Author: lesdameschicago

On November 3^rd, as a tribute to the Mexican Day of the Dead, Les Dames D’Escoffier of Chicago were treated to a demonstration and history of tamales by Dames Judith Hines and Shannon Kinsella at Nielsen-Massey Vanillas headquarters hosted by Dame Camilla Nielsen.

Dames made tamales in many flavors, both traditional and “Nuevo”.  This celebration of life and loved ones, very different from our American version of Halloween, brings families together to remember the past.  At Nielsen-Massey the celebration brought the Dames together in a communal kitchen effort – and while the tamales steamed they took a tour of the Nielsen-Massey facilities.

  

    

 

 

 

Submitted by JeanMarie Brownson

We raised a glass to toast our Chicago Chapter Dames Judith Schad and Carrie Nahabedian during a beautiful ceremony hosted by the Guilde Des Fromagers and Confrerie of Saint-Uguzon during the Austin LDEI Conference.

Current Guilde President, Roland Barthelem, flew in from France to preside over the ceremony. Cathy Strange, Les Dames Austin chapter president and president of the New World Guilde assisted as Carrie was inducted into the Guilde along with 8 other women (Alma Alcocer-Thomas, Cathy Cochran- Lewis, Iliana de la Vega, Roisin Kennedy, Sandra Hu, Paula Lambert, Molly O’Laughlin, Marsha Palanci). Judith, already a Guilde member, was promoted to the Maitre Fromager Level.

The Guilde has more than 5,600 members throughout the world including Europe, North America, Australia and South America. The non-profit Guilde Internationale des Fromagers was established to bring together leaders in the dairy sector. Pierre Androuet founded the Brotherhood of St. Uguzon in 1969 to impart knowledge through cheese companionship.

The Guilde is open to professional cheese producers, processors, refiners, and commercial cheese retailers. The Brotherhood of St. Uguzon is open to restaurateurs and those working to promote the delicious world of cheese.

Congratulations Carrie and Judith. The Chicago Chapter looks forward to enjoying fine cheese with both of you!

On Monday, October 21^st the Chicago Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier gathered at Glunz tavern for the second town hall meeting.  Over 20 members attended to review chapter news.  The evening began with hors d’oeuvres and wine that made for a delightful occasion to catch up with new and old friends.   Following, Chapter president Jennifer Lamplough led the meeting which gave the Dames the ability to discuss at hand.

Glunz Tavern originally founded in 1888, closed just prior to Prohibition and newly re-opened this December with the finest of wine, beer and spirits and a classic refined European-style men.

 

   

On Wednesday, October 16^th 2013 Les Dames d’Escoffier Chicago Chapter held a new members evening, graciously hosted by fellow Dames Jeanne McInerney.  Given the nature of the organization’s membership the event was not shy of culinary masterpieces for everyone to share and enjoy.

We welcome the newly inducted Dames to the Chicago Chapter.  The future holds many upcoming programs and events for the new members to be introduced to the group and becoming a part of a committee.  Participating on a committee is a great way to learn about the organization and furthering the group’s mission.

Bien venue Nina Barrett, Nicole Randazzo Bujewski, Flora Caputo, Linda Eatherton, Jill Hass, Margaret Laport, Amelia Levin, Jeanne Pinsof  Nolan, , Deborah Leslie-Rivera, Anupy Singla, and  and Gina Voci.

 

 

 

 

 

 

By JeanMarie Brownson

The Union League Club of Chicago hosted the very fortunate Chicago Dames That Read members on September 9. Les Dames member Judith Dunbar Hines led the evening with a copy of “Thomas Jefferson’s Crème Brulee How A Founding Father and His Slave James Hemings Introduced French Cuisine to America” by Thomas J. Craughwell in hand.

We worked up our appetites with a brief tour of the 127-year-old Club’s magnificent art collection, one of the largest privately held collections in the United States. A Monet greeted us at our first stop at the top of the marble staircase. Pommiers en fleurs or Apple Trees in Blossom, painted by Claude Monet in 1872, is said to have been purchased by a club member for $1500 and sold to the club for a mere $500.

Many of the works travel as much as a Club member. The Monet was recently at a retrospective in Rome and Anna Lou Matthew’s painting from the 1930’s, “The Lord’s Prayer,” was shown recently at the Guggenheim in Bilbao, Spain.

The focus of the Club’s vast collection is on artists of the Midwest. The Club has works by one of Chicago’s leading painters, William Samuel Schwartz, who also painted murals for the World’s Fair in 1933.

Leading American impressionist Robert Reed features the coast of Brittany in his piece titled “The Blessing of the Boats.” We see more of France in Mary Fairchild MacMonnies Low “Blossoming Time in Normandy.” Low, an American impressionist who created a mural called Primitive Women for the Chicago Columbian Exposition, agitated for women’s right to study nude models; a fact that impressed the current Chicago Dames.
Chef Michael Garbin welcomed us to one of the modern-art-filled dining rooms of the magnificent 1925 building with a glass of Mâcon-Lugny “Les Genièvres” 2009. Continue reading “Thomas Jefferson’s Crème Brûlée” →

The Racquet Club located in the Gold Coast Historic District with its wood paneled walls and timeless elegance was the setting for the 31st Les Dames d’Escoffier Annual Meeting and Dinner. Happy voices greeting new and old friends, accompanied delicious hors d’oeuves and wine in the club’s handsome foyer.

The business meeting followed led by President Jennifer Lamplough. Jennifer reviewed the year, introduced Linda Avery who gave the Treasurer’s Report, introduced JeanMarie Brownson, Nominating Chair, who presented the new board and Catherine Koelling, new member committee member, who introduced our eleven stellar new dame members.

A three-course dinner comprised of a pan seared scallop with quail egg, asparagus tips and chive oil appetizer, a lamb chop entrée  with roasted carrot risottoand a rhubarb basil tart with vanilla bean ice cream for dessert partnered with good wine and sparkling conversation, made for a most joyous evening. Attendance of 75 members was at an all-time high. A big thank you to program chair, Shannon Kinsella and Melissa Lehman, dame member and Racquet Club catering director! As President Jennifer Lamplough said in her inspiring toast, “We are awesome!”