The Sonoma Table

LDEI Conference Update

This year the New York Chapter hosted the national conference in Manhattan at the Intercontinental Hotel. The conference drew over 200 members to NYC for a full schedule that included a culinary tour of Harlem, a widely popular chef’s tour and tasting of Jackson Heights, a day trip to Dan Barber’s Blue Hill Farm and various meals including breakfast at the James Beard House and the sold out Gospel brunch at Ginny’s at Red Rooster in Harlem.

There were four of us from our chapter in attendance at the conference - myself, Nicole Quandt and first-timers Liza Hinman and Lisa Stavropoulos. During the meals, sessions and socials, we were able to spend time getting to know each other better as well as get to know other delegates including our sister Dames from Sacramento and San Francisco.

It was a pleasure to meet Angela Lyn Dansby and hear about her journey in writing about the particular group of fisherwomen in Belgium. She won first place for the MFK Fisher Prize for writing. Her article can be read here:

bbc.com/travel/article/20210224-europes-500-year-old-seafood-tradition

This year there were five recipients of the Legacy Award which supports and encourages women in our industries to learn more and be mentored by different hosting chapters. These women are not Dames but are enabled to learn from Dames. The five winners this year were present at the Legacy Luncheon to tell us about their experiences. It was incredibly inspiring to hear from them and learn about their stories.

In addition to the jam-packed weekend of informative sessions, the leadership forum and being spoiled with so much delicious food, we were able to participate in the ratification of the newest chapter, Tuscany!

On a personal note, it was a pleasure to continue to connect with Dames I met at last year’s conference and to celebrate the lifetime achievements of Dames Bev Shaffer & Paula Lambert who both won the Grande Dame Award.

The conference is such a vital aspect of our organization’s success.

“We thought we had a pretty good understanding of what Les Dames d’Escoffier was all about before we went to the conference. To some extent we did, but we were overwhelmed by the scope of the organization, the calibre of the attendees, panelists and speakers, and the amazing work so many chapters are doing. If timing and resources work, we highly encourage all Dames to try to attend at least one conference during your membership.” - Liza and Lisa

— Written by Doralice Handal

Member of the Month

Dame Julie Schreiber, Charter Member

Chef-turned-winemaker and one of North America’s leading mycophagist (mushroom enthusiast!), Dame Julie Schreiber has created quite the identity and interesting career path for herself.

Julie started her career as a professionally trained chef completing a degree in Hotel, Restaurant, and Travel Administration at the University of Massachusetts. She then completed her professional culinary training at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. Her culinary passion led her to work in some of the Bay Area’s top restaurants and catering companies.

After 14 years of being a chef, she returned to school and completed a Masters Degree in Enology at UC Davis. Based in Healdsburg, Julie is now a winemaking consultant offering her skills and remarkable palette to wineries throughout Napa, Mendocino and Sonoma counties, such as Gibbs Estate, Kenwood, Jack London, and she also does special projects for Plata Wine Partners, Chateau Diana, and P. Harrell Wines.

Most recently, she has added Livermore Valley to her growing list of wine producing regions. The Livermore Valley Wine Quality Alliance has hired Julie to advise wineries in Livermore on how to improve their wines.

While her main job is helping wineries make great wine, she also helps other winemakers make great wine. Julie serves as Chair of the Winemakers’ Forum for WineWomen.org where she mentors and guides fellow women winemakers: some of whom are industry veterans and some are just starting their careers.

If all this wasn’t enough, she is also a leading mushroom expert!

Julie has been collecting, cooking, eating, and teaching about mushrooms for almost 30 years. She is the current chair for the culinary committee of the North American Mycological Association and is co-owner of Mycoventures, a company that organizes local and international mushroom forays.

She has also contributed to two tomes of wild mushrooms:

• Wild Mushrooms: A cookbook and foraging guide

• Fantastic Fungi Community Cookbook: A cookbook written by mushroom lovers with tried-and-true, family recipes representing cultures from all over the world.

She has also recently been featured in The Press Democrat: 5 Recipes for Fall Fungi from a Healdsburg Chef, Mushroom Forager

In addition to leading mushroom forays for her own company, she is also the mushroom expert and resident chef at Relish Culinary Adventures which is owned by fellow Dame Donna Del Rey.

“Combining her expertise as a winemaker, experience as a chef, and deep knowledge of mycology, Julie has the flexibility, insight, and know-how to be a top-notch consultant and engaging trainer in a number of fields where both deep and broad knowledge count.”

–Mary Beth Vierra, Wine & Spirits Educator, and fellow Dame

Julie is one of our founding Dames and has been integral in helping us build our chapter. We are so grateful to have you, Julie! Keep up all your amazing work!

Find out more about Julie on her website ChezJulieS.com

— Written by Jennifer Burke

National Mentoring Month

Every January, our country celebrates the dedicated mentors whose wisdom, guidance, and positive examples set our children and young adults on a sound path and help prepare them to succeed. This month, our Mentorship Committee is hosting a series of panels for Healdsburg High School juniors who are about to embark on their very first internships across the country. Over several sessions, a group of Sonoma County Dames shared their journeys to where they are today, stops and starts, key learnings, experiences, and advice.

Dame Erin Hunt Moore, writer, founder of Verdant PR & Marketing and champion of women entrepreneurs was one of the first panelists and shares her experience.

“It was such a fantastic experience to be able to share information and insights with this group of students - who were incredibly engaged, respectful and curious. They were amazing listeners and asked thoughtful questions. I have had the great fortune of having many mentors throughout my life and career: professional colleagues and wonderful humans to tap for support, advice and direction.

It felt so rewarding to be able to pay that forward and share honest experiences and lessons with this group. I think it was as impactful for me as for them. I’d love to continue advising young people. We wish them success!”

Congrats Erin and all the other Dames for taking time out to make an impact on these young adults!
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