LDEI Cleveland Announces Scholarship Winner

By Paris Wolfe

Gabrielle Shipta
LDEI Cleveland Scholarship Recipient

Gabrielle Shipta, 25, received the 2020 Culinary Scholarship, sponsored by the Cleveland Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier International (LDEI). She will use the $2,000 prize to help with tuition as she pursues an associate degree in Hospitality Management with a focus on Culinary Arts at Cuyahoga Community College.

Gabrielle has long been interested in nutrition. “I started getting really into it in middle school,” says the Seven Hills resident. “My mom taught me to read food labels and we ate pretty healthy. I became more interested in nutrition and cooking thanks to a home economics class. The passion derived from there in wanting to keep improving my own health and eating.”

That led her to the dietetics program at Ohio University. Like many students she changed direction her junior year. She says, “I had an epiphany and realized that I like a hands-on approach. I liked cooking and food science.”

And so, Gabrielle shifted focus to culinary nutrition. “I learned a lot and worked more in a kitchen setting. I realized then that I didn’t want to be in a clinical setting, but in a kitchen.”

She received a Bachelor of Science degree in applied nutrition from OU in 2017. She immediately took a job as a part-time sous chef developing culinary medicine in the Center for Integrative and Lifestyle Medicine at The Cleveland Clinic. There she works with Chef Jim Perko and helps patients learn more about food as medicine.

Working at The Cleveland Clinic expanded Gabrielle’s worldview and her desire for culinary skills. Thus, she enrolled in the two-year program at Cuyahoga Community College. Resistant to new student loans, she works two jobs – at The Cleveland Clinic and at Little Birdie Wine Nest in Parma – to earn tuition money.

“I really enjoy hospitality and being creative in the kitchen,” says Gabrielle. “I get pleasure out of serving others and what you can make and present. I like the busy-ness of it.”

During the COVID crisis, classes are online and work has changed. Gabrielle says she spends much more time at a desk. “I’m itching to get up and prep and cook. I miss the craziness and the hustle and bustle of the kitchen.”

Like a true millennial she eschews the idea of a favorite cookbook and prefers social media to inspire her personal cooking. “I use Pinterest,” she says. “I look on Instagram and watch videos. Then I’ll tweak ideas how I like them.”

When she finishes her culinary degree, Gabrielle, wants to work full time at The Cleveland Clinic. Long term she’d like to lead the Culinary Medicine Program and/or become an executive chef. “I want to make a difference in people’s lives through food. Whether it be demonstrating knife skills and cooking skills for an elderly couple wanting to live longer, or teaching quick, easy, healthful meals for a mom developing cooking memories in her children’s lives,” she says, “food is the driving force in my life.”

The LDEI Cleveland Chapter $2,000 scholarship is used to assist and promote women in the professions of food, wine and hospitality. “The award is based on academic accomplishments, career goals, culinary experience, professional and personal references, and financial need,” says Carol Hacker, chair of the Cleveland Chapter’s Scholarship Committee. “Gabrielle is an ideal winner.”

A Growing Community

By Elaine Cicora
Photos by Beth Segal


It’s one thing to vote to award a $2,000 grant to a local “farm to fork” operation. It is another thing entirely to see, first hand, the wonderful work that that organization is doing.

That was our pleasure and privilege on Monday, Nov. 4, when chapter members were guests at Cleveland Roots, our 2019 Green Tables grant winner.

Executive director Maria Livers, garden manager Lisa Hardin, and chef Giovanna Mingrone, onsite partner and founder of Stone Soup Cle, gave us a warm welcome and a charming space for our business meeting and potluck inside their West 41st Street headquarters, on agricultural property that dates back to the 1880s. Following our meeting, the trio of inspiring women provided an in-depth tour of the greenhouses, gardens and market store that make up this part of the project.

Our grant award went to formalize and continue the organization’s Food & Garden Series, which helps residents of the surrounding Clark-Fulton neighborhood learn to grow and prepare healthy foods. We learned that the neighborhood is home to people of many nationalities, languages and cultures, including a number of Latin American countries and “almost every African nation.” Access to fresh, wholesome, and reasonably priced foods is limited in the area, as is household income. While many in the community were experienced gardeners in their homelands, lack of seed, space and equipment has limited their ability to grow their own food in Cleveland. In addition, unfamiliar crops and weather conditions can make growing and food prep a challenge.

These are just a few of the barriers that the Food & Garden Series helps community members overcome, with “classes that share a topic and come at it both from the gardening and the food angles in the same session. … Classes address questions about the benefits of growing, preparing and eating healthy food, how to grow from seed, growing in an urban setting, gardening techniques, care and maintenance of the garden, and the harvest, preservation and preparation of produce from garden to table” (from Cleveland Roots’ 2019 grant proposal).

More importantly, though, we learned that Cleveland Roots provides a place – within a tranquil urban oasis comprising 35 raised beds, picnic tables, a well-equipped tool shed, and welcoming space for classes -- of succor, sustenance and community building. “This has been a blessing and a relief for our clients,” Maria said of the property. “Many of them had been subsistence farmers in their home countries. At least here we can give them a 4-by-8-foot plot of land and place to relax. Sometimes that feeds you more than growing a potato.”

Giovanna also took time to talk to us about Stone Soup CLE, a nonprofit she founded in 2015 to rescue nutritious food from landfills and direct it to the dinner tables of those who need it most. A recent grant has allowed her to remodel space inside the Cleveland Roots headquarters for Stone Soup operations, installing a combo walk-in cooler and freezer to facilitate food storage, and creating a large space for organizing and sorting donations. In addition to running her own operation out of the space, Giovanna, a Culinary Institute of America alum and culinary instructor at Cuyahoga Community College, also assists in the culinary education segment of the Food & Garden Series.

We ended our tour with a peek inside the market store, a former flower shop operated by the Berghaus family, dating back to 1889. Open on Wednesdays from 3 to 6 p.m. during the growing season, the store serves as a very low-priced outlet for crops grown on Cleveland Roots’ Richfield Township farm, as well as a distribution point for free food gathered as part of the Stone Soup CLE project. (Winter hours are under consideration.) “No one is ever turned away for lack of money,” said Maria. “It’s a ‘pay as you can’ system.”

For those of us who took part in the tour, it seemed clear that our grant money, as proposed and awarded, did indeed help the organization expand the Food & Garden Series, which welcomed between 11 and 20 students at each of six classes this summer. And as part of the compassionate, community-building program that is Cleveland Roots, the cause could not have been more worthy.

“We did a lot of classes this summer, that’s for sure,” Giovanna told us. “Your grant had legs.”

Reasons to Celebrate

By Elaine T. Cicora

Our annual LDEI meeting has become not only a time to plan for our chapter’s future, but a time to reflect upon the accomplishments of the past year. On that score, the 14 members who gathered at Toast, on Sept. 23, had much reason to feel proud.

At the top of the list, of course, was SummerDine19, which proved to be our most successful fundraiser ever, adding nearly $4,000 to our grants and scholarship fund and fully funding next year’s awards. Other highlights included the successful Dinner in the Dark with Dames fundraiser in June, which raised nearly $3,000 for our grants and scholarship fund; our first-ever $2,000 culinary scholarship award, made to Melissa Holden; and our $2,000 2019 Green Tables grant, made to Cleveland Roots. (If you wish to learn more about Cleveland Roots, be sure to register now for our Nov. 4 meeting, which will be held at the facility!)

In between our business meeting and the delicious dinner prepared for us by Toast chef-owner Jillian Davis, we took time to mark our ongoing commitments — to the chapter, to our mission and to each other — by taking part in our chapter’s first (but not last!) “pinning ceremony,” which saw each member receiving a lovely enamel membership pin. Membership chair Marcie Barker began the ceremony by pinning new member Jenn Wirtz. President Beth Davis-Noragon then introduced each of the other members in attendance, shared some kind words about them, and pinned them as well; fittingly, the first pins went to founding members Crickett Karson and Bev Shaffer. And finally, vice president Britt Horrocks pinned Beth Davis-Noragon. The board looks forward to making this a part of every annual meeting from now on, as a way to welcome new members and reinforce our commitments. (And who doesn’t love a little LDEI bling?!)

We also marked the occasion with our annual chapter photograph, taken by photographer Dame Beth Segal, on Toast’s patio. (You can see it on our Facebook page.) Thanks, as always, Beth, for your artful eye and generous support!

Beth Davis-Noragon closed the meeting by issuing a challenge, asking each member of the chapter to recruit and sponsor at least one new member in the coming year.
A doubling of our numbers would surely be something to celebrate in 2020!

REAP the Benefit 2015 - “Night on the Farm”

By Cynthia Schuster Eakin | Photo By Eric Eakin

REAP the Benefit 2015, “Night on the Farm” welcomed 350 guests into the Ohio City Farm to benefit The Refugee Response in Northeast Ohio.

Cleveland Dames Paula Hershman, Marla Monzo Holmes, Maggie Harrison, Shara Bohach, and Carol Hacker lended their hands as volunteers throughout the evening.

The Refugee Response empowers refugees to become self-sufficient and contributing members of their new community. Services offered by The Refugee Response include home tutoring, an academic scholarship program and the Refugee Empowerment Agricultural Program (REAP). Managing sites at both the Ohio City Farm and Urban Community School, the organization employs farm trainees. These trainees have cultivated and distributed more than 20,000 pounds of produce and have supported the weekly delivery of food to 119 community supported agriculture (CSA) members this past year. Produce grown on the farms is available to trainees and their families, donated to hunger centers, sold on-site at a retail stand and purchased by contract from a host of local restaurants.

Several of the chef and restaurant partners attended the “Night on the Farm” to prepare seasonal cuisine. Music and dance was provided by members of Cleveland’s Bhutanese and Burmese communities. The highlight of the evening was the introduction of Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, who has dedicated his life’s work to spreading the philosophy of non-violence. A journalist, activist, author and “peace farmer,” Arun Gandhi’s work in social and economic justice has touched millions throughout the world.

Mixing it Up with the Dames!

By Andrea Wargo

Thursday night's fundraiser at Bar Cento's Speakeasy was a huge success. Members and guests gathered at this historic Ohio City location for a spirited evening of craft cocktails, small plates, music and a Chinese auction.

Guests enjoyed a charcuterie board featuring an assortment of house-cured Ohio meats, along with a mouth-watering selection of artisan cheeses.

Never-ending platters of warm french fries, seasoned with whole cloves of garlic and sprigs of rosemary, kept appearing. The restaurant's award-winning pizza was in high demand and disappeared just as fast as it reached the appreciative crowd.

But the real stars of the show were the signature craft cocktails by three of Cleveland's top bartenders. It would be hard to pick a favorite among the three offerings.

The first to be sampled was Molly McSweeney's Spring Refresher featuring OYO whiskey, rhubarb bitters and muddled strawberries. It tasted like springtime in a glass.

Lorelei Bailey's Fig Thyme was another winner. This unusual drink featured OYO bourbon and Bon Maman fig jam.

Jam.

Fresh thyme.

In a drink.

Not a combination that pops into your head when you think cocktails, but it certainly worked. It was delicious.

The last drink presented was Danina Calame's Pretty in Pink. OYO stone fruit vodka, apricot brandy and guava nectar were shaken together with a bit of ice and lime juice for a light, sweet drink to end the evening's cocktail tasting.

In addition to the outstanding drinks and food, there were many happy winners of food-themed raffle prizes. Gift certificates to local restaurants, a tour of the West Side Market, a basket of locally produced food, and a sampling of olive oils were some of the prizes awarded to those lucky enough to have the winning ticket.

The event raised funds for the Green Tables Initiative, with all proceeds from the evening benefitting projects in Northeast Ohio that will help consumers better understand the link between farming and the food they eat.

Mid-Winter Update on the Usage of the Les Dames d'Escoffie​r Cleveland Green Tables Grant Funds

With the generous grant funds awarded to the Farm Food Program at CWRU Farm, we have been able to undertake much of the work that was referenced in our proposal.

Funds allowed us to purchase materials for our new cold frames. Several have been built, planted in, harvested from and used to teach students from the Cleveland Municipal School District about eating locally and season-extension in Northeast Ohio. We were able to install a crop of radishes with some success before the first of the polar vortices came through and took their toll. We will be planting lettuces and endives in the cold frames in the coming weeks and harvesting from them in the coming months; a full 6-8 weeks before we could normally plant and harvest the same crops without the frames. The remainder of the as of yet unbuilt frames, are scheduled to be done so before the end of the month.

The other large portion of the grant funds allowed us to upgrade and expand our hydroponics activities by purchasing new and additional grow lights. Renovations of our hydroponic system are underway and should be completed before the end of the month at which point the lights which have been purchased, will be installed and the system will be put back into use shortly thereafter.

We expect to take full advantage of the items that we were able to purchase with the grant funds and the progress that we were able to make before the end of this winter season. These additions and improvements to our existing program should serve us for many years to come.

I am happy to be able to report on our progress and look forward to answering any questions and to give further updates as requested.
 
Sincerely,

Chris Bond
Farm Horticulturist/ Farm Food Program Coordinator/ Instructor at the Laura and Alvin Siegel Lifelong Learning Program
Case Western Reserve University Farm 37125 Fairmount Blvd. Hunting Valley, OH 44022

Dishing with Dames at The West Side Market

By Shara Bohach

Sold Out! Our 2013 Fundraiser, Dishing with Dames at The West Side Market was a great success. Over 140 gathered at Market Garden Brewery last night to hear stories of obstacles, inspirations and long, long, long days of work as told by lady vendors from this historic Cleveland landmark. We heard from Irene Dever, founder of Irene Dever Dairy (a stand that has been in operation for over 35 years), Judy Khouri of Judy’s Oasis, and Emma Beno of The Pork Chop Shop. We heard the story of a lady vendor who took a break to get married, paraded around the market in a pickle cart as a "reception", and then got promptly back to work! This lively discussion was moderated by Dame Marilou Suszko and Laura Taxel, authors of Cleveland's West Side Market: 100 Years and Still Cooking. The authors signed copies of their book for guests after the presentation.

Guests enjoyed small dishes featuring prepared foods and artisan products from women-owned stands at the Market. These included Beer Brat Sliders (The Pork Chop Shop), Deviled Eggs (Irene Dever Dairy), Hummus, Baba Ghannouj, and Pita (Judy’s Oasis), Mozzarella Skewers and Roasted Asparagus Salad (The Basketeria, and The Olive & The Grape), Pizza Bagels and Craft Italian Ices (Frickaccio’s Pizza Market), Assorted Cannoli (Theresa’s Bakery), and Cupcake Truffles and Popcorn (Campbell's Sweets Factory). And we cannot forget the "Shrub!" Each guest was treated to a rum cocktail created specially for the event: Dames’ Portside Rum Shrub Cocktail with Aged White Balsamic Vinegar from The Olive & The Grape.

Some fantastic prizes were raffled off to lucky winners, including restaurant gift certificates, books, baskets of culinary delights, tours and classes. All were donated by our generous members and friends. Brewer Jennifer Hermann conducted tours of the Market Garden Brew House for those interested.

The numbers are still coming in, but the fundraiser generated terrific funds which will be granted via our Green Tables initiative later this summer. Thank you to all who came, and especially those who donated their time, sponsorship, and raffle prizes.

See many more photos from the evening on our facebook page.

Wine, Cheese and Chocolate! The Best of Ohio

By Shara Foldi

What a night! Thursday, April 26 the Cleveland chapter of Les Dames d'Escoffier had its annual fundraiser, and as would be expected, it was rather tasty!

Four wineries, four cheesemakers, and four chocolatiers participated (listed below) and brought delightful, diverse samples for the 65 or so guests to taste and enjoy. The event was held at the beautiful Trevarrow Showroom in Parma, which made attendees eager to re-do their home kitchens! Guests circulated though five gorgeous kitchens, to taste some of the best wine, cheese and chocolate Ohio has to offer.

Wine
Ferrante Winery
Firelands Winery
Harpersfield Winery
South River Winery

Cheese
Canal Junction Farmstead Cheese
Kokoborrego Creamery
Lake Erie Creamery
Mackenzie Creamery

Chocolate
Coquette Patisserie
Emerald Necklace Inn & Tea Room
Pomona Chocolates
What's For Dessert?

Summed up by Programming Chair, Carol Hacker, "Attendees loved the opportunity to sample wonderful wines, cheeses and chocolates from independent local producers. The exposure benefits both sides and supports the link between farm and table. A delicious learning experience - what could be better?"

All event pictures are posted on our facebook page - enjoy!