SUMMER 2011 savorAtlanta © , Kevin C. Rose/AtlantaPhotos.com © , Kevin and skyline photo. this photo IN THIS ISSUE FEATURES 4-5 Grande Dame Nominees SUMMER• 2 O 1 1 6-7 2011 Editorial Board “Do not follow where the path may lead. Go, instead, where 8-13 Conference Preview there is no path and leave a trail.” Ralph Waldo Emerson With great pleasure, Les Dames d’Escoffi er International has announced three nominees for its prestigious Grande Dame Award - 14-15 A Bee Oasis on the an accolade bestowed biennially. Florence Fabricant, Joan Reardon Big Island of Hawaii and Nathalie Dupree are trailblazers and recognized leaders in their fi elds who have shaped and inspired our perception of what a Grande Dame should be. 16-17 New York Chosen by the membership for their outstanding achievements Tribute Dinner and perspectives, we honor these women as role models who lead by example. Th ey are successful professional women who graciously donate their time and talents to give back to their communities. 18-19 LA Chapter Salutes Th e nominees, all eloquent communicators, list as many accom- Dame Ruthie Graham plishments in their biographies as there are folds on a chef’s toque blanch, such as columnist, cookbook author, biographer, culinary historian, editor and TV personality - to mention a few. 20-21 The Restaurant Th eir commitment and dedication to help fashion America’s and Garden at foodways inspires everyone – and certainly Dames as well as the next generation of women to follow in our footsteps. Meet these Wente Vineyards extraordinary women on pages 4-5. On pages 20-21 we showcase our partner Wente Family Vineyards 22 Postcard from Hawaii and their eco-friendly, in-house restaurant and garden. Th e result of the sustainable practices at Th e Restaurant at Wente Vineyards is an exceptional and varied menu of wine country cuisine prepared from estate-grown organic produce and organic dairy products, DEPARTMENTS wild-caught fi sh and free-range meats. Dedication to the art of wine- making and respect for locally sourced ingredients promotes their President’s Message commitment to a healthy, sustainable way of life. 3 Savor Atlanta’s vibrancy at the LDEI conference November 3-6 while enjoying a taste of true Southern hospitality in a magnifi - 23-27 Chapter News cent cosmopolitan setting. Th is high-energy conference promises it all: eclectic area tours, gracious dining, motivating speakers, networking opportunities and professional and personal enrich- 28-29 Member Milestones ment sessions that can help take your business to the next level. A dynamic new LDEI leadership forum will be the conduit for shar- ing best practices and eff ective new ideas. Don’t miss the exciting 30 Submission Guidelines fi nales – the Grande Dame Award Dinner at the Ritz-Carlton and the Atlanta Chapter’s food and wine extravaganza, Afternoon in the Country. For additional conference information, turn to pages 8-12. Special thanks to Dana Dabruzzi, Carolyn O’Neil and the Atlanta host chapter for organizing this splendid conference experience. I hope to see you there! Susan Fuller Slack (Charleston) The mission of the LDEI board is to foster the growth and success of the organization by supporting the development of new and existing chapters. It provides guidance, education, 2011 LDEI BOARD OF DIRECTORS connectivity and effective communication among LDEI members. President Second Vice President Secretary Directors-at-Large Immediate Past President SANDY HU SUSAN FULLER SLACK C.C.P. DOROTHY R. KOTESKI JANET BURGESS TERESA J. FARNEY C.H.E., C.C.P. Principal Food Writer/Culinary Educator Professor, Allied Health Department Culinary Adventures San Diego Food Editor, The Gazette Sandy Hu Food Marketing LLC Culinary Bouquets Community College of Philadelphia 6267 Lake Lucerne Drive 7220 Delmonico Drive 380 Roosevelt Way 116 Hurlingham Drive 27 Cooper Run Drive San Diego, CA 92119 Colorado Springs, CO 80919 San Francisco, CA 94114 Columbia, SC 29223 Cherry Hill, NJ 08003-2244 (619) 463-7576 (w) (719) 636-0271 (w) (415) 626-1765 (w) (803) 736-7103 (w) (856) 489-0052 (h) (619) 274-4013 (c) (719) 330-3353 (c) (415) 533-5653 (c) (803) 917-8837 (c) (609)-206-8233 (c) [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] SHARON VAN METER President, SVM Productions Executive Director Third Vice President First Vice President Treasurer Milestone Culinary Arts Center GREG JEWELL MARY S. MOORE BRENDA MCDOWELL KATHLEEN PERRY 4531 McKinney Avenue President, AEC Management Resources Founder/CEO President the everyday gourmet® Dallas, TX 75202 P.O. Box 4961 The Cook’s Warehouse M&P Food Communications, Inc. 2950 Mt. Wilkinson Parkway,SE, #503 (214) 217-2819 Louisville, KY 40204 1075 Zonolite Road, NE, Suite 1-C 200 E. Delaware, 7-C Atlanta, GA 30339 (469) 235-7506 (502) 456-1851 x1 Atlanta, GA 30306 Chicago, IL 60611 (770) 801-9436 (w) [email protected] (502) 727-2467 (404) 492-9018 (w) (312) 201-9101 (w) (770) 845-8438 (c) MARY ELLEN GRIFFIN [email protected] (312) 485-5783 (c) (404) 374-6740 (c) [email protected] Partner, Continental Consulting Group [email protected] [email protected] 320 Strawberry Hill Ave., #58 Stamford, CT 06902 (203) 975 7610 (w) (203) 273 8824 (c) maryellengriffi [email protected] 2 Les Dames d’Escoffier International Nurturing and Growing LDEI Every new Les Dames d’Escoffi er International Board is charged with continuing the work of the previous board and building on its achievements. Each year, we need to move the ball forward. Th e LDEI Board meets the second Tuesday of every month via con- ference call. With fi nite time and resources, it’s important that we stay focused. So at the top of each agenda, the board’s mission statement is clearly highlighted: Th e mission of the LDEI Board is to foster the growth and success of the organization by supporting the development of new and existing chapters. It provides guidance, education, connectivity and eff ective communication among LDEI members. One way we planned to advance the mission this year was by examining the standing roles and responsibilities of each board member to see how each helps to fulfi ll our mission. Summer is about midpoint in the board’s tenure so our face-to-face meeting in St. Louis the end of July was a good time to determine if we needed You can help by contributing items to the auction to ensure that we to rethink responsibilities, undertake any course corrections or ac- have a bountiful selection. And just as importantly, you can help to celerate our eff orts to fulfi ll our mission for the year. promote the auction to attract bidders. Th e more people we bring to As part of our evaluation of roles, we had already determined that the site, the greater the bidding action and the higher the proceeds. the production of the Quarterly, our premier communications vehicle, Please stay tuned for an announcement this fall when the online asks too much of our Second Vice President as a volunteer. It is a huge auction opens its virtual doors, and spread the word to family and undertaking – from preparing editorial calendars, to news gathering, friends, and post the link on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and any of writing and reporting, marshaling Dame reporters, editing, fact check- your other social media outlets. ing, proofreading, to supervising layout, design and production. We prepared a request for proposal for a paid Quarterly Editor and distributed it to the membership. We received excellent, profes- Los Angeles/Orange County sional responses from our Dames who were interested in the posi- Dame Angela Pettera: tion. Th e proposals were screened by a selection committee and the board voted affi rmatively on the recommendation that we hire two “I'm really looking forward to remarkable talents: Susan Slack (Charleston) and CiCi William- the Atlanta conference. Th e Los son (Washington, D.C.). Th ey will serve as Quarterly co-editors under the direction of the LDEI Second Vice President. Susan, our Angeles/Orange County Chapter current Second Vice President and editor, and CiCi, the founder of is putting together a team to the Quarterly and a past President of LDEI, will each produce two attend. We're stoked!” Quarterlies in the year. Th is means that, as one editor is putting her issue to bed, the second editor is busy on the next issue, ensuring a Seattle Dame seamless transition and timely delivery. Braiden Rex-Johnson: One of the main functions of the board each year is producing the annual conference. Atlanta, our host chapter, under the leadership of Excitement is already “I'll be at conference our indefatigable Co-chairs Dana Dabruzzi and Carolyn O’Neil, is growing for the Atlanta doing a fabulous job in acquiring the most insightful speakers, sourc- again as a delegate ing the most interesting venues and planning outstanding programs. conference. Here’s part and can't wait. Les We are also attracting strong partnerships to support our conference, of the LDEI conversation Dames is one of the through the eff orts of our Director of Development Susan Weinstein on LinkedIn: most rewarding parts (Miami), and First Vice President Mary Moore (Atlanta). We look forward to personally engaging with our partners and their products of my life, and I'm at conference and throughout the year. enjoying serving as In conjunction with the conference, the annual auction is building its See you in Atlanta! president of the Seattle own momentum under the direction of Director at Large Sharon Van Meter (Dallas). She and her committee are pulling together fabulous Chapter this year!” packages for bid.