Joan Hisaoka - Les Dames d'Escoffier International

Les Dames D’escoffier internationaL 

summer 2 o o8 

3860_Fall_Quarterly_08_FINAL.indd 1 8/25/08 8:53:21 AM

3 President’s Message 

4-8 Fundraising from Coast to Coast 

Atlanta, San Diego, British Columbia, 

Monterey & Washington D.C. 

9 In Memory of Joan Hisaoka 

12 The Cookbook Cometh!! 

11 An Invitation from the 

Green Tables Steering Committee 

14 Congratulations & 

Welcome St. Louis Dames 

16 Cheers to Natalie MacLean 

On Her Latest IACP Award! 

16 Holy Sustenance 

18-21 Journey to Vietnam: Food is Peace 

Lisa Ekus-Saffer, Jerilyn Brusseau & Nancie McDermott 

12 Green Tables 

20 Member Milestones 

22 Chapter News 

22 Submission Guidelines 

ON THe COVer: 

Left to Right: Dames Alison Barshak (Philadelphia); Jerilyn 

Brusseau (Seattle); Lisa Ekus-Saffer (Boston); Catherine Hazan 

(Seattle), planting; Nancie McDermott (Charleston) in Vietnam 

planting a tree in the memory of Dame Gretchen Mathers. 

2008 LDEI BoarD of DIrEctors 

President 

Katherine neweLL smith 

5525 Devon Road 

Bethesda, Maryland 20814 

310-907-7590 

301-907-7594 fax 

kns4pr@erols.com 

First VP/President Elect 

suzanne Brown 

5415 Northland Dr. NE #223 

Atlanta, GA 30342 

Suzanne@browncommunications.us 

Second VP/Quarterly Editor 

sarah Graham 

22 Jamestown Road 

Charleston, SC 29407 

804-484-5365 

Onlythebest@mindspring.com 

Third VP/Communications, PR 

teresa farney 

7220 Delmonico Dr. 

Colorado Springs, CO 80919 

719-636-0271 

719-636-0202 fax 

Teresa.farney@gazette.com 

Secretary 

marie KeLLey 

2047 Camininito Capa 

La Jolla, CA 92037 

858-459-3731 

858-459-5876 

mgkelley@sbglobal.net 

Treasurer 

PhyLLis frucht 

1917 S Street NW 

Washington, DC 20009 

202-483-7282 

202-483-7284 

phyllis@whatscookingdc.com 

Director-at-Large 

myra cLement 

166 E. 63rd Street 

New York, NY 10021 

212-644-7969 

Myraclement@msn.com 

Liaison with Atlanta, Charleston, Cleveland, 

Colorado, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Monterey 

Bay, Ontario, Canada, San Francisco Bay 

Area, South Florida 


wenDy tayLor 

1410 Jefferson Avenue 

West Vancouver, BC V7T 2 B4 

Canada 

604-926-9071 

planitbc@telus.net 

Liaison with Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, 

Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San 

Antonio, Seattle 

SUMMER•2 OO8 

We always look forward to getting 

together with sister Dames at national 

and international events for our Dames 

Who Drink (DWD) cocktail hour. We 

gather to network and to catch up on 

where life has taken us since the last 

DWD event. 

Here’s another definition of DWD: 

Dames Who Do. Dames who take action, 

Dames who don’t just wish they could 

make a difference, they get out there and 

DO something to make a difference. 

Read how large chapters pull together 

year after year to put on elaborate 

fundraising events that bring in thousands 

and thousands of dollars to create lifechanging 

opportunities, all the while 

building meaningful chapter relationships. 

See how a smaller chapter went “crazy” 

baking cupcakes and raised close to $6,000. 

Tip your hat to a fabulously successful first 

fundraising effort by a new chapter that 

had every member DOING something to 

make sure it all worked perfectly. 

Then see how Dames from across 

the country came together to take a lifechanging 

adventure to help people on the 

other side of the world , whom many of 

them did not know. What they did know 

was that these people needed help and 

they had the talent and the resources to 

make a difference; so, they DID. 

Now give a rousing toast at the next 

Dames Who Drink to yourself and to 

your sister Dames who keep the passion 

and the power going to be the Dames 

Who DO…make a difference. 

– Sarah Graham 


aLice Gautsch foreman 

2450 Canterbury Lane E, 2A 

Seattle, WA 98112 

206-325-1780 

Agwaf@aol.com 

Liaison with British Columbia, 

Dallas, Hawaii, Kansas City, 

Palm Springs, Philadelphia, 

Phoenix, San Diego, St. Louis, 

Washington DC 

Executive Director 

GreG JeweLL 

P.O. Box 4961 

Louisville, KY 40204 

502-456-1851 

502-456-1821 fax 

ldei@aecmanagement.com 


finding our Passion 

As I have settled into my tenure this year and have chatted with 

other board members, listened in on the bimonthly directors’- 

at-large calls with chapter presidents and spoken with other 

Dames from chapters across the country, I have begun to 

more deeply consider what it means to be a Dame. 

Each of us has been invited to join this amazing philanthropic 

sisterhood of women leaders in our industries. And every chapter 

has created its own unique niche in its community for service, 

education and philanthropy. Yet, in each chapter a perennial 

concern is member participation and retention. Dames are very 

busy women and if they are not vested in a particular issue, 

manifested in an event or program, they may be happy to offer 

an opinion, but are not necessarily interested in planning it or 

even, perhaps, in showing up. However busy we are, though, 

we make time for our passions. Whether it is to make a phone 

call to a friend, teach children the relationship between the 

garden and the table, cook at a women’s shelter, find donations 

for a food bank or travel to an area hit by disaster and help 

rebuild a home or a restaurant, we will make time for what we 

really want to do. 

Our charge, as leaders in our chapters and LDEI and as engaged 

members, is to work together to identify more of the relevant 

issues that ignite our passions in service to our communities. 

Further, maybe it is time that we begin to think of ways to 

harness Dames’ extraordinary power, intelligence, expertise and 

connections to make contributions to the broader discussions 

of food security, childhood hunger, disaster planning/relief and 

other major issues that threaten our world. 

To that end, the LDEI board is embarking on a strategic planning 

process with the goal of finding how we can focus our 

actions at the international level to craft a range of programs 

with which more Dames connect. In turn, the information we 

glean may help chapters plan strategically for their futures and 

grow into more relevant organizations in their communities. 

While we all understand that such a project is long term and 

evolves, we will have some interim results to share at the annual 

conference. In the meantime, I hope you will take some 

time to consider Dames as a group–greater than the sum of 

its parts–that can make a significant impact in ways we have 

yet to imagine. 

Katherine Newell Smith 

SUMMER QUaRtERly 2OO8 3 

3860_Fall_Quarterly_08_FINAL.indd 3 8/25/08 8:53:27 AM 

Photo by Alan C. Miller

What do you get when you add 700 happy guests, 

35 of the city’s best chefs, 40 fine wines, a 

handful of local micro-breweries, a copious silent 

auction, and a smattering of organic farmers to 

an elegantly rustic and bucolic Georgia farm-land 

setting with three huge tents and 35 very busy 

Atlanta Dames? You get one super party and 

$50.000 to divvy up between scholarships to 

students and donations to local, organic farmers. 

Left: Scholarship winner is Lucille McGee, with immediate 

past president Mary Moore (left), and Silvia 

Riedel, scholarship committee chair (right). 

RIGHt: Cake Lady is Barb Pires, current vice president 

of Atlanta Chapter. 

This summer, the Atlanta Chapter is gearing up for 

its 8th Annual Afternoon in the Country at nearby 

Serenbe, an 800-acre sustainable residential community. 

The festivities will be held on November 9. 

According to chapter president Virginia Willis, this year’s 

event promises to be more exciting than ever. “Last year 

was the most successful Afternoon in the Country to date. 

We are looking forward to maintaining that momentum 

and offering a showcase for the area’s most talented 

chefs and their creative offerings, along with an array of 

fine wines, beers and Georgia’s organic harvest.” 

Elizabeth McDonald, a committee member since 

joining the Dames in 2003, says “I think most would 

agree that we work on this event because it is a truly 

unique fundraiser in Atlanta and has garnered quite the 

“Fun” events that bring in the cash and bring a chapter together. 

b y Da m e Sa r a h Gr a h a m (Ch a r l e S t o n ) 

reputation for being an unforgettable day—even if the 

weather is crummy, everyone still has a blast.” 

”The setting is amazingly beautiful—about 45 

minutes south of Atlanta in the Georgia countryside. 

Atlanta’s best chefs bring their families and share 

an easy rivalry to see which one will prepare the 

‘favorite’ taste of the day. The pastry chefs go all 

out in creating amazing cakes for our cake raffle. 

Everyone really pulls out the stops and goes the 

extra mile to make it special. The bluegrass music 

gets everyone in a good mood. The wine and beer 

flow freely and it is just a wonderful day for guests 

and for all the volunteers.” 

Highlights of this year’s event will include: the oneof-a 

kind cake raffle from Atlanta’s best pastry chefs, 

hayrides, and unique wares from local artisans and 

select retailers. An expanded silent auction will feature 

exclusive dining and travel packages, collectible wines, 

and original art by some of the Southeast’s most 

prominent artists. Tickets are $95 for adults, $35 for 

children 20 to 12 with those under 12 free. 

This event was so successful last year that the 

chapter had to hire an event planner for this year. 

The mark of a professional is knowing what it takes 

to move to the next level of success. Bravo to these 

professional ladies, and leaders, for creating such 

a remarkably successful event and for securing its 

continued success. 

For more information on the event and on the Atlanta 

chapter check out their website www.ldeiatlanta.org. 

4 Les Dames d’Escoffier International 


From hundreds of hungry guests feasting on BBQ and drinking beer to a genteel gathering of friends sampling 

cheese and sipping champagne, this is just a sampling of the many great events Dames put on throughout 

the year to support their philanthropy programs. Check the LDEI website for more great ideas. 

It was Sunday, June 22, 2008 around 1:00-3:30 p.m. 

at the Macy’s Mission Valley Home Store’s School of 

Cooking that 13 crazy Dames (plus a few husbands) were 

the working “cupcakes” of the day! 

Along with these crazy cupcake Dames were 

125 guests who spent the afternoon enjoying a 

myriad of cupcake samples, collecting recipes and 

learning professional tips on baking and decorating 

techniques. 

While all this fun was going on, the San Diego chapter raised 

close to $6,000 from ticket sales, gift basket opportunity 

in San DiEgO 

by Da m e ma r i e Ke l l e y (Sa n Di e G o ) 

drawings, gift certificate boards and a silent auction. 

Proceeds from this ”sweet” success will go to support 

The Tomorrow Project, Rachel’s Women’s Center; the 

Culinary Arts Programs, St. Vincent de Paul Village; The 

Organic Garden, and St. Madeline Sophie’s Center 

This fundraiser was modeled after our November 

“Annual Holiday Gifts in a Jar,” now in its fourth 

year. Each Dame in the chapter is required to sell/buy 

five tickets at $30. Tickets at the door are $35. Prior 

to the event, gift certificates and items for both the 

gift baskets and the silent auction were solicited. 

Cupcake Presentors: Dames Carole Bloom, 

Sally Bernstein, Louise Mathews, Linda Bills 

BeLow: (l-r)Dames Sally Bernstein, Phillis 

Carey, Carole Bloom, Glennalie 

Coleman, Karen Ward, Marie Kelley, Louise 

Mathews, Marie Gomez-Laurens 

On Saturday goodie bags with recipes and elaborate 

baskets were assembled. Several Dames baked five 

dozen cupcakes each for sampling. The day of the 

fundraiser, three Dames demonstrated recipes and one 

showed decorating techniques. Behind the scenes there 

were ticket takers, cupcake cutters, sellers of drawing 

tickets, monitors of gift board and auction, plus greeters. 

About half of the chapter’s members participated with 

enthusiasm. Creative ideas and plans are underway to 

engage more Dames for the next Crazy for Cupcakes 

event. San Diego Dames also sponsored a Cupcake 

Contest at the SD County Fair! 



ABove Left: (l-r) Wine Writer Anthony Gismondi, Food and Wine 

Writer Bruce Stephen, Dean Bertram & Dame Dana Lee Harris 

ABove RIGHt: (l-r) Susie’s Team – Iron Chef Rob Feenie, Dame 

Caren McSherry, Chocolatier Thomas Haas, Dame Susan Meister 

RIGHt: Dame Lee Murphy (left) from Vista d’Oro Farms and a 

volunteer taking a break from working the booth sponsored 

by Vista d’Oro Farms. 

“I think you guys run the BEST 

golf tournament (and I play in quite 

a few). There aren’t many people 

I know that I haven’t told just how 

much I love playing in this tournament. 

Great people, great food and great fun.” 

–Tracey (golfing competitor at the 2007 BC tournament) 

The BC Chapter is already teeing up for its ninth 

annual Les Dames d’Escoffier Celebrity Chef 

Golf Invitational to be held September 15. All of the 

participants in this unique charity tournament enjoy 

a round of golf while tasting fine food and beverages 

at each tee. Top-quality refreshments are supplied 

by many of BC’s leading restaurants, caterers, wine 

agents, and brewers. 

Delicious gourmet food ranging from duck confit and 

Chef Ann Kirsebom’s tequila lime sauce with tenderloin to 

Vista d’Oro’s farmhouse tarts with figs and classic mini 

Pavlovas paired with fine wines from around the world 

are served at all 18 holes and the putting green. 

The tournament is tremendously popular, selling out 

b y Da m e Da n a le e ha r r i S (britiSh Co l u m b i a ) 

all 144 golfer spots every year. After a fun round 

of golf on the centrally located University Golf Club 

course, participants enjoy a gourmet dinner at the 

club house. 

The golf event also features a putting contest, while 

the dinner is followed by a live auction offering bigticket 

items such as romantic resort getaways and 

at-home dinners with celebrity chefs. There’s also a 

silent auction with more than 50 items. The sale of 

mulligans and raffle tickets for wine and cookbook 

draws raise additional funds. 

To date the tournament has raised more than $150,000. 

The 2008 event is expected to bring in more than 

$30,000. British Columbia’s Chapter uses the funds 

to support scholarships, mentoring projects and the 

local Green Table farm-to-table initiative. 

Considered by many food and wine enthusiasts to be 

one of the premier golf tournaments in Vancouver, the 

Celebrity Chef Golf Invitational is also a great opportunity 

to meet local celebrated chefs and network with industry 

insiders from BC’s hot culinary scene. 

To see pictures from past tournaments and learn about 

all the fun that goes on at the BC Invitational visit their 

chapter website, www.lesdames.ca. If your chapter is 

interested in hosting a golf tournament in your community, 

Dame Dana Lee Harris (danalee.harris@shaw.ca) 

and Dame Susan Meister (susie@fabulousfoods.ca) 

will be glad to share their lists, letters and committee 

assignments to get you started. 



adapted from It’s Tough Being a Dame b y Da m e Do r o t h y ma r a S-ilDiz (mo n t e r e y ) 

CLoCkwIse: (top) Michel Escoffier, Daryl Griffith (Melanie Griffith’s step-Mother and Catering Manager at The Lodge at Pebble 

Beach) (bottom, l-r) Dames Maureen Signorella, Carol Hilburn, Mary Chamberlin, Lygia Chappellet. 

View from the Chappellet estate garden overlooking Stillwater Cove in PebbleBeach, CA. The estate is comprised of the Mansion 

and 5 acres of land. It is over 250 feet from the rear of the Mansion to the edge of the water. 

Table of cheeses and fresh fruit prepared for the event by Dames Carol Hilburn and Mary Chamberlin. 

Photos and caption research by Roy Chamberlin 

At times my work as a culinary journalist can be 

really tough to swallow. Why, just a couple of 

weeks ago I was “forced” to attend the very first event 

hosted by the newly formed Monterey Bay Chapter 

of Les Dames d’ Escoffier. “The French Connection” 

Sunday afternoon soiree was organized by the chapter 

founder Mary Chamberlin and was held at the 

breathtaking Chappellet Estate in Pebble Beach, CA. 

For the uninitiated, the Chappellet family is known 

worldwide for the incredible wines they have produced 

since 1967 from their Pritchard Hill Estate in 

Napa Valley. Lygia Chappellet, one of the six Chappellet 

siblings, is a member of the Monterey Bay 

Chapter of Les Dames and was gracious enough to 

allow 160 guests to enjoy the grounds of the estate 

that sits on the edge of heaven and Stillwater Cove 

in Pebble Beach. 

So, there I was on an unusually sunny afternoon at 

someone’s lovely waterfront estate, gazing at the 

nattily attired guests milling about on the rolling green 

lawns in linen dresses and garden chapeaux sipping 

the wonderful wines provided by Annette Hoff of Cima 

Collina, Marta Kraftczek of Chateau Julien, Cheryl 

Indelicato brought a variety of their family’s wines and 

of course the wines of our host family, The Chappellets. 

Then it got worse…yep, I was made to eat hors d’ 

oeuvre after perfect hors d’oeuvre prepared by the 

best chefs in the area–Super-Chef Ressul Rassallat 

of Club XIX, The Lodge at Pebble Beach; Tony Baker 

from Montrio in nearby Monterey; Josh Loeb, Exec. 

Sous Chef at The Lodge at Pebble Beach; Ben Brown 

from the Beach & Tennis Club at Pebble Beach Resorts; 

and Monterey Dames, chef/restaurateurs Janet Melac, 

Wendy Brodie and Maureen Signorella. 

Mary Pagan, a Dame herself and owner/chef at 

The Culinary Center of Monterey, invited her most 

capable students to provide the service for the event. 

Sixteen-year-old son-of-a-Dame (wow, that sounds 

cool) Adrien Melac, proved to be a complete standout, 

serving up his mother Chef Janet Melac’s incredible 

edibles with the aplomb of a seasoned (pun absolutely 

intended) veteran. 

The unflappable Dame of Dames, Daryl Griffith, Director 

of Social Catering at The Pebble Beach Resorts 

coordinated (or coerced) the chefs, who gracefully 

participated and provided the tables and everything 

needed to serve the guests. Michelle Noseworthy put 

together a slew of silent auction items to bid upon 

and Carol Hilburn, in her spare time (ha, ha) assisted 

Queen of Monterey Dames Mary Chamberlin with hors 

d’ oeuvre preparations. 

All joking aside, Les Dames is a wonderful organization 

that is dedicated to furthering the education of women 

in the hospitality industry through their scholarship 

programs with support from the ever-charming grandson 

of the Chef of Kings and King of Chefs himself, 

Auguste Escoffier. At the impressive debut party of the 

only 17-women-strong Monterey Bay Chapter, Michel 

Escoffier flew in all the way from France to complete 

The French Connection. The charming Monsieur Escoffier 

held court alongside honored guests Katherine 

Newell Smith, President of Les Dames d’Escoffier International, 

who flew in from Washington D.C. for the 

event; Gig Owen, from the San Francisco Chapter; and 

Chef Renee Kelly from Kansas. The total membership 

of the Monterey Chapter attended with the exception 

of honorary member, 101-year-old restaurateur Mama 

Teshima of Hawaii, who sent her regrets. 

The following Thursday evening, an Escoffier-themed 

dinner was prepared by Chef Rassallat at Club XIX 

at The Lodge at Pebble Beach overlooking the 18th 

green of the famed golf course, that I also “had” to 

attend. I’m telling you...It’s tough being a Dame!! 



“Great event overall. Thanks!” “Keep them coming.” 

“Thanks for a great day!” “Great overall event with 

very nice people. Very educational and good for 

lay people and experts.” “Very well organized and 

worthwhile. I loved it!!” “Great!” “Wow! Incredible!” 

“FANTABULOUS!! Bravo.” “Outstanding!” 

Such were the enthusiastic evaluation sheets from 

70 of the 260 participants from the Washington, 

D.C. Chapter’s biennial seminar, “Celebrating FOOD! 

Cooking - Careers - Communications.” Amidst all 

this excitement, the chapter netted a profit of around 

$5,000 for philanthropy in addition to fulfilling 

LDEI’s educational mission, garnering visibility in 

the community, and gaining prestige for Dames. 

“Celebrating Food!” was the chapter’s sixth “Salute 

to Women in Gastronomy” event which was held 

on Saturday, March 8, at The Universities at Shady 

Grove, Rockville, Maryland. Susan Callahan, Chef 

Instructor, University of Maryland Eastern Shore 

(UMES) at Shady Grove arranged for free rental 

of the auditorium, breakout rooms, and large 

multi-purpose space in the university’s conference 

center. The Hotel Restaurant Management Program 

at University of Maryland Eastern Shore, and The 

Universities at Shady Grove co-sponsored the 

2008 seminar. 

More than half of the chapter’s 109 members 

participated at the 9:00 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. event, 

with additional Dames helping beforehand. Five 

components of the seminar were the keynote talk, 

16 breakout sessions, the EXPO, a Festival of 

Desserts, and a Dueling Dames chef demonstration. 

The price of $90 included breakfast, lunch and all 

components except an optional premium champagne 

tasting workshop ($30 extra). Students paid $35 

for the seminar. 

A year in the planning, the seminar was tri-chaired 

by Susan Callahan, Gail Forman and myself. Steph 

Ridgway chaired The “Fabulous Food EXPO” during 

lunch where more than 20 vendors: restaurants, 

cookbook authors and others, presented their services 

and products. Also at the EXPO, the “Cookbook 

Jumble,” co-chaired by Olga Boikess and Jane 

Mengenhauser, brought in nearly $500 from sales 

of lightly used cookbooks donated by Dames. 

D.C. ChaptER CaShES in On 

“Celebrating FOOD!” 

by Da m e CiCi Wi l l i a m S o n (Wa S h i n G t o n D.C.) 

Left (top to Bottom): Keynote Speaker Nathalie Dupree 

(Charleston) autographs her book as Beverly Brockus cashiers. 

Photo by CiCi Williamson 

LDEI Founder Carol Brock and Stephanie Hirschfeld traveled 

from New York to attend the seminar. 

Photo by Larry Daks 

Barbara Anderson, Bonnie Benwick and Mel Davis staff 

the Cookbook Jumble. 


ABove (top): Laurie Alleman-Weber, co-owner of The Swiss 

Bakery, displays her pastries at the Food Products EXPO with 

the help of her assistant. 


ABove (Bottom): Nongkran Daks teaches one of the 

four highly sought hands-on classes of 30 participants, 

coordinated by Phyllis Frucht, held in the university’s teaching 

kitchen. The 2008 seminar–purposely held on International 

Women’s Day–featured international cuisines: Thai, Latin 

American, Middle Eastern, and Silk Road. 



in me m o r y oF Joan Hisaoka 

Joan Hisaoka, much-loved Past President 

of the Washington, D.C. Chapter, died 

May 14 at age 48. After successfully beating 

cancer twice, she suffered a third recurrence 

from which she was unable to recover. 

Founder and president of Hisaoka Public 

Relations, Joan represented many top D.C.area 

hospitality, tourism and retail clients. 

A hard working and dedicated leader, Joan 

brought a contagious energy and clever 

imagination to any meeting or event. Her 

strength of mind and spirit and selfless attitude, 

even at the end, were characteristic 

of her life. 

A recipient of the Washington Business 

Journal’s “Women Who Mean Business 

Award,” in 2004 she was named one of the 

50 most powerful and influential women 

in D.C. and her firm won the international 

Silver Anvil Award–one of the highest honors 

in public relations. Joan was a Mensa 

member, served on the board of directors 

for the Restaurant Association Metropolitan 

Washington, and created the National Cherry 

Blossom Festival’s first restaurant program, 

Jo a n th e Fe a r l e S S 

B y D a m e L i n D a R o t h C o n t e 

it was a fateful day on February 24, 1990 

when I took my good friend since freshman 

year in college, Marvin Rosskopf, to the 

Bartenders’ Ball. It was there that he met 

Joan. And they instantly hated each other. 

By the end of the evening they found each 

other – and stayed together for 18 years, 

marrying in 1995. 

Cherry Picks. She lectured at American 

and Georgetown Universities and won an 

award from The National Women’s Business 

Center for teaching new entrepreneurs how 

to promote their businesses. 

An adventurous spirit, Joan cajoled her 

husband Marvin into floating down the 

Amazon and riding elephants through Thailand. 

An adherent to the vegetarian lifestyle, 

green movement, yoga and martial arts, she 

inspired a healthful look at life. 

The University of Maryland journalism 

graduate was a member of Kappa Kappa 

Gamma sorority. Before starting her own 

firm in 1988, Joan worked for WTTG- 

TV’s Ten O’Clock News, wrote news and 

produced a public affairs show for an FM 

radio station. 

The adoring wife of Marvin Rosskopf -- 

who attended many Les Dames programs, 

a kind and caring boss, a loving friend and 

professional, and treasured by her chapter 

Dames, she’ll be greatly missed. 


Joan realized her risk of a cancer diagnosis 

was greater than normal, as both her parents 

died at young ages of cancer. She took all 

precautions. She got all kinds of healthcare 

screenings. And she lived. Oh how she lived. 

Joan loved life and she was fearless. I don’t 

believe her energy force is gone. She left us 

quickly. On her terms. 



Foreword by 

Alice Waters and 

Jerry Anne Di Vecchio 

Cooking with 

LES DAMES D’ESCOFFIER 

At Home with the Women Who Shape the Way We Eat and Drink 

Including recipes from: 

Lidia Bastianich 

Julia Child 

Shirley Corriher 

Florence Fabricant 

M. F. K. Fisher 

Gale Gand 

Joyce Goldstein 

Dorie Greenspan 

Marcella Hazan 

Alice Medrich 

Alice Waters 

Joanne Weir 

Anne Willan 

Edited by 

Marcella Rosene with Pat Mozersky 

thE COOkbOOk: 

a n E x t R a O R D i n a R y 

O p p O R t U n i t y t O 

RaiSE MOnEy 

b y Da m e Kat h e r i n e ne W e l l Sm i t h 

(Wa S h i n G t o n , DC) 

We have seen the galley proofs of the les 

Dames d’Escoffier international’s first 

cookbook Cooking with Les Dames d’Escoffier: 

At Home with the Women Who Shape the Way We 

Eat and Drink. it is stunning! 

the book will be published October 12…. 

just in time to be introduced at our hawaii 

conference. it has been lovingly compiled and 

edited by Dame Marcella Rosene (Seattle) 

with Dame pat Mozersky (San antonio) and 

features exquisite photographs by Dame tracey 

Mauer (San antonio). and, while this book 

is a publication of Sasquatch books, which 

made all of the major decisions for the book’s 

direction, Marcella and pat worked tirelessly to 

make sure it is a beautiful reflection of Dames’ 

experience and expertise and of our influence 

on the world’s culinary scene. 

the book provides an extraordinary opportunity 

for every chapter to raise money to support its 

activities. Dames’ chapters may purchase the 

book at cost, about half the list price, resell 

for a profit at a book-signing event or another 

occasion, and retain the proceeds. none of the 

monies goes to lDEi. in addition, any unsold 

books may be returned. Each chapter has a 

cookbook liaison who will have the pertinent 

information to order books. We hope you will 

take advantage of this special chance to promote 

your own cookbook contributor(s) and the work 

of your chapter. 

thE 

COOkbOOk 

COMEth!!!!! 

b y Da m e Pa t mo z e r S K y (Sa n an t o n i o ) 

Our book is off to the printer, complete 

with lovely endorsements from the likes of 

chefs Jacques Pepin and Seattle’s Jerry Traunfeld, 

and we truly are delighted with our handsome 

offspring. The remarkable diversity of our members 

is evident throughout, and a wealth of talent 

shines through. A bakers’ dozen of celebrity names 

graces the striking front cover–an obvious aid 

in promoting the book in this celebrity-driven 

age, while inside, each page is packed with a 

treasure trove of clearly written, doable recipes 

that make you want to rush to the kitchen. (I’ve 

tested a majority of these recipes, and many have 

become part of my Family Favorites File.) Our 

Dame authorities on beverage have contributed 

informed commentary on a wide range of subjects 

- everything from pairing wine and beer - and 

even coffee! - with food, to questions about corks 

In flipping through the pages I found messages from 

friends and tips from great cooks I had only heard about. 

Had so much fun going through the book I did not want 

to keep it to myself so I am sharing a little of it with 

you. The first is from the kitchen of the incomparable 

Marcella Hazan on using corks in the tops of pots and 

the second from Ontario Dame Gail Gordon Oliver with 

a tip on red lentils. 

You will find these wonderful cooking and styling tips 

from your fellow Dames sprinkled liberally throughout the 

book. Each is tucked neatly into a gray shaded box so 

a F a v o R i t e h a z a n K i t C h e n t i p 

page 113 

“This tip comes in from an e-mail written 

with the trademark Hazan charm by her 

husband, Victor. ‘If you can use helpful 

tips, Marcella greatly reduces the use of 

clumsy potholders by wedging corks under 

the handles of her pot lids.” If only all 

handles were the right size and shape (and 

many are) to accommodate a bit of cork 

(wine corks work for many) cooking would 

be oh so much easier.” 

versus screwtops, to guidelines for decanting 

wines. As Traunfeld says “This is a cookbook 

you’ll never part with.” 

Our publisher Sasquatch Books has done a 

remarkable job of indexing. All Dames who 

contributed–be it a bit of wisdom on pantry 

spirits or ways to improve your local farmers’ 

market - are included. Sasquatch marketing 

maven Sarah Hanson is hard at work on the 

next critical phase–selling our book! She is in 

the process of contacting each and every chapter 

liaison to personally answer any questions and 

to help guide us through this phase. 

This is not a hard sell. The response to the book 

has been extraordinary, reports Hanson, and 

it will help tell our story. It’s one that deserves 

to be told. 

Shhhhh. Don’t tell anybody, but i have a copy of the book !!! and it is SOOO great. 

yOU aRE gOing tO lOvE EvERy pagE. 

by Da m e Sa r a h Gr a h a m (Ch a r l e S t o n ) 

you can’t miss them. The only problem is that you will 

be tempted to hop from one to the other just to see if the 

next one is even more fun than the last. The information 

is good, but having this mini-glimpse into the kitchens 

and lives of your sister Dames is even better. 

A big “Thank You” to Marcella and Pat for creating 

this wonderful book for us to share with the world and 

for “the little gray boxes” which we can secretly share 

amongst ourselves. 

So, SHHHHH, don’t tell anyone. Until the book 

comes out, these tips are for Dames only. 

i n pR a i s e o F t h e L o w L y L e n t i L 

page 140 

“Instead of fiddling with flours and 

thickeners before, during or after making 

your next beef stew or braised short ribs 

recipe…add ½ cup of dried red lentils for 

every 2 cups of cooking liquid at the very 

start of simmering. The lentils will cook 

down and virtually melt, and you’ll have 

an easy, healthy, thickened saucer. Do not 

use French green lentils; they maintain 

their firm texture in cooking. 



Th e Green Tables 

steerinG 

committee 

Enthusiastically invites you 

To join them on 

Friday, October 24, 2008 

At the Halekulani Hotel 

Honolulu, Hawaii 

For a 

Green Tables Chapter Recognition 

& Hawaiian Breakfast Feast 

There’s sti l time to make your reservations! 

B y D a m e s L y n n F R e D e R i C K s (n e w y o R K ) & h i L L a R y B a u m (n e w y o R K ) 

please join us for a bountiful breakfast 

made with freshly-picked produce straight 

from the fields of local hawaiian farms. be 

introduced to favorite recipes created from 

the fusion of immigrant cultures that have 

settled on this paradise of an island. 

While you enjoy this wondrous feast, the 

green tables committee will fill you in on 

the exciting and rewarding gt projects 

going on across the US and Canada. they 

will showcase Dames’ work in atlanta, San 

Francisco, Cleveland and hawaii where they 

have built exceptional programs. and, the 

philadelphia chapter will present highlights 

from its gt strategic planning meeting. 

the presentation will offer fun and inspiring 

visits with sister Dames in their own 

communities. We will see how Dames in 

action make significant, life-changing 

differences in the lives of inner-city 

children and their families. 

the gt committee will recognize all 

chapters participating in green tables 

during the breakfast and will give each chapter 

gt representative a copy of The Hawai’i Farmers 

Market Cookbook to take back to their chapters 

with a sincere “job well done” thank you for all 

the hard work devoted to gt programs. the book 

represents the best of the hawai’i farmers’ markets 

including interviews with local farmers about the 

products they grow and their special recipes. it was 

hawaii’s first gt project in 2006. 

Following the breakfast, the hawaii gt Dames 

have arranged a tour of kualoa Ranch where 

we will get a taste of hawaii’s rich and ancient 

agricultural traditions. 

Co-Chairs lynn Fredericks and hilary baum, 

the gt Steering Committee and hawaii’s gt 

committee have worked to make your Friday at 

conference a meaningful and entertaining all-local 

agriculture day! 

Photos, Please 

The Green Tables Chapter Recognition Breakfast 

will showcase our chapters’ phenomenal Green 

Tables work. Prior to the conference, GT steering 

committee members will contact each chapter to 

solicit photographs of their projects to include in 

the slide show. In addition, each chapter is encouraged 

to send an active GT Dame, perhaps as a 

delegate, to participate in the breakfast. Photos 

and information should be sent to GT Steering 

Committee Co-Chair Hilary Baum. You may 

contact her at hilarybaum@baumforum.org. 



Farm/Garden-to-Market & Grow-Cook-Share 

Below (left) Dame Gwen Gulliksen (Los Angeles) and sons Aiden and Connor are working in the garden at 

the 24th Street School in central Los Angeles. As part of the The Garden School Foundation the Los Angeles 

Chapter is helping to bring verdant traffic buffers, sports facilities, native gardens, science gardens, kitchen 

gardens, and teaching kitchens to public schools because schools should be like parks not prisons; the best 

way to learn about good food is to grow it; and children have to know nature to love it. 

“During a recent volunteer work day my two young sons (6 & 3) enjoyed spreading manure and playing in the hay bales 

as the temperatures soared into the 90’s! My husband and I worked with the adults digging holes for assorted fruit trees 

and planting herbs. The garden looks fantastic! We are glad to be a part of this unique and exciting project and raised 

over one thousand dollars for it’s CA native garden project last year–we continue to support it in 2008 as well.” 

– Gwen Gulliksen (Los Angeles) 

A young “chef” poses for the camera at 

one of the Washington DC chapters 

Green Kids at Market Day. 



�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

Green Tables projects are gathered under two themes: “Farm/Garden-to-Market” projects which connect retail 

and restaurants/food businesses with local growers and “Grow-Cook-Share” projects which transform an urban 

corner into a cornucopia of food: school, community, and container, gardens. Ten chapters are working on Farm/ 

Garden-to-Market projects and eight have chosen to work within the Grow-Cook-Share theme. Below are brief 

examples of each type of project, taken from the Spring 2008 Green Tables Almanac. 

To see a list of all Green Tables projects by chapter go to the LDEI website and click on “Green Tables.” 

* GT Almanac, Spring 2008 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

Green Tables Projects 

As Green Tables Almanac editor, Dame Gwen Walters (Phoenix) says 

“We are inspired and motivated by these active chapters and the difference they are making in their 

communities. Hopefully, you will be, too.” 

Dame Gwen Walters 

AUSTIN (Farm/ 

Garden to Market) 

is collaborating 

with Urban Roots, 

a youth garden 

initiative. The 

chapter has already 

donated $2,500, 

and they are in 

the midst of planning 

how to work 

hands-on with 

the youth. GT 

contact: Kristie 

Sasser (3sassers@ 

sbcglobal.net) 

COLORADO (Cook- Grow-Share) is 

partnering with Denver Urban Garden’s 

community garden program by providing 

monthly classroom nutrition and cooking 

programs for one particular elementary 

school. Come summer, the Dames will take 

their cooking and nutrition skill classes to the 

children’s farmer’s market to teach their parents 

similar skills. GT contact: Kimberly Lord 

Stewart (kimberley.l.stewart@comcast.net) 

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (Cook- Grow- 

Share) continues to support The Minnesota’s 

Garden Corporation by helping with planting, 

teaching nutrition and cooking classes and 

sponsoring a career mentoring program for 

interns, not to mention a $7,500 donation this 

year to the organization. 

(FARM/GARDEN TO TABLE) The chapter’s 

fundraiser, Local Treasures, not only raises 

money for the Garden Corp, but also gives local 

organic farms and small food retailers an opportunity 

to showcase their products. GT contact: 

Colleen Miner (standupcook@hotmail.com 

WASHINGTON DC (Farm/Garden-to-Market) 

“planted” Dames at five area farmers’ markets 

in July. This is the third year for the Green 

Kids at Market Day. The daylong event included 

50 Dames and 500 kids in 2007. The Dames 

have developed creative activities, such as an 

ice cream and butter making seminar, a makea-bug-from-vegetables 

activity and a passport 

activity designed to send kids to all the stalls in 

the market for fun and education. GT contact: 

Ann Yonkers (ann@freshfarmmarket.org) 



congratuLatIons & WELcomE 

by Da m e ma r i e Ke l l e y (Sa n Di e G o ) 

W i t h exC e r P t S Fr o m Da m e lo r i Wi l l i S (St.lo u i S ) 

Toria Emas, past LDEI president and mentor to the St. Louis Chapter; Lori Willis; Cat Cora; Diane Burstein, former Acting Dir. of Chefs 

for Humanity, and Beth Huch, Corporate Director of Public Relations, L’Ecole Culinaire. 

Congratulations, St. louis Dames, on 

the formation of a new lDEi chapter. 

an impressive group of professional women 

has joined us! We celebrate your persistence, 

creativity, camaraderie and lots of hard work. 

local food industry experts who led the start 

up efforts were long-time les Dames member 

kathy gottsacker, Schnucks Market, inc., Director 

of Food Education and new members lori 

Willis, Schnucks Director of Communications, 

and beth huch, Career Services Director of 

l’Ecole Culinaire. 

a prospective member kick-off brunch in March 

at l’Ecole Culinaire honored celebrity chef Cat 

Cora. the event featured an expansive menu 

prepared by l’Ecole students, chefs and advisory 

board chefs from local restaurants, and sponsored 

by many local and national food purveyors. 

addressing more than 60 members of St. louis’ 

femme food elite, Cat Cora, a Mississippi native 

and author of the new book Cooking from the 

Hip, described how she is using her own brand 

of southern hospitality to feed the world’s poor 

and hungry. Cora is working through Chef’s for 

humanity, an organization she founded to bring 

relief to people in countries where crops have been 

ravaged by weather and food is scarce. She spoke 

of the importance of “gathering the culinary corps 

around the world and putting them in the right 

place, at the right time to make a difference.” 

america’s first female iron chef recalled some 

of the challenges of rising in a male dominated 

culinary world. Cora explained, “Women remain 

too modest about what we have accomplished. 

i want to see more of us in the forefront where 

we know we belong.” Challenging the group to 

accept responsibility and use their talents to help 

those children and families living in poverty, she 

said, “be fearless, go out and mentor someone 

– it’s our world.” 

this struck a chord with the lDEi members 

in the audience including lDEi past president 

toria Emas (Chicago) who mentored St. louis’ 

chapter development. 

addressing the entire group which was visibly 

moved by Cora’s passion, gottsacker said, 

“LDEI is thrilled to officially welcome St. Louis as its newest chapter. Its charter members are 

all amazing women. And we know that they will create a vibrant organization that is a valuable 

resource in their community and a dynamic part of LDEI.” 

– Katherine Newell Smith, LDEI President 

“Cat Cora is an inspiration to all of us in the industry, 

not only for her culinary talents but also for 

her strong drive to make a difference. the women 

of les Dames share her views on philanthropy; 

in fact the organization was founded on the idea 

that women working together could accomplish 

great things for their communities.” 

She added, “looking around at all the accomplished 

women chefs and culinary artists at the 

brunch, it is obvious to me that St. louis’ time 

for a les Dames Chapter has arrived.” 

huch agreed saying, “We are fortunate to have a 

strong core of renowned chefs and food experts 

living and working in St. louis, and a large number 

of them are women. Successfully establishing 

a les Dames chapter here would simply be the 

icing on the cake.” 

Well, the cake has been iced. the St. louis chapter 

was ratified on May 30. all of us at lDEi 

welcome the new St. louis Dames! We look 

forward to working together. now, meet your 

fellow Dames. 

st. LouIs chaptEr 

Les Dames d’Escoffier International 

Charter Members 

• Judith Bellos, Co-Owner, Ces and Judy’s Catering 

• Suzanne Corbett, Author/Historian 

• Kathleen Ann (Kathy) Costello, Russo’s Catering 

Treasurer of St. Louis Chapter 

• Nancy Schnuck Diemer, Co-owner, 

Schnuck Markets, Inc. 

• Roberta L. Duyff, MS, RD, FADA, CFCS, Food 

& Nutrition Consultant/Author/Spokesperson 

Co-Vice President of St. Louis Chapter 

• Beth Huch, Corporate Director of 

Public Relations, L’Ecole Culinaire 

Co-President of St. Louis Chapter 

• Catherine Neville, Editor in Chief, Sauce Magazine 

• Jeannie Eisenberg, Culinary Instructor, 


• Helen S. Fletcher, Restaurateur/Author 

• Kathy Gottsacker, Dir. of Food Education/ 

Culinary Arts, Schnuck, Markets, Inc. 

Co-President of St. Louis Chapter 

• Cecily Ann Hoffius, Co-Owner, 

Ces and Judy’s Catering 

• Barbara Gibbs Ostmann, Author and Entrepreneur 

Co-Vice President of St. Louis Chapter 

• Susan M. Pastoret, Sr. Food Service Director, 

Aramark 

• Barbara Ridenhour, Director of Consumer Affairs, 

Dierbergs Markets 

• Kathleen Rule, Culinary Instructor, Dierberg’s 

Cooking School 

• Julie Mather Schnuck, Co-Owner, 

Schnuck Markets, Inc./Buyer/Designer 

• Mary Sutkus, Culinary Consultant and Food Stylist 

• Jane C. Sehnert, Co-Owner, Annie Gunn’s 

Restaurant & The Smoke House Market 

• Sunny Schaefer, Executive Director of Operation 

Food Search 

• Lana Shepek, RD, LDN, Food Specialist, 

Eckert’s Country Store and Farms 

• Roseanne Toroian, Food Writer, 


• Julia M. Usher, Pastry Chef and Author 

• Priscilla Ann Ward, Food Scientist/Entrepreneur 

• Lori Elbert Willis, Director of Communications, 

Schnuck Markets, Inc., Secretary of St. Louis Chapter 

HONORARy DAME 

• Mary Moorkamp, Chief Legal Counsel, Schnuck 

Markets, Inc. 



S t. Lo u i S Br u n c h ho n o r e e 

ex C e r P t S Fr o m Da m e bet h hu C h’S (St. lo u i S ) i n t r o D u C t i o n 

Cat Cora made her presence known in 2005 when she became the first woman 

Iron Chef on the TV Food Network. She attended the Culinary Institute 

of America and trained with celebrated chefs here in the United States and 

France. In 2006, Bon Appetit Magazine honored her with their Teacher of 

the Year award. She is currently the magazine’s Executive Chef. Her latest 

book is Cooking From the Hip: Fast, Easy Phenomenal Meals. 

Today, Cat serves as president and co-founder of Chefs for Humanity (www. 

chefsforhumanity.org ) an alliance of culinary professionals and educators 

guided by a mission to quickly raise funds and provide resources for 

emergency and humanitarian aid, nutritional education and hunger-related 

initiatives around the world. She has fittingly been named the nutritional 

spokesperson for UNICEF. 

DFV Wines, Manteca, CA 

AMERICAN WINERY OF THE YEAR 

Wine Star Awards 2007 

www.dfvwines.com 





Our own Dame Natalie MacLean 

(Ontario) was awarded her 6th Bert 

Greene at the 2008 IACP conference in New 

Orleans in April. Natalie was recognized for 

the quality and creativity of her Web site 

at www.nataliemaclean.com and her free 

e-newsletter, Nat Decants. 

Rex Pickett, author of Sideways, says Natalie 

“writes about wine with a sensuous obsession,” 

and she is “laugh-out-loud funny.” 

Eric Asimov of The New York Times calls 

her, “the disarming Every Woman…she loves 

wine, loves drinking.” 

Gil Kulers of the Atlanta Journal Constitution 

says of her writing style in Red, White, and 

Drunk All Over: A Wine-Soaked Journey From 

Grape to Glass. “As she traipses through France, 

New York and California’s wine regions, you 

get the feeling you’d just like to hang out with 

her and shoot the breeze over a bottle of wine.” 

Cheers!..And a toast of the bubbly to our 

Canadian Dame for this well-deserved award. 

Congratulations, Natalie, and keep those 

wine newsletters coming! 

“Zinfandel with your Tex-Mex? Not a problem.” 

says Natalie. “A little Chardonnay with your 

fried chicken take-out? Delicious. Pinot Noir 

and wild boar? Why not…” 

Natalie has created an interactive food and 

wine pairing matcher to fix the problem of what 

goes with what. You can find this handy wine 

pairing tool on her Web site www.nataliemaclean.com/matcher. 

S.G. 

hOly Holy 

SuStenance 

SUStEnanCE 

Even the pope needs to eat. and it was to 

our own lidia bastianich that the vatican 

came to provide food fit for his holiness, pope 

benedict xvi. and cook she did. Saturday lunch 

and dinner and then dinner again on Sunday. 

Saturday lunch sounded like a real adventure. 

not unlike the former “Door knock Dinners,” 

lidia and her colleagues had to improvise on 

the spot from the food the nuns had already 

prepared for the pope. the asparagus soup was 

thickened with boiled potato and the peach 

tart was barely out of the oven before it was 

sent to the table. 

lunch was hardly over before she and her 

colleagues went into high gear to prepare 

dinner that evening for 52 guests including 

cardinals from around the world. String bean 

salad with ricotta, shallots and almonds and 

ravioli with pecorino and pears, risotto with 

fava and ramps, striped bass with fingerlings 

and frisee salad and then for dessert, apple 

strudel with honeycomb ice cream. (see Lidia’s 

Italy for most recipes). 

the star of Sunday’s dinner for the pope and 

his entourage was the beef goulash with a 

side of patate in tecia (panfried potatoes with 

bacon and onions that lidia says remind her 

of hash browns) served with sauerkraut and 

sour cream. after the meal the pope said to 

lidia, “these are my mother’s flavors.” which 

almost brought her to tears. 

For lidia, who before leaving a italian refugee 

camp 40 years ago had to go to the vatican to 

receive the blessing of pope paul vi, cooking 

for pope benedict xvi was much more than 

another high profile celebrity chef event. “it 

was celestial. it meant my life had come full 

circle. i came to america because a Catholic 

relief organization provided safe passage, and 

here i am cooking for feeding and nourishing 

the pope. it doesn’t get any better than that, 

does it?” 

Adapted from Ed Levine’s article “Cooking for 

the Pope: Lidia Bastianich Comes Full Circle” 

from his website seriouseats.com. 

S.G. 



...the Dames on our trip planted a 

special tree in memory of former 

LDEI president gretchen mathers... 

We wrote a special note of love 

and honor and buried it amongst 

the tree’s roots. halfway across 

the world, this very, very special 

Dame now has a place nurturing 

new life within a reemerging 

community of hope. 

fooD Is pEacE: 

DamEs BrIDgIng cuLturaL DIvIDEs In vIEtnam 

By Dame Lisa Ekus-saffer (Boston) 

thE JournEy BEgIns 

When Jerilyn Brusseau was announced as the winner 

of the iaCp humanitarian award in 2005, i 

immediately congratulated her and asked about 

peacetrees vietnam (ptvn) 

twenty-four hours later, we were deeply ensconced 

in conversation over coffee, discovering huge connections 

in life, friends, business and–especially 

meaningful–being Dames on opposite Coasts. 

Jerilyn asked if i might consider going to vietnam. 

about to hold my fifth-decade birthday party, i 

wanted to do something more meaningful than the 

usual-but-wonderful delicious meal with overflowing 

wine and good friends. i wanted to do something 

that would give back to others, as so many have given 

to me over the years. 

going to vietnam seemed beyond me–too farreaching, 

too overwhelming, too scary. but Jerilyn 

threw down the gauntlet in that calm, caring, ohso-gentle-only-Jerilyn 

way that she has of embracing 

people and causes! 

thE trIp 

in august of 2007, organized and led by Jerilyn, a 

group of 13 food writers, cookbook authors, and 

culinary aficionados (six of us Dames) embarked on the 

first official culinary delegation to vietnam through 

ptvn. Dames Nancie McDermott (Charleston), 

Leslie Pendleton (new york), Catherine Hazan 

(Seattle), Alison Barshak (philadelphia) and the rest 

of the group flew across the pacific. We built and 

shared friendships, commitment, good will, wonderful 

cooking classes and stimulating conversation. 

as a delegation, we connected to the vietnamese 

people through the most basic of ingredients: food 

and shared meals and the desire to build a community 

of trust and friendship. We crossed the language barrier 

with songs, dancing, laughter, tree planting and 

dumpling rolling. it was an amazing, life-changing 

and affirming trip. 

the highlight was going to Quang tri province, one 

of only three villages left from the thousands which 

had been bombed during the war. Jerilyn helped 

create a land mine education center and we helped 

plant trees to reforest the decimated landscape (a 

result of a combination of the heavy bombing and 

agent Orange used during the war). 

Once we had each planted our own special tree, 

including one in honor of my 50th birthday, the 

Dames on our trip planted a special tree in memory 

of former lDEi president gretchen Mathers, who 

succumbed to breast cancer last year. We wrote a 

special note of love and honor and buried it amongst 

the tree’s roots. halfway across the world, this very, 

very special Dame now has a place in nurturing new 

life within a reemerging community of hope. 

thE futurE 

Our 2010 initiative is building “peace park” with 

a uniquely designed children’s playground. the 

vietnamese Department of Foreign affairs has 

blessed the project and discussions are under way 



with playground designers leathers & associates 

of ithaca, new york. the plan is to recruit 600 to 

800 american volunteers, including veterans and 

families, to work alongside the vietnamese people 

to actually “build” the playground. this will give 

the children of Quang tri village a safe place to 

play. any Dames want to join us? 

as i move through daily life, i think of the children 

and people of vietnam. i came away with the 

overwhelming welcome, acceptance, forgiveness 

and friendship shown. the group holds this experience 

dear and is deeply committed to raising 

funds, as well as awareness, for the work of safe 

mine-clearing in Quang tri province. 

this trip touched my spirit, my soul, 

my sense of being. - this trip - 

will be with me forever. 

top Row: “Dames Alison Barshak, Jerilyn Brusseau, 

Lisa Ekus-Saffer, Catherine Hazan and Nancie McDermott 

planting trees in honor of Lisa’s 50th birthday and in 

memory of Dame Gretchen Mathers. 

Bottom Row: Additional shots of the people, food and 

street scenes in Vietnam, including future Dame Sally Ekus, 

taking a hands-on cooking class. “ 

Dame Jerilyn Brusseau (Seattle) and Lisa Ekus-Saffer (Boston) 

standing in a newly harvested rice field. 

We recently gathered for a “reunion” fundraiser 

in my home in hatfield, Mass. to cook and share 

our experiences. leslie, nancie, Jerilyn, and myself 

cooked side-by-side with Chef thoa nyugen, 

fellow travelers Janet grenzke and Sally Ekus (my 

daughter), and writer penelope Corcoron. We 

hosted 65 guests and raised $7,000! 

nEW BEgInnIngs 

this trip touched my spirit, my soul, my sense 

of being. to have landed in this strange country 

with such an incredible and talented group of likeminded 

women (and a few like-minded men!) and 

to have this trip become part of my very being, 

Jerilyn Brusseau (seattle) 

Jerilyn Brusseau is a cook, baker, restaurateur, 

business woman, humanitarian and cultural 

diplomat. In 1978, she founded “Brusseau’s 

in Edmonds”, a flourishing French sidewalk 

café and country bakery, in the suburbs of 

Seattle which she operated with her family until 

1993. During that time Jerilyn was invited by 

Restaurants Unlimited to join them in the pursuit 

of the “perfect” Cinnamon roll, resulting in 1985 

in her creation of the recipe for Cinnabon World 

Famous Cinnamon Rolls. Since that time, Jerilyn 

has served as a major product-development 

consultant and culinary designer to bakery and 

hospitality clients worldwide. 

In 1986, she founded PeaceTable to create 

shared culinary experiences between people 

of the United States and the former Soviet 

will be with me forever. i love being 50. i love 

knowing all these people. i love vietnam, and 

Jerilyn and Quang le and peacetrees vietnam. i 

love the spirit of the country, the people, the pho, 

the chaotic crossing of the streets, the magnificent 

artwork and crafts, the forgiveness and embrace 

from these people to our people. 

this coming together to do good, to share and to 

give of ourselves through friendship and cooking 

was remarkable and has changed me. i am very 

proud to have represented my country and industry 

as a Dame. the greatest gift between two cultures 

is sharing a meal across a table. Food is peace. 

Republics as a tool for building cultural 

understanding, and she has been a frequent 

guest on national and local television and 

radio. In 1995, she co-founded PeaceTrees 

Vietnam. She is a founding member of the 

Seattle chapter of LDEI. 

She was recently featured in People Magazine 

and in an Emmy award-winning documentary 

film, “Vietnam Revealed” for her work on 

behalf of PeaceTrees Vietnam. 

She continues cooking in her small rustic 

farmhouse kitchen on Bainbridge Island, WA 

and is the mother of three grown children and 

grandmother to four who love to cook. 

For more information on PeaceTrees Vietnam, 

please visit www.peacetreesvietnam.org or feel 

free to contact Jerilyn at jerilyn@Brusseaus.com. 



nancie mcDermott (charleston) 

b y Da m e Su S a n Fu l l e r Sl a C K (Ch a r l e S t o n ) 

In 1975, Nancie McDermott fulfilled a childhood 

dream to join the Peace Corps and travel in Asia. 

Little did she know how this decision would shape 

her personal life, her career and the lives of all 

those who would share her journey. 

The Peace Corps was a natural fit for Nancie, 

providing opportunities to get involved with 

humanitarian assistance abroad. During a 

double stint in Thailand, she taught English 

as a second language to Thai 7th and 8th 

graders. Nancie developed a great affection for 

the Thai people and for the delicious cuisine, 

which is infused with an explosion of addictive 

flavors such as fiery chilies, lemongrass, fish 

sauce and Thai lime. Nancie quickly adopted 

the popular Thai notion that it is never too hot 

to quit eating. 

INTerVIeW HIGHLIGHTS 

S.S. When did you begin writing about food? 

N.M. In 1985, I married Will Lee and we moved to 

Southern California...I planned to cater but a weekend 

workshop on food writing at UCLA Extension changed 

that...I networked with noted cookbook authors, food 

editors and restaurant critics to learn what editors want 

and how to pitch stories. My first story for the Orange 

County Register led to cooking demonstrations and 

classes along the West Coast. We moved to San 

Diego County where my daughters Camilla (1990) 

and Isabelle (1995) were born. Real Thai: The Best 

of Thailand’s Regional Cooking (Chronicle Books, 

These experiences and newfound culinary 

interests laid the groundwork for a meaningful 

and successful profession that includes teaching 

and media appearances. 

Nancie is a prolific food writer with several 

best-selling Asian cookbooks, including Quick & 

Easy Vietnamese: 75 Everyday Recipes (Chronicle, 

2006). It was from her literary agent Lisa Ekus- 

Saffer that she heard about the trip to Vietnam 

with Jerilyn Brusseau. 

Nancie and a culinary delegation of 13 women, 

including six sister Dames, became involved in 

the extraordinary peace-building initiative. For 

the group of citizen-volunteers, food was the 

means to build a “friendship bridge” with the 

Vietnamese people. 

In July, 2008, Nancie appeared on Alton 

“a journey of a thousand miles 

must begin with a single step.” 

- Lao tzu 

“once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over 

and over...the mind can never break off from the journey.” - pat conroy 

1992) was my first cookbook. I have been writing, 

teaching and making appearances ever since. 

S.S. Who has influenced your food writing? 

N.M. I would love to mention Nathalie Dupree, who 

got me thinking about the food of my childhood 

and family in a new and different way. She put 

Southern cooking on the culinary map, elevating 

country ham, biscuits and pound cake along 

with her inspired approach to making Southern 

traditions at home on the new American table. 

First on television, then through presentations at 

food conferences and in the pages of her books, 

and now as my mentor, friend and founder of the 

Charleston chapter of which I’m a member, she’s 

always opened the kitchen door and welcomed me 

and so many others into her kitchen. 

S.S. Food has the powerful ability to jump across 

cultural barriers and unite people. When you visited 

Vietnam with a culinary delegation, what were your 

impressions? 

N.M. I found Vietnam to be unique among Asian 

countries. There was a sense of cultural shock because 

I somehow expected the country had been frozen in 

time from the experiences of the 60’s. But there is so 

much vibrant life happening there now, in 2008...Viet 

Nam is about food, food, food! To visit Viet Nam is 

Brown’s Food Network television show, Good 

Eats, to share ideas from another area of 

expertise. She played a Southern cake detective. 

She is the author of Southern Cakes: Sweet and 

Irresistible Recipes for Everyday Celebrations 

(Chronicle, 2007). 

You CAN have your cake and eat it too! Nancie is 

a working mother who figured out how to balance 

time at home with the demands of a successful 

career. The busy writer wisely nurtures a strong 

supportive network of friends with similar career 

interests, yet her feet are planted firmly in the 

groundwork that is her family. 

Gifted teacher, philosopher, intellectual and 

loyal friend...this remarkable Dame, who is a 

founding member of LDEI’s Charleston Chapter, 

agreed to talk with me about her career. 

to see the coffee shops, street food, markets, people 

eating hot pot, pho noodles, scooping out coconuts, 

elegant cafes...it’s a feast in all ways. 

S.S. Tell me about your recent volunteer experiences. 

N.M. On a restoration project co-sponsored by the 

Southern Foodways Alliance and the Heritage Conservation 

Network, I traveled to New Orleans...to help lend a hand 

to restaurants after Hurricane Katrina. We worked at 

Willie Mae’s Scotch House, a small neighborhood café 

with a reputation for the most delicious fried chicken 

on earth. We helped bring Dooky Chase back to life, 

a landmark Creole restaurant whose chef-owner Lea 

Chase, an octogenarian dynamo, simply could not 

consider the option of giving up. 

S.S. what advice would you share with your sister Dames? 

N.M. I have so many blessings and have benefited 

SO much every step of the way from my sister Dames 

and other people in our business...We’re all working 

in our careers in our own ways, with particular... 

limits and benefits and challenges...juggling many 

facets of a career...not enough hours in the day! 

Bloom where you are planted and try to develop a 

thick skin (from work rejections). It’s a new world 

full of opportunities, and you can learn to make it 

work for you – with a little help from Dames and 

other culinary friends! 



While attending the 2007 IACP Conference in Chicago, Nancie took the opportunity to donate her time to teach a hai cooking class a 

the Greater Chicago Food Depository for people who want to make a new start. Publisher Bill LeBlond contributed two of her books so 

the students could keep cooking at home. 

Nancie McDermott’s TIPS FOr SeLF-PrOMOTION 

• Television is glamorous but, when it’s over, its 

over! Newspapers sit around waiting for people... 

They have a Web presence and archive and may 

share stories with ‘the wire.’ Print/newspaper 

attention can make a big difference in getting 

the word out... 

• Radio is the book tour you can do in your ‘jimmies’... 

Find out what food radio shows are out there then 

pitch yourself as their guest. This can work long 

after a book has been published... 

• Look for food shows and talk shows who need YOU 

as an...expert...phone-in radio interviews can put 

you all over the country and work into your daily 

schedule well. 

• Contact food bloggers you admire to see if they would 

Three stories of Dames who turned wishes and hopes into reality by doing – 

These are stories of life journeys and decisions 

made by sister Dames who are out there “Doing” 

rather than “Wishing.” 

In Nancie’s case the words in a WSJ article set 

her to action to give what she had in time and 

talent to effect change in the lives of people who 

were committed to creating a better life for 

themselves and for their families. 

Jerilyn saw the need and felt the responsibility 

to protect the people of Vietnam from the 

maiming potential of landmines left over from 

like a review copy of your book; or just send one as a 

thank-you for a blog you love... 

• Rethink book signings. Put your time into places 

who do advance promotions, in-store displays and 

signage. Do they have a newsletter and a Web site? 

Push for special notice... 

• You are special because YOU are bringing FOOD! 

Make it sensible, servable, not too expensive. It will 

bring a flurry of activity around your signing spot... 

Crowds draw a crowd! 

• Give your books away thoughtfully...to business 

contacts, conference attendees or as a thank you. 

This brings sales AND word-of-mouth and relationship 

marketing. It’s a deductible business expense 

and I’ve found it a powerful investment. 

the war. Her efforts over the last 20 years have 

saved the lives of thousands and brought reconciliation 

between former enemies. 

Lisa saw and felt an opportunity to make a 

change in her own life and took a giant leap of 

faith to travel half-a-world away to help people 

she did not know. And, as so often happens, she 

found the gift was in the giving. 

The essence of these stories is really quite simple: 

You can wish something were different or you 

can do something to make it different. 

S.g. 



Compiled by 

CiCi Williamson (Washington D.C.) 

BOSTON 

M a r y a n n E s p o s i t o recently released her 10th cookbook, Ciao Italia 

Slow and Easy; about slow cooking. her 18th season of “Ciao italia” 

debuted in May on public television, and she has a new Web site 

(www.ciaoitalia.com). Mary ann is escorting a trip to the piedmont 

region of italy September 7-18. 

CHICAGO 

C a M i l l a n i E l s E n announces the publication of Vanilla: A Century 

of Flavor (nielsen-Massey), which was long anticipated by users of 

the company’s high-quality vanilla products. the introduction was 

written by pastry chef G a l E G a n d , and the book contains 50 timeless 

and flavorful recipes. 

i n a pi n k n E y , Chef/Owner of ina’S was named the 2008 Sba 

Woman in business Champion of the year. the June award is presented 

in Chicago to an entrepreneur in the Midwest. ina’s restaurant was 

featured as one of five restaurants in an article titled “power breakfast 

is the new power lunch” in Details Magazine. www.breakfastqueen. 

com 

J o a n r E a r d o n ’s “M.F.k. Fisher among the pots and pans” was 

published in the Spring issue of Gastronomica, which lauds the 100th 

anniversary of M. F. k. Fisher’s birth. the issue also features a collage 

of foreign book jackets of M.F.k. Fisher’s translated works. 

s a r a h s t E G n E r participated in a symposium at the Chicago historical 

Society on Earth Day, april 22. the symposium was part of 

a series titled “Culinary Chicago” featuring experts on food history 

and contemporary cuisine. 

CLEVELAND 

M a r i l o u s u s z k o , Chapter Co-president, recieved the american 

Culinary Foundation, Cleveland Chapter inc. 2008 lifetime 

achievement award for the many years of loyalty and devotion to 

the Cleveland Chapter of aCF. She was also one of 10 Ohio writers 

featured at the Ohioana book Festival in May in Columbus. the 

theme was Celebrating Ohio’s authors. 

DALLAS 

d o l o r E s s n y d E r spoke on “the health benefits of tea” to more than 

400 breast cancer survivors, ages five to 95, at Methodist hospital in 

Dallas. She also demonstrated “how to brew a proper Cup of tea.” 

it’s the first time the seven-year-old event has had a speaker on tea. 

HOUSTON 

M E r r i a n n E t iM k o presented a paper titled “ancient Rome and ‘la 

cuisine moderne’: Dining with apicius and lucullus in the 19th 

century” at the 5th Conference on Food Representation in literature, 

Film and the Other arts held in February in San antonio. 

LOS ANGELES 

a M E l i a s a l t s M a n ’s The Santa Monica Farmers’ Market Cookbook, now 

in its second printing, will be carried by anthropologie, the national 

clothing and lifestyle chain of stores. in april, amelia presented a 

panel on independent publishing at the iaCp Conference with l i s a 

E k u s -s a f f E r and Ellen Rose, founder of Cook’s library. 

NEW YORK 

E i l E E n y i n -f E i l o received the 2007 Silver Spoon lifetime achievement 

award from Food Arts magazine. Chef, educator and author 

of 11 cookbooks on Chinese cuisine, Eileen was born in Sun tak, a 

suburb of Canton, China, and emigrated to the U.S. in 1959. her 

most recent book is My Grandmother’s Chinese Kitchen. 

ONTARIO 

t h E r E s a k o w a l l s h i p p, president of the Ontario Chapter, is producing 

a television show for Food network Canada. “Food Jammers,” a 

show that features an unconventional approach to food preparation, 

will start its third season in October. theresa is also developing several 

other food-based tv shows. 

PHILADELPHIA 

k E l l y M C G r a t h was promoted to Chef de Cuisine for aramark at 

the philadelphia Convention Center. 

E i l E E n t a l a n i a n wrote a new cookbook titled Marshmallows: 

Homemade Gourmet Treats. She was photographed for Food Arts 

Magazine dressed as Marie antoinette with a fabulous marshmallow 

hairdo. 

l i n d a l i p s k y was featured on the front of USA Today on March 

19 and was interviewed on Fox 29’s “Money for breakfast” segment 

about Starbucks on March 24. 

C a r o l s t o u d t of Stoudts brewery and t E r r y M C n a l l y of london 

grill, were in an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer regarding the first 

annual philly Craft beer Week fundraiser for the White Dog Foundation. 

$30,000 was raised for the Foundation in which a n n k a r l E n is heavily 

involved. the White Dog Foundation is an organization which strives 

to bring locally produced food to philadelphians. 



Ina Pinkney Marilou Suszko 

Amelia Saltsman Theresa Kowall Shipp 

a l i z a G r E E n was featured in an april 17 Philadelphia Inquirer article 

about her passover baking class held at the kosher restaurant Max & 

David’s using recipes from Starting with Ingredients: Baking Recipes (Running 

press, fall 2008) and in a February 20 article in The Washington 

Post about “36 Quick Soups” to make in under 30 minutes. 

SAN DIEGO 

C a r o l E B l o o M taught a class entitled “Chocolate Magic” at Copia in 

napa in February as part of Copia’s Chocolate Month. Carole styled 

the food for her latest book’s photography. the book is scheduled for 

publication by Wiley in the fall of 2009. 

SAN FRANCISCO 

C h E r y l f o r B E r G , RD, a professional chef and a registered dietitian, is 

the nutritionist for nbC’s fitness reality series “the biggest loser.” She 

is also an advisor for Prevention magazine. her latest book, Positively 

Ageless: A 28-Day Plan for a Younger, Slimmer, Sexier You (Rodale) was 

released in april. a booksigning was held May 20 at Cakebread Cellars 

in napa. d o l o r E s C a k E B r E a d (San Francisco) hosted the event 

and n a n C y E i s M a n (los angeles) of Melissa’s Specialty produce was 

a special guest. 

SEATTLE 

f r a n B i G E l o w , founder and owner of Fran’s Chocolates, will open 

her first downtown location in the Four Seasons hotel and private 

Residences Seattle in the fall of 2008. the 1,100-square-foot flagship 

store, a classic parisian design with a contemporary look, is one of 

only two retail spaces in the exclusive, 21-story building. 

B r a i d E n r E x -J o h n s o n is enjoying a new writing opportunity for 

the Seattle Times Pacific Northwest magazine. She will contribute the 

magazine’s weekly “taste” column about once a month, focusing primarily 

on the northwest beverage scene (wine, beer, hard cider, etc.), 

but also occasionally turning her attention to food and travel. 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 

k a y s h a w n E l s o n attended the 12th annual Scottish Symposium 

of the Caledonian Foundation USa inc. held in Williamsburg in 

February. She gave a talk about Scottish food and her book, The Art 

of Scottish American Cooking, that after a reception and luncheon at 

the Swen library of the College of William and Mary, was presented 

by her to the archives as one of the Coalition’s archival materials. it 

was a memorable occasion as the College was founded by Scotsman 

Fran Bigelow 

James blair and the Special Collections of the library date to 1650. 

She also did a book signing at the Williamsburg visitor’s Center. 

n a J MiE h B a t M a n G l iJ is consulting with yas restaurant in bahrain 

where her persian recipes are served “najmieh Style.” her book Happy 

Nowruz: Cooking with Children to Celebrate the Persian New Year was 

published in March. in november najmieh will be cooking as a guest 

chef at the 2008 Worlds of Flavor Conference at the Cia in napa. 

Najmieh Batmanglij 



Compiled by 

Karen Levin (Chicago) 

The Seattle Chapter awarded student Shannon Smith (pictured at left) its first Endowed Scholarship 

in honor of Gretchen Mathers in the School of Hospitality Business Management at Washington State 

University for the 2008-09 academic year. Shannon is pictured with Dr. Terry Umbreit, Director and 

Taco Bell Distinguished Professor WSU School of Hospitality Business Management and Dame Linda 

Burner Augustine, Seattle Chapter Scholarship Chair. 

SEATTLE 

Braiden Rex-Johnson 

in april, the Seattle chapter welcomed three talented women, plus one 

transfer member, into its ranks. 

Since 2000, h o l l y s M i t h has been the chef/owner of Café Juanita 

in kirkland, Wash., where she crafts exquisite rustic northern italian 

food with a commitment to organics and sustainability and a holistic 

approach to the dining experience. both holly and Café Juanita have 

been highly praised, with kudos from Esquire, Wine Spectator, Gourmet, 

and The Robb Report, among others. 

For the past 17 years, s u s a n k a u f M a n has owned and operated one 

of Seattle’s most successful and soulful restaurants—Serafina Osteria & 

Enoteca. Susan brings a real understanding of and passion for the foods and 

wines of italy to her seasonally focused menus, and supports a wide array 

of worthy local causes ranging from animal rights to breast cancer. 

M a r i l y n C a r l s o n is Senior Manager, Research and Development, for 

the Seattle-based Oberto Sausage Co. Marilyn has a dual degree in food 

science and technology and microbiology and is a culinology member 

of the Research Chef’s association. Culinology fosters the partnership 

between culinary art and food science. 

transfer member r E B E C C a M u r p h y was a founding member and 

president of the Dallas Chapter of lDEi and a member of the San Francisco 

chapter. She boasts 30 years of experience in nearly all aspects of the wine 

business—including restaurant wine buyer and sales professional, wine 

journalist, wine judge, and wine competition and event organizer—and 

created and implemented The Dallas Morning News wine competition, 

a 24-year-old international wine competition. 

PHILADELPHIA 

Dottie Koteski, President 

the philadelphia Chapter cordially invites all les Dames to attend the 

2009 lDEi annual Conference in our wonderful city. philadelphia has 

been referred to as “the next best city.” it has everything. Enjoy meeting 

our talented members in their diverse fields of endeavor; dine in our 

restaurants; savor our culinary creations; enjoy the area’s regional foods 

and recipes; walk, trolley or ride through our neighborhoods and parks; 

and absorb the city’s history. Jean anthelme brillat-Savarin, revered as 

“the greatest gastronome,” discovered these things, and that was during 

Colonial times! 

Co-chairs of the planning committee are a n i t a pi G n a t a r o and 

d o t t iE k o t E s k i. E i l E E n t a l a n i a n and J E n n i f E r l i n d E r M C G l i n n 

will co-chair the hospitality and Registration Committee; l o u i s E 

C E C C a r E l l i and Ju d y h u r s t are co-chairs of tours and non-member 

Events; ly n n B u o n o and V i C k y po h l , will co-chair the gala, partners’ 

lunch and meal events; M a n E t t E r iC h a r d s o n will co-chair the business 

Management Committee along with s a n d y d y C h , and the program 

Committee co-chairs are a l i z a G r E E n and na n C y M i l l E r . in addition, 

numerous members have volunteered to work on these committees. We 

are committed to providing you with a conference that is educational, 

entertaining and enriching 

Our “year of the Rat” Chinese banquet and auction was a huge 

success facilitated by the generosity of M a r G a r E t k u o , who offered 

her restaurant, staff and culinary talent for the event. Co-chairs of the 

celebration were Sandy Dych and Manette Richardson, and the subcommittee 

for the Chinese auction was co-chaired by s h a w n d o r E and 

Dottie Koteski and Katherine Newell Smith 



l i s a M a i d a. this year’s major fundraising event funds our 2009 scholarship 

effort. More than 85 people attended the banquet, including lDEi 

president, k a t h E r i n E n E w E l l s M i t h and her husband alan Miller. She 

and president Dottie koteski were both lucky recipients of the three-liter 

bottles of wine! among the auction items were a sailing for four on the 

Chesapeake with a basket lunch, a week of day tennis camp for a high 

school/pre-college student, and many gift certificates for dinner in the 

top notch restaurants owned by our Dames! the drama of the Chinese 

auction throughout dinner and the hush as winning tickets were drawn 

provided the entertainment. 

CHICAGO 

Shannon Kinsella 

a dozen or so Dames decided to brave a cold blustery March night on 

Monday, March 10, 2008, at 6 p.m. to attend a special demonstration 

of a range of different types of exquisite pulled sugar flowers, pulled 

ribbons, and a variety of figures from blown-sugar at Chicago’s famed 

French pastry School. pa t t y E r d planned a special evening for us that 

started with a tour of the school’s teaching kitchens and facilities that 

included a state-of- the-art “blast” chiller freezer that drew quite a bit 

of interest from the group. We learned the history of the school and its 

origins from our tour guide before returning to the demo kitchen for the 

evening’s main event: the demo by Chef Jacquy pfeiffer, an internationally 

acclaimed patissiere who has received awards from around the world. he 

was assisted by laura Ragano. 

ABove: Jacqueline 

Bachar looks on with 

approval as fellow 

Dame Sue Rappaport 

decorates some candy. 

RIGHt: Anita Manchik 

and guest view the 

beach theme table. 

We peppered Chef Jacquy with lots of questions about his inspirations 

for his beautiful sugar creations. he credited some of his ideas and 

techniques to a glass-blowing class that he took here in Chicago. he 

also mined several childhood memories that we could all relate to: Who 

hasn’t built a sand castle, either themselves or with their children, nieces, 

nephews? Chef Jacquy asked if we remembered trying to get the sand 

not to crumble once you remove the mold (bucket)? he discovered that 

a 5% sugar to water ratio creates the perfect mixture to put in a mold 

of any kind to create and hold any shape that you’d like for your design. 

he poured hot liquid sugar into a large container of sugar and let it form 

its own shape. Once it cooled he added it to the beautiful sugar creation 

that was materializing right before our eyes. he showed us many of his 

innovative techniques for working with sugar and made them all look 

very doable, most notably how to create beautiful ribbons with different 

colors of pulled sugar. 

this was a delightfully entertaining evening that ended all too quickly 

but not before a visit from Chef Sebastien Canonne, who treated us 

to freshly baked bread from the class he was teaching on a lower floor. 

Several other beautiful pastries and chocolates awaited us before and 

after the demo. 

HOUSTON 

Merrianne Timko, Co-President 

houston Dames celebrated leap year this past February by holding their 

first “invite a Male Culinary professional” networking event. the venue 

for the evening was Catalan Restaurant, which served a wonderful array 

of tapas accompanied by Spanish wines. Organized by program Chairs 

J u d y h E n r i C h s E n and r a C h E l l o i l , members introduced themselves 

and their male guests, before mingling and sharing stories about their 

interests in food and wine. 

On March 18, houston’s annual membership recruitment event was 

hostessed at the houstonian’s garden Room by Ma r i E l En o t r E . attendees 

enjoyed appetizers, pastries, chocolates, and wines as Dames described 

their professional backgrounds and lDEi involvement, and the invited 

prospective members presented their credentials and experience. 

d i a n E d ’a G o s t i n o hosted a dinner party on March 30 at her new 

Elegant Edibles facility in honor of Sally Spector, an artist and culinary 

researcher visiting from venice, italy to promote her book on the cuisine 

and wines of venice, and her recent book on the piedmont region. Ms. 

Spector presented a fascinating overview regarding venice, including her 

unique culinary perspectives, prior to the Dames and their guests enjoying 

a venetian-inspired menu. 

PALM SPRINGS 

Jacqueline Bachar 

the March meeting of the palm Springs chapter was held at Mission hills 

Country Club in Rancho Mirage, where J a C q u E l i nE B a C h a r , member 

and owner of Under Chocolate Skies demonstrated the art of chocolate: 

making and decorating. bachar’s creations were plated and served for 

dessert, following a fantastic lunch prepared by Chef brad binnick. 

a n i t a M a n C h i k ’s beautiful home was the scene of the april luncheon, 

where members and guests enjoyed the artistic beauty of creative table 

settings. anita’s table featured an elegant, upscale setting with a copper, 

gold, and burgundy color scheme, using matching tiered roses for the 

centerpiece. z E l d a w a l l s , owner of table top Elegance, prepared a fun 

casual setting, whose uniqueness was derived from the use of a variety of 

place chargers, plates, and flatware. the main table was a beach theme 

of deep blue, ivory, and silver. Seascape items were used to decorate the 

table, including name cards made from a message in a bottle. all learned 

the fun of mixing themes and budgets to showcase food preparation. 



• Make sure Dame is always capitalized. 

• Add Dame before a name if the name begins a sentence. 

• Add Dame before a name if there are non-Dames in the same listing. 

• For all other references the member name should be in bold. 

DEaDLInEs 

AUTUMN QUARTERLY .....Deadline August 30 

format for mEmBEr mILEstonEs 

& chaptEr nEWs 

Please place the correct information at the beginning of each submission. 

MEMBER MILESTONES 

DAME’S NAME (XX CHAPTER) 

25-50 words as you would like to see it appear in print. Interesting or 

important business-related activities or honors. Submissions with photos will 

receive prominent positions. Press releases are not accepted. E-mail to CiCi 

Williamson at membermilestones@aol.com by August 30, 2008. Entries 

received after this date will not appear. The editorial board will place your entry 

in Headliners if warranted. 

CHAPTER NEWS 

CHAPTER AND TITLE OF EVENT (BY YOUR NAME, OFFICER OR TITLE IF ANY) 

50-100 words per event as you would like to see it in print. We regret we do 

not have space for menus. List the photos at the end of the description. Include 

IDs and credits. Submissions not conforming to this format may not be printed 

due to deadlines and volunteer’s lack of time. E-mail to Karen Levin, Kale23@ 

comcast.net by Augus 30, 2008. 

E-nEWsLEttEr guIDELInEs 

A bi-monthly publication to keep you informed about events in other chapters 

and to encourage networking. The “Traveling Dames” section lists professional 

conferences or events where you may find other Dames for networking. Do 

not send press releases. Include an email contact, date, time, cost for chapter 

events. Lack of space prevents member milestones, product news, listing of 

cooking classes or tours. You will receive a reminder “call for e-news” email. 

Respond to terry@trilobyte.com. 



Drink with style. Drink responsibly. ©2008 Marnier-Lapostolle Inc., NY, NY. GRAND MARNIER® Liqueur 40% Alc./Vol. (80º) 

Grand Marnier ® salutes 

TURN GREAT INTO GRAND 

Les Dames d’Escoffier. 

www.grandmarnier.com 


A t l A n t A 

A u s t i n 

B o s t o n 

B r i t i s h C o l u mB iA , C A n A d A 

C h A r l e s t o n 

C h i C A g o 

C l e v e l A n d /n o r t h e A s t o h i o 

C o l o r A d o 

d A l l A s 

h A w A i i 

h o u s t o n 

K A n s A s C i t y /h e A r t o f A m e r iC A 

l o s A n g e l e s /o r A n g e C o u n t y 

m o n t e r e y B A y A r e A 

m i n n e A p o l i s/s t . pA u l 

n e w y o r K 

o n t A r i o , C A n A d A 

pA l m s p r i n g s 

ph i l A d e l p h iA 

ph o e n i x 

s A n A n t o n i o 

s A n d i e g o 

s A n f r A n C i s C o 

s e A t t l e 

s o u t h f l o r i d A 

s t . l o u i s 

w A s h i n g t o n , d .C . 

LeS DameS d’eScoffieR inteRnationaL 

p.O. box 4961, louisville, ky 40204 

FiRSt ClaSS 

US pOStagE 

PAID 

nEW albany, in 

pERMit #62

Joan Hisaoka - Les Dames d'Escoffier International

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