Category: Chicago Chapter News

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!”

The Les Dames Culinary Garage Sale and Cake Walk was a success in spite of the rain.

• Patrons participating in a Cake Walk for scholarship walked to the music of John Greenfield (guitar) and Rob Cruz(accordion)  choosing from 18 cakes donated by our members and friends.
• An array of wonderful Food Trucks were present: Baby Cakes, Beaver Doughnuts, Chicago Tamale, Fat Shallot and Kaela Deichsel teas
• A VIP hour was held from 10-11am for $75 entrance fee: Sparkling cocktails by Jo Snow and H2Vino, breakfast by Baby Cakes and Beaver Doughnuts, bags from the Green City Market were had by all.
• A huge donation of restaurant ware was donated by Zepole Supply Company, creating an entire wall of plates and glasses for sale.
• An authors table and a Dames Recipe ebook was created. http://www.saltyfig.com/main/book.html?ID=121&code=h76cq47n
• Pick up of junk was offered, chaired by Portia, and placed in a POD staged at Kendall College or the week prior to the event.
• We raised $4800.00

White Truffles In Winter by N. M. Kelby Discussion at Chez Moi
Reported by: Sharon Olson

Dame Judith Dunbar Hines orchestrated the evening and Chef Dominique Tougne punctuated the discussion with a series of tastings that were significant in this engaging work of historical fiction.  When Judith asked Chef Tougne what he thought Escoffier might say if he showed up in his kitchen today, he quipped, “Hola, como estas!”

The tastings of the evening were perfectly synchronized with the literary discussion.  The evening began with beautifully simple bread and butter.  Scallops offered a taste of the sea and evoked discussion of the connection between foods their origin.  Unique preparations of eggs and aligot were served to support discussions of the intimacy cooking inspired between Escoffier and his wife Delphine at the beginning of their life together and with the infirmities of their final days together.

The personality of Escoffier portrayed in the book was that of a passionate and deeply flawed man of the times in which he lived, and there was no lack of discussion on the emotions evoked by this novel.  The conversation continued over dinner where many of those who had come to enjoy the discussion and tasting chose to stay.

This was a first in the new series — Dames Who Read.  Don’t miss the next event, The Last Chinese Chef by Nicole Mones at Lao Beijing, Monday, May 6^th.