Kudo’s Galore

On Wednesday, March 20, our chapter participated in a fundraiser for the McCormick Boys & Girls Club and our organic garden and food education community service program there. The venue, Worlds of Whirlpool, with its gorgeous facility and series of beautiful kitchens, featured seven food stations serving amazing savory and sweet treats prepared and donated by Dames. Jean True coordinated our participation with the support of our Board of Directors.

Guests raved about the wonderful food that was complemented by bars serving wines, beers and delicious Blood Orange Mimosas. Kudos go to Dames Breanna Beike, Lee Calihan, Maria Josefa Concannon, Donna Hesik, Anne Kauffmann, Norma Maloney,  Julie Ratowitz  and Debbie Sharpe,  for their donations of food and participation in this unique fundraising event.

Debbie Sharpe: Wild Mushroom Truffle Risotto Bites
Lee Calihan: Petite Purple Potatoes with Beet-Cured Salmon and Dill Creme Faiche
Breanna Beike: Bacon & Aged Cheddar Dumplings w/Black Truffle BBQ served by Julie Ratowitz
Maria Concannon & Jake: Guacamole and Civeche on Tortilla Chips
The Entertaining Company: Smoked Chicken Medallions with Roasted Pumpkin Goat Cheese Souffle with Berry Port
Anne Kauffmann: Nougat Mousse Cake, Passion Fruit Souffle Cake, Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cake
Donna Hesik: Lemon bars and Macarons

About 20 large screens throughout the facility and at each food station showed hundreds of photos of the garden and kids cooking classes highlighting Les Dames wonderful work at the Club to the 200 guests.

The silent auction included two lots generously donated by Chef Dame Breanna Beike – a four course dinner for eight with matched wines (to be prepared by Chefs Breanna Beike and Jean True at the home of Mary Abbott Hess), and a weekend at the James Hotel with dinner for two at David Burke’s Primehouse. The dinner for eight was so popular that it was sold twice! The entire proceeds from these auction lots plus part of the proceeds from the fundraising event will benefit the Green Tables program. We expect that this event raised about $7000., to fund the Green Tables program at the McCormick Club for 2013.

Networking Dinners

At one of three networking potluck dinners held on Sunday, March 3, Dames from the Western suburbs gathered at Jennifer Lamplough’s Batavia home for Irish comfort food, good wine and excellent conversation. The menu consisted of stuffed cabbage rolls, stout mac and cheese, bangers and mash, salmon and potatoes in a jar, lemon tart and chocolate stout cake by Jennifer Lamplough, Sara Reddington, Julie Ratowitz, Portia Belloc and Jean True. Dames also gathered in Evanston at Julie Chernoff’s home as well as in the city at Carol Smoler’s.

Cocktails & Cheese
Prosecco Cocktail & Cheese Platter by Jen Lamplough
Guinness Mac and Cheese by Sara Reddington
Salmon and Vegetables by Portia Belloc Lowndes
Bangers & Root Veggies by Julie Ratowitz
Stuffed Cabbage Rolls by Jen Lamplough
Irish Soda Bread by Jen Lamplough
French Macaroons by Jean True