. This volunteer will work with Vice President of Communications Jill Collins. Please contact Jill at jill@jillcollinspr.com if you are interested in doing this important job.
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As a member of LDEI, you have made a commitment to support women in the culinary industry. Your membership provides a unique opportunity to do so and offers you a platform to interact with other leaders who share your passion.
One way to facilitate our mission is through the chapter's online directory on Wild Apricot. There you can identify your professional affiliation and your areas of expertise. We ask that you take a moment to log in and enter your information along with a current photo. We will use this platform for networking, member engagement, and logistics, such as event registration. It is a time for New Year's resolutions; so, we hope that one of yours will be to make the most of your LDE-DC membership.
We are seeking 100% participation, so don't delay!
If this is your first time to log in, please use this link to reset your password.
An email will be sent to you to reset your password. Once you've logged in, you will be prompted to accept the terms and conditions. Then, you can go into your profile and update and verify your contact information. Your profile includes many areas like social links, profession, photo, etc. Only members can view your profile information.
If you have any questions about Wild Apricot, please email admin@lesdamesdc.org
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OF INTEREST
Sunday, February 9 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. To Australia, With Love Fundraiser, Equinox Restaurant. 818 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20006. Ellen Kassoff Gray and Sacha Cohen will co-host this event to raise money for World Wildlife Fund Australia and WIRES, two organizations rescuing and rehabilitating animals affected by the horrific Australian wildfires. Support a great cause while enjoying a delicious assortment of plant-based bites, wine and beer, specialty cocktails, and live music from our friends and local favorite Diplomatic Immunity. Tickets are $50 for general admission, $75 for VIP (includes open bar with wine and beer and a specialty cocktail.
Sunday, March 15. 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., Riversdale House Museum's Kitchen Guild Open House. 4811 Riverdale Road, Riverdale Park, MD 20737. Cozy up in the dependency (the kitchen and scullery) with the Kitchen Guild to learn about 18th and 19th century open hearth cooking and discover how Federal-era foods compare to today's fare! Sample foods made using historic recipes and hear more about Guild activities throughout the year!
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Entre News is our LDE-DC chapter e-newsletter. It is published on the first and third Wednesday of each month. It is on hiatus during the month of August. 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. Please submit your HURRAH to eneditor@lesdamesdc.org in a succinct 75 words of less.
DAMES CORNER is a brief feature to help us get to know our sister Dames a bit better. We will randomly choose Dames to profile who have differing professional backgrounds so the coverage is more interesting.
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. Its function is not to promote products, cooking classes, culinary trips, etc., rather to alert members to public programs that might be of professional interest, especially if Dames are featured. We request OF INTEREST entries to be no longer than 150 words. Less is always better.
JOB OPPS can open Dames networks to employment opportunities.
Thank you for you continued interest and participation.
Katherine Newell Smith
Founding Editor, Entre News
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Social Media Connections
Connect with Sister Dames
 LesDamesDC
 @LesDamesDC
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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.
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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.
2019-2020 Committee Chairs
Membership - Dames Who Dine:
Karen Lippold
dameswhodine@lesdamesdc.org
Membership - Engagement:
Carole Sugarman
Women in Gastronomy:
Laurie Bell
Eileen Dykes
Grants:
Jessica Botta
Scholarships:
Nona Nielsen-Parker
Green Tables:
Karen Vartan
Edee Hogan
Global Culinary Initiatives:
Amy Riolo
Public Relations:
Jill Collins
Development:
Annie Boutin King
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2019-2020
Julia Rutland
Financial Officer
Drew Faulkner
Communications Officer
Jill Collins
Directors
Olga Boikess
(Programs)
Karen Lippold
(Dames Who Dine)
Diane Neas
(Parliamentarian)
Karen Vartan
(Green Tables)
Alternate:
Carole Sugarman
(Member Engagement)
Janet Yu
(Past President)
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To view the latest approved board meeting minutes, go to www.lesdamesdc.org and
click on the Members Only tab and enter the password. Click on the dropdown menu for LDE-DC Board and 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.
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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 the Members Only section of the website. The password is ldedc2014. Please do not share this password with anyone outside of the Chapter. We are revising the members only section but the password remains as above.
If you are having trouble logging into the website please contact our Communications Officer at communications@lesdamesdc.org
Under Member Login, you will see a revised menu where you can find:
- past and current Entre News issues posted under the Entre News Archives tab.
- archives of past chapter activities in the LDE-DC Dame Only Events menu along with upcoming events.
- helpful files including chapter letterhead, name tag template, LDEI logos and tax-exempt certificates under Documents and Forms.
- our chapter's standing rules, bylaws and membership roster under Bylaws, Roster & Minutes.
- A roster of Dames that can be printed out.
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LDEI Quarterly Deadlines:
The deadline for sending in Member Milestones and Chapter News for the SUMMER issue of the LDEI Quarterly is APRIL 10. Our archived Quarterly magazines are available online. If you are not receiving hard copies of Quarterly, please check your online contact information at www.ldei.org If it is correct, please contact Greg Jewell info@ldei.org to make sure you are on the mailing list.
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.
Member Milestones - Edited by Dorothy Koteski (Phil)
Share your professional news with Dames in all chapters in our LDEI Quarterly. Shout, don't whisper, about your accomplishments. We all want a chance to say "Brava!"
Submit Member Milestones by filling out the interactive form at: http://link.ldei.org/ldei-member-milestones. Any field marked with an asterisk (*) is required. Note that some forms have character limits due to space constraints. To submit a photo, reply "Yes" to "Would you like to submit a high resolution quality image?" Then click "Next". You will be taken to a second page where you can upload your images.
Be sure to click the SUBMIT button to upload your responses. You will receive an email confirmation that your submission was received. Press releases and cookbook covers are not accepted. Entries received after the deadline may appear in a following issue.
Please know that you can also email your information, if you prefer. The email addresses listed under the Submission Guidelines will always be active and will forward to the correct person.
Submit Chapter News by filling out the interactive form at: http://link.ldei.org/ldei-chapter-programs.To submit a photo, reply "Yes" to "Would you like to submit a high resolution quality image?" Then click "Next". You will be taken to a second page where you can upload your images. Be sure to click the SUBMIT button to upload your responses. You will receive an email confirmation that your submission was received.
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