The Sonoma Table
Les Dames d’Escoffier Sonoma County
Newsletter March 2023
International Women’s Day 2023
As a global women-founded and focused organization, each day is a celebration of the contributions and talents of our sisters in culinary, fine beverage and hospitality and the impact we have on our industries, communities and beyond. This is our mission as Dames d’Escoffier. Here we are in OUR month!
March is designated as Women’s History Month and today March 8 is officially International Women’s Day.
Each year, a campaign theme is established for IWD and this year, it’s #EmbraceEquity. The goal of the campaign is to get the world talking about Why equal opportunities aren’t enough. People start from different places, so true inclusion and belonging require equitable action.”
Let’s fully “embrace” this theme! As Dames, we are walking the #EmbraceEquity mission, supporting the elevation, growth and advancement of women across a range of industries and in different places in their journey - from students to established professionals. Let’s amplify our support this month - and keep it going!
Here a few suggestions on how we can more fully embrace this sisterhood throughout the month:
● PATRON a Dame-owned business. Here is a list!
● HOST a dinner party or wine tasting incorporating wine or ingredients crafted by Dames
● AMPLIFY our voices with our dollars: purchase woman-owned brands and spend money at women-owned businesses.
● ATTEND and invite friends to attend a Table Talk - including our San Francisco sister chapter event on March 10! Details here!
● INVITE a mentee out to lunch and offer her your support as a sounding board, advisor and connector
● POST about a woman in history or in your network who inspires you
● SUPPORT and attend a local IWD celebration or event highlighting local women leaders and business owners. One example: Dame Tara Jasper is participating in and attending a panel discussion on March 8th (Today!) around business essentials for women entrepreneurs, organized and moderated by The Launch Collective, an organization I founded that supports women entrepreneurs in the Bay Area. Hosted by Alison Smith Story, co-owner of Smith Story Wine Cellars and long time supporter of the mission of LDEI. For more information and to register: https://fb.me/e/8xFE6GGsX
● SHARE your activities on social media, tagging #LDEISonoma and #EmbraceEquity (or send to us and we will post!)
—Written by Dame Erin Hunt Moore
Member of the Month
Dame Kim Laidlaw, Mentorship
Sonoma Dame Kim Laidlaw knows her way around a cookbook. She doesn’t just read them and follow recipes, she creates cookbooks. Many of her bestselling productions are on your shelves.
Growing up in Texas, Kim came to California in 1994 to get into publishing and initially edited nursing and computer tech textbooks. The culinary world was calling to her and she decided to attend the California Culinary Academy when it was in San Francisco. She became a trained baker. Subsequently, she made a cake for a party she attended and that landed her a gig with cookbook publisher Weldon Owen Publishing where she managed hundreds of projects over 11 years.
If you have one of the top-selling Williams-Sonoma cookbooks, Kim probably had a hand in its production. Eventually Kim ventured out on her own to form Cast Iron Media LLC. Kim is an award-winning cookbook author, editor and recipe developer. Recently she authored the “Emily in Paris” cookbook, a huge hit as a holiday gift. In May, she will see the new Hog Island Fish and Seafood Cookbook come off the press. Kim can be credited with The Nightmare Before Christmas Cookbook and Amazon bestseller Mary’s Ranch Raised Cookbook. She is the author of acclaimed cookbooks: Everyday Slow Cooking, Quick Slow Cooking, Home Baked Comfort, Dessert of the Day as well as IACP award-nominated Baby & Toddler on the Go.
Kim’s other books include: Impossible Foods, Weber Grills, KitchenAid, Morton Salt, Saveur, Eating Well, Sunset, American Girl, and more.
Kim’s recent clients include Kendall-Jackson Winery and Liberty Duck. Kendall-Jackson’s cookbook SEASON was the 2019 IACP Book of the Year. In 2022 she published The Whole Duck: Inspired Recipes from Chefs, Butchers, and the family at Liberty Ducks. She has worked with numerous publishers, including Chronicle Books, Penguin Random House, Ten Speed Press, Running Press, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Cameron + Co.
Kim lives in Petaluma with her Scottish husband, their always-entertaining daughter, and a bountiful home garden. She joined Les Dames Sonoma because of the number of women in her field and related culinary work. She is excited to be involved in mentorship and is finding ways to mentor young women. Kim was instrumental in creating the mentorship panel discussion at Healdsburg High School.
Kim is excited about her upcoming inter-generational trip to Italy this summer with her mother and 11-year-old daughter. It is a rare trip not to be heading to Edinburgh, Scotland, her husband’s hometown.
—Written by Dame Barbara Barrielle
Table Talks 2023
Table Talks is an annual event program created by LDEI to celebrate Women's History Month. Throughout the month, 11 different chapters will be hosting virtual events that range from tastings to demonstrations to panel discussions and more. They are open to the public and designed to help educate, mentor and inspire.
The initiative is a great way to raise the public’s awareness of LDEI and broaden our brand while also supporting our sister chapters.
Check out the schedule via the link below. The first event will be hosted by the San Francisco chapter on March 10. Let’s all try to tune in for at least this one to show our neighbors to the south our support!
NEW News! Culinary Rummage Sale
Another FUNdraiser on the books! Dame Donna Del Rey will be co-hosting a culinary rummage sale at Relish with Dames Doralice Handal, Julie Schreiber, Ziggy Eschliman,and Cristina Topham on Sunday April 9th. Graciously all proceeds will be donated to our chapter.
If you have anything you would like to donate to the sale, please plan to drop off to Doralice’s house by April 8th. Items needed include all kitchen tools, gadgets, cookware, serveware, barware, cooking furniture such as chopping blocks, appliances, pots and pans etc. Glassware, vases, decanters, mugs, cookbooks, wine books, culinary books all welcome! All items must be in working shape and clean, needless to say.
We will be looking for volunteers to help us that weekend for organizing, pricing, event set up and breakdown. We will send out a separate sign up for that soon.
“Life itself is the proper binge.” --Julia Child —Julia Child
The New Yorker just published a photo essay of Julia and Paul Child. Check it out.