LDEI Atlanta Chapter Founding Members Interviews: Kay Goldstein

What did you think when you were approached 20 years ago to be a founding member of the Atlanta Les Dames d’Escoffier (LDEI) chapter? 
I have been a longtime friend of Nathalie Dupree’s, and I remember her saying “I really think we ought to do a chapter here.” I was already very involved with the International Association of Culinary Professional, so I initially thought “Do we really need another organization?” The focus was a little different, of course, and there was also this element of wanting to do community service and that sort of thing. I had heard of LDEI, but before Nathalie approached me I was just way too busy to think about it. Most of us in the culinary world work long hours!

Did you see a need for the organization? 
Well, I did after we started gathering and talking about it, and I learned that the focus was a little different. With LDEI, the focus was more about professionals who gather together in a community. We often selected a project to help other women in the culinary industry. This was my concept and why I was interested – to help other women really begin roads in the culinary field. I felt like I had something to offer to encourage other women to be a part of the culinary world. And I think at the time, twenty years ago, that was a much harder thing to do. Much harder than it is now. 

What has been your favorite part about the chapter? 
I loved getting to know the women. We had a lot of younger women who were interested in joining and they were very enthusiastic about doing some of the fundraising that we did. Meeting new people, feeling like I could be helpful to them – that was fun. I was kind of winding out of the culinary profession at that point, but I felt like I still had something to offer and that was particularly nice for me.

Can you speak to the impact you’ve seen of the organization? 
When I first got involved in the food world in Atlanta, it was 1976. So it was very rare that there were any women chefs. The only women that I knew who were in the culinary world were primarily cooking teachers and nutritionists. The one exception was Nathalie, who was a television personality. A lot of people gathered around her because she was well-known, she's very social and she’s very good at connecting people. Restaurants and culinary schools were not a welcoming place for women. 

One of the things that changed, and I saw this change in my own company, was hiring women to be in as many top positions as possible. And it wasn't because I was consciously trying to do that, I was just open to the fact that you know, women had a lot to offer. Lots of times women would come to me largely because I was a woman running a company and we were doing well. We had a lot of opportunity to bring on some great women staff members. But I think it’s still hard. For people who take primary care of their family, whether it's the male or the female of the family, it's still very difficult to get the kind of support necessary that’s need for the person to be able to stay in their job and also tend to their family -- sick leave, flexible hours. 

I think that there were people – like Anne Quatrano – who really kind of set the tone for making her work environment friendly. Not just to women, but to everybody. I think that's one of the ways that she accomplished so much – she had a different view on how you put together a restaurant, how you ran it, how people were involved, how they were trained, and how they were supported and educated. 

We have to keep pushing. By recognizing this and talking about it, I think we have another opportunity to push forward. 

Do you frequently or have your previously worked with other Dames? 
I knew Nathalie because I was doing some catering and so I ended up taking one of her courses at Rich’s Cooking School. Barbara Petit worked for me at Proof in the Pudding. She did a lot of work with the Taste of the NFL, she traveled all over the world for Coca-Cola doing events, and she was a prime mover and shaker in the Georgia Organics movement. Also, Carolyn O’Neil and Anne Quatrano.

What do you wish more people knew about our organization? 
Women who are looking for some mentoring can look to LDEI. There are women in every aspect of food in the organization, so if you're thinking about going into a food business I think LDEI would be a great resource for that.

What does being a Dames mean to you?
At the time, I felt very honored and proud to be a member because there weren’t really other ways to be recognized in the food world. There was something that made me really proud about being a woman in the food world and it made me recognize, not only for myself but for others, that it's no small feat to have some success. It took a lot of courage, and certainly a lot of ignorance because if you knew, you might not have done it.

I loved the comradery I felt with the other members, because there's a basic understanding about what we love and what we're passionate about and what we had to face – all to do what we wanted to do.

LDEI Atlanta Chapter Founding Members Interviews: Dame Vicky Murphy

What did you think when you were approached 20 years ago to be a founding member of the Atlanta Les Dames d’Escoffier (LDEI) chapter? 
I immediately thought, this is a group I want to be a part of. I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't think that. Actually, it was Nathalie Dupree who mentioned it to me. At the time I had absolutely no idea of what it would turn out to be. What it has become is truly phenomenal. 

Did you see a need for the organization? 
There is a little story behind that. I had a group that was doing the same kind of thing – The Atlanta Culinary Women. It was a group of women involved in the culinary arts, hospitality, and public relations. There were probably 24 women in the group and we got together every couple of months for two or three years. When Les Dames came along it was one of those things where it was getting complex to try to get into touch with everybody, get things established and put programs together. So, when LDEI came along I started going to the meetings and I said, ‘Shoot, this is the answer! We need to roll Atlanta Culinary Women into the Les Dames group.’ So that is what we did. Within a couple of years, all the Atlanta Culinary Women had joined Les Dames.

What has been your favorite part about the chapter? 
I love the fact that we are mentoring and giving young women educational opportunities through our scholarship program that they would not have had. We are in a position to change lives. We’re giving people a lot of different networking opportunities. We all share our opinions, ideas, and resources very freely and I think that’s truly remarkable for any group of professionals that are in the same business. You don't see any stinginess as far as helping each other out or feeling like you’re in competition with one another. 

What inspires you about the future of LDEI Atlanta? 
I see it getting better and better. Now that we’ve moved Afternoon in the Country event to Foxhall Resort and Sporting Club, I think it’s going to get bigger and bigger. Someone said to our President, Gayle Skelton, they thought this event could end up being as big as the Aspen Food and Wine Classic. That really got my attention! We are on our way – Atlanta is the destination city for culinary activities. It's a fabulous mecca for anyone who is interested in culinary art. 

Do you have a favorite memory of the organization? 
It’s not one favorite memory, but every year when I drive up to Afternoon in the Country and see the tents and the masses supporting the event, I look around and think ‘I cannot believe what we started out with turned out to be this.’ You have to understand, when we started out we were borrowing six-foot tables from a church. 

Do you frequently or have your previously worked with other Dames? 
Well, I hired Stacey Ziegler’s group, Bold American. I met Carolyn O’Neil through CNN. Many years ago, I took one of Nathalie Dupree’s cooking classes – and we actually made a trip to South America to film a portion of her show for her PBS series. 

We have some people that who have pretty a big degree of celebrity, yet we find them to be the nicest kind of people. You look at Carolyn, Nathalie, Shirley Corriher, Angie Mosier, Annie Quatrano. Some of the nicest women in the world and they are so generous and helpful, just totally approachable and lovely, lovely people. 

How has your career evolved in connection with the organization? 
The talent in this group is absolutely mind-boggling and so many of them I would have never met if I wasn't a Dame. Also, this group has been so great as far as emotional support during crazy times. 

What do you wish more people knew about our organization? 
We do so much for young women getting into the culinary art – that is the main thing. It's incredible to stop and think about all we do to empower other people and particularly young women that work as farmers. We do an awful lot to mentor and support young women. Essentially women empowering women. We have also done a lot for the organic farmers, and we go out of our way to help try to promote our members.

What does being a Dames mean to you?
How do you capture a star in the sky? This is like an all-encompassing thing for so many of us. I’m not saying family, faith and friends aren’t important, but this is like icing on the cake. This is an added dimension that goes straight to the heart of what we believe in. For anyone that is having a hard time with different facets of humanity and the way people treat one another – try hanging around this group for a while. It will definitely change your mind.

Carol Brock, who started Les Dames d’Escoffier in New York City, recently said, "Everything every one of us does impacts all of us." That really sums the Dames up. The ripple effect in this organization is like a Tsunami.

LDEI ATLANTA CHAPTER FOUNDING MEMBERS INTERVIEWS: DAME GLORIA SMILEY

What did you think when you were approached 20 years ago to be a founding member of the Atlanta Les Dames d’Escoffier (LDEI) chapter? 
I wanted to learn more about it. It was different from the other culinary organizations because the others are mostly dedicated consumers, whereas this was something that afforded more interaction with people that were interested in what I was interested in. It was also at a time when the culinary world was awakening, more or less. Arts of the table were really coming more into the forefront. Food was more than just sustenance; it was something that needed to be appreciated. It brings families together. It brings people and ideas together.

Did you see a need for the organization? 
I was already a member of International Association of Culinary Professionals and American Institute of Wine and Food, but they weren't local. Les Dames gave me the opportunity to do something on a local level and I think that's really what appealed to me more than anything.

What has been your favorite part about the chapter? 
I like our events, because they incorporate education and philanthropy. Giving back in the form of the scholarships to deserving women -- I really like to see that. And working with the Atlanta Community Food Bank. I really like all facets of it and I think that's why I have served it and--as I used to say, “I do everything but windows, but I do windows too.”

I also like that it’s local, but you’re able to get outside your box. I was the International Treasurer for two years and had the opportunity to do a little travelling. 

What inspires you about the future of LDEI Atlanta? 
Afternoon in the Country. The event started as multiple small dinner parties with some very influential cookbook authors, chefs and restaurateurs. When we realized how much work we did for such little money, one of our members had this great idea that we should do an afternoon in the country, which incorporated all the chefs that we could get to come down to Serenbe. 

We now have our selection of who we want to come to participate in Afternoon in the Country, which means that I think we've done our job in educating the Atlanta public and the Atlanta food community in what we are, what we do and what our mission is.

Do you have a favorite memory of the organization? 
I'm a food stylist and I worked for Tony Bourdain several times when he came to Atlanta. One particular time we were having an event where we were thanking the chefs who participated in Afternoon in the Country, and so Tony Bourdain – at my insistence – attended as our special guest. So the chefs were telling him that he really needed to go to the place where they have the stripper. Clermont Lounge. So he came to me and he said, "Can you take me to the Clermont Lounge after this event?" And I said, "I don't really want to go to Clermont Lounge. I'd be glad to drop you off, but I'm not going to go to Clermont Lounge." [laughing] He came to me a little bit later. He said, "I'm going to go to the Clermont Lounge with some of the chefs so you don't have to babysit me anymore." So the next morning, I picked him up to take him to the airport and he showed me his crushed beer cans because the stripper there crushes beer cans with her boobs, so he had his autographed.

Do you frequently or have your previously worked with other Dames? 
I started my culinary career as a student of Diane Wilkinson, who was also a founding member of the Atlanta chapter. I became her sous chef and that led to culinary excursions to New York and Europe. She's in the high-end travel business now. I do still cook with her. Actually she's a very good friend, she went to my high school reunion with me last week in Savannah, Georgia!

I’ve done work for Susan Puckett, Rebecca Lang, Judith Fertig. I’ve also worked with a number of women who belong to other chapters who I’ve met along the way.  

How has your career evolved in connection with the organization? 
It has brought me business in some ways, absolutely. After I was a member, I did food styling for Julia Child at an event for the American Institute of Wine and Food. 

What do you wish more people knew about our organization? 
When most people in Atlanta think of Les Dames, they associate it with Afternoon in the Country. That’s a good thing – we’re doing something good there, we’re fundraising for a specific cause. But I wish they knew more about the good that we do for women who are interested in the culinary world. In addition to scholarships, we give sizable contributions and grants to the Atlanta Community Food Bank, Georgia Grown and many others.

What does being a Dames mean to you?
It gives me great pride to say I'm a member of Les Dames, whether I'm a founding member or not. Les Dames is one of the only culinary organizations that has local chapters, so I can be more involved with the people in my geographical area. It opened up a whole new world--and I'm going back to when it was formed--of getting to know people whose interests were similar to mine. It’s been a learning experience and has given me an opportunity to step outside my box and learn new skills. Women have certainly made a lot of strides in the last 20 years, especially in the culinary world. I'm very thankful for that.