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November 20, 2019
 
Dear Sister Dames,
 
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  I'd like to offer special thanks to each of you for all that you do for this chapter. And, if you are traveling for the holidays, I wish you safe travels and much joy with family and friends.  I'm sure all of your tables will be bountiful with delicious foods.  Take lots of photos and post on Instagram using #LddcTurkeyDay.  Let's see how many gorgeous turkey photos we can get.
 
At our November 9  Autumn General Membership Meeting, I gave a state of the chapter with Treasurer Drew Faulkner's 
help since I had an unfortunate case of laryngitis.  (You can read the AGMM minutes on our chapter website under "chapter documents.") We reported that our chapter has a solid financial standing with our bank  and investment accounts. We have about $160,000 in a variety of savings and investments. That being said, Drew and I have poured over our chapter finances, reorganized the data, and discovered that our income does not cover our operating expenses.  Our current operating budget, which includes all administrative and membership expenses, is $20,420.  The amount covered by our membership dues is $13,200.  This leaves $7,220 that needs to be covered somehow.  We found that about 20% of this year's shortfall can be attributed to more Dames than anticipated taking leaves of absences which have no dues requirement. 

You might say, "Let's use some of our savings to cover our shortfall." Well, we have been doing that. We had to draw $23,000 down from our savings to balance our 2017-2018 budget.  We again withdrew over $7,000 in the 2018-2019 fiscal year to balance that budget.  This is without any disbursement for scholarships last year. I know that this is no way to run a business.  

Please know that the board has cut expenses in every area of the budget it can find. We have now completed an audit and understand our financial position; so, we can structure our spending strategically and balance our operational budget to meet our mission.  We WILL give scholarships this year.  

Where, logically, should the income be drawn from? 
We are considering two changes to ensure a balanced budget going forward. 

Part of that structure will be to raise our dues for the first time in at least seven years. At the LDEI conference in Nashville last month, the counsel of delegates voted to increase the international dues by $15. We are considering an increase in our chapter dues, as well, to help balance our operating budget.  But that alone will not cover the deficit.

Secondly, we are looking at various pricing models for our public programs which will take into consideration our LDE-DC administration costs for marketing the program and other expenses (guest meals, sound equipment, etc.),  as well as donations  for grants, scholarships or Green Tables initiatives.  I expect most people, given a choice, would rather donate to our scholarships and grants program rather than our general funds. It's sexier. But there is a cost to doing business and, it seems to me, that if we offer extraordinary programs and price them accordingly, with our mission in mind, we can easily make this work.

Nothing has been put in motion as of yet but I do want to be completely transparent about the state of our chapter.

As I said in the meeting, this is not all doom and gloom.  This is taking a good look under the hood to discover where we need to fix things.  We've peeled back the layers, done the math and discovered the areas that need improvement. There are no more hidden surprises lurking out there. This is a good position to be in and, I promise the finance committee is doing everything to make this year a strong one.

On a more positive note, I'm pleased to report that we've had some successful programs thus far and we have two fundraisers planned for this year:  our symposium at the end of March and a cocktail event at the French ambassador's residence in the first quarter of 2020 will support our grants and scholarship funding and our other community outreach programs. 

Soon you'll receive an email about our Women In Gastronomy symposium which will lay out the committee's progress.  There are areas of need; so, we will ask for your help to make this an extraordinary event.

Should you have a chapter question, concern or idea, please shoot me an email [email protected] or give me a call (410) 212-2224.
 
My best,
 
Stacey Adams

President
Les Dames - Washington, DC 
 
HOLIDAY PARTY
 
For those of you looking forward to a December holiday party, surprise, it will be in January! Details to come.
 
HURRAH!
   
Julia Rutland authored a cookbook and several food and travel articles that were published this fall: Squash: 50 Tried and True Recipes (Adventure Publications); Culinary Road Trip (Southern Living Magazine, December), Visit Williamsburg, and Chasing Fall Color (Southern Living Magazine, October); Devilishly Delicious Halloween Party Treats and Thanksgiving Pies (Bottom Line Personal Magazine). Click here for Southern Living December Issue, Leesburg. Click here for the Southern Living October Issue, Fall color.
   
DAMES CORNER

Karen Lippold's food memories go back to shopping with the household cooks at outdoor markets in the Philippines, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Thailand and Korea. Her father, an entomologist and plant pathologist who worked to develop new varieties of rice in East Asia, kept the family on the move. Her culinary interests blossomed during her time in Paris at the Sorbonne, where she "ate a hell of a lot," and during her Peace Corp tour in Mali, West Africa. There, she helped the women who sold in the markets to expand their offerings. Popcorn, for example, was cheap, easily sourced and proved to be popular. A natural linguist, Karen is fluent in Spanish, French, Korean and Bambara, the language spoken in Mali. Her subsequent work for USAID had her traveling extensively and globally.

Flash forward to 2005. Karen was living in Bethesda, Md., and married, had two young children and was working full-time in international development.  She decided that she needed to do something closer to home. The answer: Gourmet by Karen, a catering business that offers cross-cultural menus from around the world to an international clientele. Karen, a self-taught cook who had volunteered at L'Academie de Cuisine (while working full-time), does all the shopping and cooking herself. She caters retreats and celebrations for the World Bank, USAID and returned Peace Corp volunteers as well as locals interested in trying her Ethiopian, Moroccan, Turkish, Italian and Asian dishes. She also offers such American standbys as Chicken Marbella. These days, she says customers are increasingly interested in the Mediterranean diet's health benefits, noting that her buffets can offer vegetarians plenty of global options.
DAMES NEWS

 
PROCHILE ROADSHOW
 
Jodi Lehr, Cindy Kacher, Linda Roth, and Lori Gardner
at ProChile Roadshow promoting food & wine from Chile. 



AUTUMN GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
Dames gathered at Ris Restaurant for our Autumn General Membership Meeting on November 9, 2019. President Stacey Adams and Treasurer Drew Faulkner presented a number of issues surrounding our chapter finances and committee chairs reported to the group on their committee's activities.  Parliamentarian Diane Neas participated virtually.  The group enjoyed a delicious luncheon prepared by Ris's capable staff. 


 Treasurer Drew Faulkner and President Stacey Adams
 

Ris Lacoste addressing the audience while Julia Rutland takes notes in the background.  


A virtual Diane Neas and Sandra Kay Miller at the meeting.


Dames gathered at the luncheon.


METRO COOKING DC
Les Dames was represented all over last weekend's Metro Cooking DC where more than 14,000 culinary enthusiasts shopped from hundreds of specialty food exhibitors, sampled and tasted at the Grand Tasting Pavilion and BBQ Bash, sat in on educational Taste Talks and saw demonstrations by the likes of Martha Stewart and Wolfgang Puck.

Amy Brandwein cooked to a packed house on the James Beard Foundation Stage. 


Amy Riolo conducted a Taste Talk demonstration and shared some backstage time with Wolfgang Puck when she presented him a bottle of her just released and branded EVOO which he then proceeded to use on stage as he made risotto.

Maria Kopsidas did double duty as her Cookology Culinary School team presented two cooking classes and demonstrations in addition to her information booth.


Lidia Bastianich (NY) gave a talk moderated by Washington Life editor Catherine Trifeletti and she held a book signing session along with Martha Stewart.



Amy Riolo and Jill Collins.  Jill is the public relations coordinator for this event which is now in its 14th year.

PROGRAMS

 
JUBILEE: A CELEBRATION OF THE RECIPES FROM TWO CENTURIES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN COOKING WITH TONI TIPTON-MARTIN - LAST DAYS TO SIGN UP
Join James Beard Award winning author, Toni Tipton-Martin, for a luncheon and presentation that celebrates unsung African-American cooks and the modern American cuisine they created. Toni Tipton-Martin, the first African-American food editor of a daily American newspaper (The Cleveland Plain Dealer), wrote the James Beard Award-winning The Jemima Code, a history of African-American cooking  found  in--and  between--the  lines  of  two  centuries'  worth  of  African-American cookbooks.  Tipton-Martin  builds  on  that  research  in Jubilee,  adapting  recipes  from  those historic  texts  for  the  modern  kitchen.  What we find is a world of African-American cuisine--made by enslaved master chefs, free caterers, and black entrepreneurs and culinary stars. It's a cuisine that was developed in the homes of the elite and middle class as well as in the living quarters of the enslaved; that takes inspiration from around the globe; that is a diverse, varied style of cooking that has created much of what we know of as American cuisine. Jubilee comes in a moment when the issue of African-American cultural ownership is a very relevant topic and Tipton-Martin's presentation will promote a lively discussion.
DATE: Saturday, November 23
TIME:  12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m.
PLACE: Gunther & Co., 3650 Toone Street, Baltimore, MD 21224
PRICE: Dames: $55; Non-Dames and Dames guests: $65 includes three-course luncheon and program, gratuity, welcome cocktail and a $15 donation to Les Dames d'Escoffier- Washington DC Chapter Scholarship Fund.  If you wish to have a copy of Jubilee for Toni Tipton-Martin to sign, you can purchase a copy when you buy your ticket.  The book will be waiting for you when you arrive for the luncheon.
RSVP:  Click here to purchase your tickets. 
DIRECTIONS: Click here for directions. 
PARKING: Ample parking just past the restaurant in the lot on the right.
MENU: 
  Liquified Soul    
      Champagne cocktail 
  The Welcoming Table and Food for Company
       Peanut Soup 
      Curried Meat Pies
The Staff of Life
      Sweet Potato Rolls 
      Spanish Cornbread
 Comfort in Dining    
      Chicken and Hand Rolled Dumplings 
 A Little Bit of This, a Little Bit of That 
       Braised Celery (a.k.a. Celery Victor) 
  The Sweet Life  
      Lemon Tea Cake 
 
 
DC DAMES MEMBER-TO-MEMBER KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE
A series of Dames-Only events with our members sharing their skills INSTAGRAM FOR BUSINESS
If you have a business or product to promote, knowing how to use Instagram can help you grow. It is not just about selling; it is building a brand, telling a story and engaging with prospects. We are bringing in an expert to help us on this one.  LaShondra Booker is the Founder and CEO of Raspberry Social, a Digital Marketing Consultancy dedicated to designing social media strategy and increasing engagement. She has over 10 years of experience implementing successful strategies for local restaurants, caterers and food industry professionals.
Instagram Tips and Tricks with LaShondra Booker
Light Snacks
DATE: December 2
TIME:  6:45 to 8:30 p.m.
PLACE:  Home of Deb Lindsey11909 Falkirk Drive, Potomac, MD 20854.  Plenty of street parking.
Maximize the value of this program by including questions about Instagram when you RSVP, along with your Instagram handle.
PRICE:   $10 (pay at the event)


LOG-IN INFORMATION

How to Log-in to ldei.org. Members only:
User ID: email address listed in LDEI database
Password:  If you have not logged in before, you will need to contact the LDEI office for your password, which you can change at any time.
[email protected] or call (502) 456-1851 x4
How to Log-in to the Les Dames DC Chapter website, www.lesdamesdc.org
Password: ldedc2014 (for Members-only section)
LDE-DC Instagram               
  

Please add Instagram to your social media accounts http://instagram.com/lesdamesdc# @LesDamesDC

 

Editor's Note:  
 
Entre News is our LDE-DC chapter e-newsletter.  It is published on the first and  third Wednesday of each month. It is on hiatus during the month of August. Deadline for HURRAH! and other news is the second and fourth Thursday of each month. Please send a BRIEF paragraph with your professional and personal news that you would like your sister Dames to know about in HURRAH!

HURRAH! is not meant as an advertising opportunity for a cooking class or event, rather it offers a shout out to members for recent accomplishments and honors.   Please submit your HURRAH to [email protected] in a succinct 75 words of less.

DAMES CORNER is a brief feature to help us get to know our sister Dames a bit better. We will randomly choose Dames to profile who have differing professional backgrounds so the coverage is more interesting.

OF INTEREST offers Dames a chance to let their sister chapter members know about events they are involved in that might be of interest to a majority of the membership.  Its function is not to promote products, cooking classes, culinary trips, etc., rather to alert members to public programs that might be of professional interest, especially if Dames are featured.   We request OF INTEREST entries to be no longer than 150 words. Less is always better.
 
JOB OPPS can open Dames networks to employment opportunities.
 
Send information to Entre News Editor Katherine Newell Smith, [email protected]
 
Thank you for you continued interest and participation.

Katherine Newell Smith
Founding Editor, Entre News  

In this Issue
 
Social Media Connections

 

Connect with Sister Dames

Like us on Facebook
LesDamesDC 

Follow us on Twitter
@LesDamesDC 
@LesDamesDC

We need ALL members who have FB, Twitter and Instagram accounts to follow and actively re-tweet our members' tweets to spread the great news about our activities and programs!
 
Connect with Les Dames d'Escoffier International

Please share news, events and updates.  Join the LDEI members-only LinkedIn Group to stay connected with other Dames.


Like us on Facebook   View our profile on LinkedIn
Join a Committee....
You were invited to join Dames because of your talents and achievements and you promised to be part of our chapter's committee work; so, now it is time to
Get Involved!

Our committees offer the perfect opportunity to get to know your sister Dames, share your skills and to give back to the community through service.  Every committee needs dedicated participants. Please contact the committee chairs and offer your time and skills, now.


2019-2020 Committee Chairs

Membership - Dames Who Dine:
Karen Lippold 
[email protected]

Membership - Engagement: 
Carole Sugarman

 Women in Gastronomy: 
Laurie Bell
Eileen Dykes
Grants: 
Jessica Botta

 Scholarships:
Nona Nielsen-Parker

Green Tables:
Karen Vartan

Edee Hogan
 Global Culinary Initiatives:
Amy Riolo

Public Relations:
Jill Collins

Development:
Annie Boutin King

2019-2020
Board Members

President
Stacey Adams
 
First Vice President  
( Membership
 
Second Vice President
 (Education and Community Outreach Programs)
Edee Hogan 

Second Vice President
(Development)
Annie Boutin King
 
Julia Rutland   
 
Financial Officer
Drew Faulkner   
 
Communications Officer
Jill Collins
 
Directors

Olga Boikess 
(Programs)
Karen Lippold 
(Dames Who Dine)
Diane Neas
(Parliamentarian)
Karen Vartan 
(Green Tables)
Alternate: 
Carole Sugarman
(Member Engagement)
Janet Yu
(Past President)
 

Entre News Update:  
Please submit your Entre News information in a brief, concise statement to Katherine Newell Smith at [email protected]
 
Board Meeting Minutes
To view the latest approved board meeting minutes, go to www.lesdamesdc.org and

click on the Members Only tab  and enter the password.  Click on  the dropdown menu for LDE-DC Board and  you will see a link to the board meeting minutes. During each monthly board meeting, the board approves the previous month's minutes and they are then posted to our website. 

Members-Only Section to our Website


It is easy to find chapter documents and resources, our event archives and past editions of Entre News.  

 

We now have a single password that all Dames must use to access the Members Only section of the website.  The password is ldedc2014.  Please do not share this password with anyone outside of the Chapter.  We are revising the members only section but the password remains as above.  See Stacey's President's Letter for more information.

 

If you are having trouble logging into the website please contact our Communications Officer at [email protected]

 

Under Member Login,  you will see a revised menu where you can find:

  • past and current Entre News issues posted under the Entre News Archives tab.
  • archives of past chapter activities in the LDE-DC Dame Only Events menu along with upcoming events.
  • helpful files including chapter letterhead, name tag template, LDEI logos and tax-exempt certificates under Documents and Forms.
  • our chapter's standing rules, bylaws and membership roster under Bylaws, Roster & Minutes.  
  • A roster of Dames that can be printed out.
Quick Links
  

LDEI Quarterly Deadlines:
The deadline for sending in Member Milestones and Chapter News for the SPRING issue of the LDEI Quarterly is JANUARY 20.   Our archived Quarterly magazines are available online.  If you are not receiving hard copies of Quarterly, please check your online contact information at www.ldei.org  If it is correct, please contact Greg Jewell  [email protected] to make sure you are on the mailing list.

Quarterly Guidelines:
Photography/Images-Electronic images must be properly focused, in color with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi (TIFF or JPEG). Cell phone photos are acceptable if they meet resolution requirements. Do not send photos taken off the internet or embedded with text in Word files or PDF files. Identify individuals in photos from left to right in the message of your email. Include photo credits, if required. CAPTIONS ARE REQUIRED FOR PUBLICATION.

Member Milestones - Edited by Dorothy Koteski (Phil)
Share your professional news with Dames in all chapters in our LDEI Quarterly. Shout, don't whisper, about your accomplishments. We all want a chance to say "Brava!"
Submit Member Milestones by filling out the interactive form at: http://link.ldei.org/ldei-member-milestones. Any field marked with an asterisk (*) is required. Note that some forms have character limits due to space constraints. To submit a photo, reply "Yes" to "Would you like to submit a high resolution quality image?" Then click "Next". You will be taken to a second page where you can upload your images.
Be sure to click the SUBMIT button to upload your responses. You will receive an email confirmation that your submission was received. Press releases and cookbook covers are not accepted. Entries received after the deadline may appear in a following issue.
Please know that you can also email your information, if you prefer. The email addresses listed under the Submission Guidelines will always be active and will forward to the correct person.

Submit Chapter News by filling out the interactive form at: 
http://link.ldei.org/ldei-chapter-programs.To submit a photo, reply "Yes" to "Would you like to submit a high resolution quality image?" Then click "Next". You will be taken to a second page where you can upload your images.  Be sure to click the SUBMIT button to upload your responses. You will receive an email confirmation that your submission was received.
Les Dames d'Escoffier DC, www.lesdamesdc.org, Washington, DC 20013-1617
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