Save Wednesday, February 8, 2012 from 6 to 8pm for the First Salon in the LDNY 2012 Women of Achievement Series. Dame Sylvia Weinstock, Founder and President, of Sylvia Weinstock Cakes will be interviewed by Dame Patricia McCann of WINS Radio at the home of Pamela Morgan. Click here.

On Thursday evening, January 5, just two days before the iconic Christmas tree in Rockefeller Plaza was to come down for another year, Dame Roberta Morrell hosted 30 New York City Dames and their guests at Morrell Wine Bar and Café for a post-holiday celebration and one last look at the brightly-lit plaza.

It was difficult to decide whether the stars of the passed hors d'oeuvre were the truffled deviled eggs, the foie gras rumaki or any of the other delectable treats that complemented the Prosecco, Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Grigio. We were all busy eating and drinking, and absorbed in each others' company, sharing stories of our holiday celebrations.

We are ever grateful to Dame Roberta Morrell, Executive Chef Jake Klein and the superb staff at Morrell Wine Bar and Café for allowing us the pleasure of beginning the New Year in this most delightful venue.

Dame Joan Bloom

Roberta Morrell and Paumanok Vineyards' Charles Massoud

 Eighty-one Dames and guests received the royal treatment at Les Dames d’Escoffier New York’s annual holiday party at Barbetta on December 5. Dame Laura Maioglio, our gracious host, outdid herself with hors d’oeuvres and a buffet dinner at her historic townhouse restaurant. The food was complemented by Mionetto prosecco and wines donated by Dame Roberta Morrell. The pièce de résistance was a gorgeous cake ornamented with a giant bouquet of edible flowers donated by Dame Sylvia Weinstock. In addition to celebrating the 35th Anniversary of LDNY’s founding, the event raised $1500 for New Scholarship. Click Here

 On Thursday, November 17, LDNY hosted a book signing party for new inductee Dame Karen Page and her husband and co-author, Andrew Dornenburg at Gallery 151 in Manhattan. Dame Page and Dornenburg co-authored The Food Lover's Guide To Wine (Little Brown) that was named one of the top five wine books of 2011 by the Wall Street Journal. Twenty-five Dames and their guests enjoyed an assortment of cheeses, charcuterie, and terrines from Chef Robert Gurvitch of Alison Eighteen restaurant and Beaujolais and Maconnais wines from Georges Duboeuf, including a magnum of the 2011 Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau released just that day. Page and Dornenburg are also authors of What To Drink with What You Eat, The Flavor Bible, The New American Chef, and Dining Out, all of which have been winners or finalists for the James Beard Foundation awards, IACP Book Award, and/or Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. What To Drink with What You Eat was winner of the 2007 IACP Book Award and the 2006 Georges Duboeuf Wine Book Award. Each guest received a signed copy of The Food Lover's Guide To Wine.

Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg at the LDNY book signing party November 17 at Gallery 151

New York Dames Delegation at the LDEI Conference in
Atlanta taken at the BBQ and Bourbon Party.

 On Saturday, October 1, at Pier Sixty/Chelsea Piers, Les Dames d’Escoffier New York collaborated with the 2011 Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival presented by Food & Wine to co-host a Tribute Dinner honoring His Royal Highness Prince Robert of Luxembourg, Managing Director of Bordeaux’s Domaine Clarence Dillon and culinary prince, Chef Jacques Pépin, Dean of Special Programs at The French Culinary Institute, host of 11 acclaimed public television series and author of 26 cookbooks including the recently released Essential Pépin. The dinner, sponsored by Bank of America and emceed by Martha Stewart, featured a stellar lineup of French chefs and wines from Prince Robert and his family’s Château Haut-Brion wine estate. A silent auction benefitted Les Dames d’Escoffier New York’s Make A Difference Scholarship. Click Here

On September 26th our new members were welcomed to Les Dames d’Escoffier New York with a reception at La Mangeoire. Hors d’oeuvres were provided by Chef Christian Delouvrier and Provençal wines from the Mas de la Dame Estate were provided courtesy of Palm Bay International. Ten new members were inducted and 5 transfer members were welcomed into the group. Click here

 On September 12, as part of its ongoing series of dinners that explore international cuisines, Les Dames d'Escoffier's New York chapter hosted an authentic multicourse Korean feast for its members and their guests. The event was held at New York Kom Tang, Manhattan's oldest Korean barbecue restaurant that uses real wood charcoal. Dishes included beef dumpling soup, savory seafood pancakes, barbecued short ribs of beef and chili-laced pork. Attendees were welcomed with Korean beer and soju, Korea's traditional spirit made from sweet potatoes, sorghum and rice. Dame Hanna Lee led the tasting by providing an overview of Korea and its culture, accompanied by Jennifer Maeng, a fellow Korean food expert. Click Here

On Thursday, June 23, a group of LDNY members were treated to an insider’s tour of the legendary Good Housekeeping Research Institute at the soaring Hearst Tower in midtown Manhattan. The tour was organized by Dames Jane Bloom and Dame Susan Westmoreland (who is Food Director for Good Housekeeping). Dame Westmoreland’s food department team outdid themselves providing a selection of house-made hors d’oeuvres, including delicious gougéres, crudités and crackers served with savory spreads and dips, an assortment of cheeses and brownies. A selection of refreshing rosé wines from the French region of Provence complemented the canapés.

The Good Housekeeping Research Institute (GHRI) was founded in 1900 with the mission to help improve the lives of consumers and their families through education and product evaluation. GHRI has a department specializing in consumer electronics and engineering, to test appliances like flat-screen TVs and refrigerators, a department of health, beauty, and environmental sciences for beauty and hair-care products; specialists in textiles, paper, and plastics to analyze fiber-based products like sweaters, suitcases, and backpacks; and the editorial test kitchens to assess foods' nutrition claims and create low-cost, family-friendly meal solutions. The GHRI test kitchen also creates, tastes, and triple-tests (at least) the thousands of recipes appearing in the magazine. The Seal has been reassuring consumers about their product-purchasing decisions for almost 100 years, and is one of the most recognized consumer emblems in the market today. http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/product-testing/history/about-good-housekeeping-research-institute

This event certainly earned our “seal of approval!”
Dame Melanie Young

To celebrate the nuptials of the century (at least so far), 11 Dames and their guests gathered at Jones Wood Foundry, the new Upper East Side food driven pub making British culinary waves, on Thursday, April 28 for the Les Dames d’Escoffier Royal Wedding Rehearsal Dinner, hosted by Dame Shelley Clark. The restaurant, which channels the charming Cotswalds, England country inns of chef /partner Jason Hicks’s youth, was an evocative setting in which to salute the next morning’s highly anticipated event. Especially given the presence of the principal participants in the guise of a life-size, living color cut-out of the betrothed couple– a gift to Jones Wood Foundry from an English rock super star who is a fan of the restaurant. Taking pictures with Will and Kate proved as irresistible as the food. Click here.

 A delicious and well attended LDNY event on March 17 featured Lisa Dahl, dynamic cookbook author of The Elixir of Life and owner of two noted Sedona, Arizona, restaurants, Dahl & Di Luca Ristorante and Cucina Rustica. Held at Cooking by the Book, courtesy of Dame Suzen O’Rourke, the six- course Tuscan luncheon, inspired by Lisa’s book, was a joyous harmony of organic ingredients, fresh flavors, originality and festive presentation. Her wholesome but light menu was paired with crisp, flavorful wines donated by Dame Roberta Morrell, Morrell & Co. The stunning book reveals a magical culinary journey on the road-less-traveled, from Tuscany, Italy to Sedona, Arizona.  Reported by Dame Joan Carris. Click here

 On Monday, March 7, from 5:45 to 8:00 pm, Dame Nora Favelukes, President of QW Wine Experts and US representative for Wines of Argentina, hosted Celebrating the Food and Fine Wines of Argentina at the Buenos Aires Restaurant in the East Village. The reception and three-course meal was be paired with wines from Argentina. Click here for details.

 Dame Rozanne Gold was honored at a reception on February 17 hosted by The New York University Division of Libraries for her contributions to the Fales Library & Special Collections. Members of Les Dames d’Escoffier joined Rozanne’s friends, families, and associates for this very special occasion. In late 2009, Rozanne donated $14,000 to NYU’s Fales Library and Special Collections to purchased Gourmet magazine’s 3,500 volumes cookbook library. For Details, click here.

Melanie Young, Rozanne Gold, Carol Brock at the Fales Library Reception

–by Melanie Young

 Bowls of steaming hot rice Congee with Roast Duck warmed the bodies and souls of 21 Dames and guests at a Chinese New Year celebration lunch at Congee Bowery on a cold and rainy Saturday, February 5th, 2011.
For details click here

 Note to All Members: Please go to the Members Only section to download and submit the LDNY 2011-2012 Committee Sign-up Form!

 The new Junior’s Dessert Cookbook co-authored by Junior’s Restaurant owner Alan Rosen and Dame Beth Allen, and edited by Dame Pamela Hoenig was just released by The Taunton Press. The Chocolate Egg Cream recipe from the book was featured on Oprah’s “Cooking Technique to Master . . . from the Masters” on October 5th; here’s the link.

Recently on her radio show, A Taste of the Past, Dame Linda Pelaccio featured Karen Page, a newly inducted Dame, and her husband and writing partner Andrew Dornenburg whose latest book Food Lover's Guide to Wine was just released. Other Dames who have appeared on the show include, Anne McBride, Lidia Bastianich, Meryle Evans, Rozanne Gold, Renee Marton, Joanne Hayes, Michele Scicolone, and Alexandra Leaf.

Congratulations to Dame Karen Page who has co-authored a new book, The Food Lover's Guide To Wine, with her chef-husband Andrew Dornenburg. Their Fall 2011 book tour will be making stops in Boston, Chicago, Denver, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, and Vancouver; read more.

 The Dining Section of the Wednesday, June 29th issue of the New York Times carried an article about Dame Rita Jammet and the success of her La Caravelle Champagne. You can read it here.

Dame Dorie Greenspan's cookbook Around My French Table: More Than 300 Recipes From My Home To Yours took top honors at the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) Conference in June, winning Cookbook of the Year. The book also won the General Category.

Congratulations to Dame Rozanne Gold for her 2011 James Beard Foundation Book Award nomination for Radically Simple: Brilliant Flavors with Breathtaking Ease