Dame du Jour: Ruth Levine

By Maria Isabella, Interview by Carol Hacker
 
When Ruth Levine was looking for a job 25 years ago, she only wanted one thing: a flexible schedule. She had young kids at the time, and the ability to set her own schedule was essential to her. So she began catering for a wine store in Hudson.

Fast-forward to today when she owns her own hugely popular and highly successful restaurant: Bistro 185. And that didn’t happen by luck.

When advising someone just starting out in a culinary career, Ruth shares, “Get as much experience as you can. Start at the bottom and work up.” Which is exactly what she did herself.
Growing up, Ruth would watch intently as her mom cooked. Her favorite food was chicken soup with matzo balls and noodles.

In college, she would cook for her roommates and they would pass off Ruth’s food as their own to their boyfriends. After college, she worked – without pay – for a French chef for a year just to gain the experience. Then she worked yet another year – again without pay – this time for a Chinese chef.

Her combined experience and passion for food led her to eventually open her bistro, which is her proudest professional accomplishment to date.

When it comes to entertaining in her own home, Ruth likes to keep it very casual. “I’ll put a lot of food out on the kitchen island and just let my guests help themselves, especially in the summertime while we’re all out on the deck.”

How did Ruth first hear of Les Dames? “From Laura Taxel and Shara (Foldi) Bohach about three years ago,” she explains. “And the thing I have enjoyed most about being a member of this group,” she goes on to say, “is meeting other women in the food business.”

Learn more about Ruth as she shares some fun and interesting insights about herself.

Of all the places you’ve traveled, where did you have the best food?On Corfu in Greece at a restaurant that overlooked the Mediterranean Sea. You got to choose your own just-caught fish, and it was cooked sublimely simply.

Describe your perfect meal.
Perfectly roasted chicken, roasted red potatoes, and nice wine.

What’s your favorite comfort food?
A good glazed donut and a good kosher hot dog.

What’s your favorite snack?Potato chips and Tootsie Rolls.

What’s your go-to, quick-and-easy dinner?
Fish made as a simple sauté with butter, capers, lemon juice, and white wine.

What’s your favorite dessert to prepare?Anything with apples, year-round.

What’s the biggest cooking mistake you’ve ever made?
Overcooked Beef Wellingtons for 30. I had to re-do all of them!

Name 3 things that are always in your refrigerator.
Eggs, butter, and milk.

Name 3 kitchen gadgets you can’t live without.
Food processor, coffee maker, and mixer.

What would people be surprised to find in your kitchen pantry?
Canned baked beans.

Dame du Jour: Shara Bohach

By Maria Isabella, Interview by Marty Nagele

When one is able to mesh personal passion with professional talents, that’s nirvana. And that’s exactly what Shara Bohach has found in her position as a graphic designer for the food industry.
“I’ve been interested in the creative side of food since college,” Shara confesses, “and somehow everything I did always came back to it.” A graphic design major at Kent State University, all of her design projects inevitably revolved around food.  So it was quite natural that she would eventually go on to form her own firm, Unity Design, which specializes in design for the culinary industry. In fact, Unity Design’s very first client was a restaurant. That was 12 years ago – and they're now busier than ever.

“Food has always been comfortable and intriguing for me,” she adds. “I'm so fortunate to merge that love with my profession.”

“I’m constantly eating out and trying new restaurants, both from a foodie perspective and from a business perspective – keeping an eye on trends in the industry” she explains.

When asked where she has experienced her best meal, Shara quickly responds it was at La Truffe, a small restaurant in Paris that specialized in mushrooms. Another favorite was Pimlico Tandoori, an Indian restaurant in London that served as her introduction to Indian cuisine, which she cites as a palate-changing experience. In the States, one of her favorites is (Dame Ruth Levine's) Bistro 185 “with their unbelievably delicious vegan nights.”

Her perfect meal? Vegan “chicken” Marsala with roasted asparagus, paired with a red Zin from Lodi, California.

As for the most unusual thing she’s ever eaten, Shara admits it was actually a drink…an earthy Greek wine made with pine resin, called Retsina. She served this as part of a theme menu at a recent book club meeting after reading “The Gargoyle” by Andrew Davidson.

When it comes to entertaining, she loves to be out on her deck serving simple, fresh guacamole or bruschetta and wine. The view of the woods from there is magnificent.

Shara first became aware of Les Dames from Laura Taxel and Crickett Karson at the Feast for Amelia fundraiser at Lucky’s Café in 2007. She joined right after that.

Learn more about Shara as she shares some fun and interesting insights about herself.

What is your favorite cookbook? “Vegan with a Vengeance” by Isa Chandra Moskowitz.

What’s your favorite comfort food? Garlic mashed potatoes!

What’s your favorite snack? Hummus and veggie sticks, or cheese.

Do you have a signature dish? Eggplant Parmesan Lasagna. And guacamole, both traditional and creative variations.

What’s your go-to, quick-and-easy dinner? Veggie and tofu stir fry.

What’s your favorite dessert to prepare? I don't make many desserts, but I do make a lot of muffins and really enjoy making them.

What’s the biggest cooking mistake you’ve ever made? I'm always looking for ways to incorporate more nutrition into recipes, and therefore make a lot of substitutions. I once tried substituting millet flour for most of the wheat flour in a recipe for pumpkin bread. The results were disastrous, terrible tasting, and dense as a brick. Fortunately, my dog liked it, so she ate pumpkin bread treats for quite a while!

What’s one ingredient you can’t live without? Garlic. There was this garlic soup that I had once at Max's Deli (a restaurant that used to be in Rocky River). I went back so many times in search of it, and they never had it. Some day I will have to try making it.


Name 3 things that are always in your refrigerator.  Fresh veggies, tofu, and ground flax seed.

Name 3 kitchen gadgets you can’t live without. My rice cooker, small prep bowls, and Microplane's Herb Mill (which I learned about from Dame Bev Shaffer’s blog!).

Holiday Happy Hour

By Cynthia Schuster Eakin

Chef Nolan Konkoski’s SoHo Kitchen and Bar in Ohio City had just the right ingredient to spice up Les Dames d’Escoffier Cleveland Chapter’s Holiday Happy Hour on December 12.

Chapter members gathered to raise a toast to Les Dames’ 2012 accomplishments. The opportunity to sample Konkoski’s southern cuisine provided added incentive for the festive meeting.

Cleveland Dames dined on appetizers of Carolina peanut soup with sweet potatoes and apples, and duck gumbo, made with six different components of duck and topped with crispy duck cracklings. The culinary highlight of the evening was the chef’s weekly “Chicken Scratch” menu, featuring all-natural, Ohio-raised birds, southern-fried to order. Side dishes like smoky macaroni and cheese, deviled eggs, jalapeno hushpuppies, mashed potatoes with bourbon gravy and cornbread waffles with Ohio maple syrup, wrapped up the perfect Les Dames holiday treat.

Year-End Meeting at La Campagna

By Shara Bohach


At our year-end meeting, we were treated to a discussion and book signing of Maria Isabella's new book, "In the Kitchen with Cleveland's Favorite Chefs" over a wonderful dinner at Carmella Fragassi's La Campagna in Westlake. After our brief business meeting, we had a lively discussion on topics from book publishing, to Dames helping Dames, to corrections officering (sorry, if you weren't there, you'll have to ask someone who was!) There was also a surprise mini-bridal-shower thrown for me (Shara) - which was such a touching surprise (thank you!

More photos from the evening can be seen on our facebook page...

Dames Demo! at The Fabulous Food Show

By Shara Bohach

Cleveland Dames were well represented at The Fabulous Food Show 2012. Whether they were demoing, presenting, or book signing, here's who took the stage!

Candice Berthold
Bev Shaffer
Maria Isabella
Stefanie Paganini
Ruth Levine
Marilou Suszko
Laura Taxel

Dame du Jour: Marty Nagele

By Maria Isabella, Interview by Shara (Foldi) Bohach

We all have our own earliest childhood memory of food. For Marty, it was when she was still a very young girl. “I was always a huge eater,” she recalls. “So when I was only nine years old, my parents’ friends took me to a smorgasbord because they thought they would really get their money’s worth with me. And they sure did!”

Truth be told, food has always been Marty’s focus, whether for pleasure or as a future career. In fact, ever since high school, Marty has either been working in restaurants, catering, or teaching the culinary arts.  (She earned her degree in Family and Consumer Science from Bowling Green University.)

“I taught the culinary arts for 18 years and now work for the Ohio Restaurant Association Education Foundation,” says Marty with pride. “I am an education coordinator for Ohio ProStart, a program taught at most Ohio high school culinary programs.”

But you’ll never hear the least bit of boasting on her part, which she could so easily do. That’s because, five years ago, she was awarded the prestigious “Culinary Teacher of the Year” award.
“It was a wonderful surprise to just be nominated. But then they showed up at my work and surprised me with the actual award!” says Marty with great modesty.

As for who actually influenced her love of food the most, she admits it had to be the Gallucci family. “They shared their interest in the Cleveland restaurant scene with me, and we ate at every great restaurant in the city during that time.” One of her personal favorites was the Wagon Wheel, a true French restaurant located on Shaker Square.

But Shaker Square is a far cry from Belgium, where Marty says she had the absolute best food in her life. “I spent a great deal of time researching where and what to eat for this trip, and it really paid off,” she admits.

As for her current favorite restaurant in the States, it has to be Alinea in Chicago. “But you have to get reservations a year in advance!” Marty laments.

So how did she hear of LDEI? “From Michelle Gaw and Jan DeLucia,” Marty says. “I was immediately impressed and liked the organization right away. I’ve been a member for five years now.”

What does she enjoy most about being a member? “The people and the programs,” she responds without the slightest hesitation.

Learn more about Marty as she shares some fun and interesting insights about herself.

Describe your perfect meal. A really well-prepared fish. Plus I love Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region of New Zealand. I can immediately taste that a wine is from this region, and I love it. That would be the perfect wine.

How do you like to entertain? I love Thanksgiving because it is all about eating. I try to sneak in one new dish each year, although I’m locked into making all of the usual recipes, too, because they remind me of home. I do have one vegetarian daughter [out of three], so I have to tweak the menu a bit for her.

Do you have a signature dish? Eggplant Parmesan. My secret is a very thin coating of mayonnaise on the eggplant before breading it. I find it imparts more flavor than an egg wash.

What’s your go-to, quick-and-easy dinner? Fajitas.

What’s your favorite comfort food? Parmesan Goldfish!

What is your favorite cookbook? The Barefoot Contessa. I love the way Ina Garten entertains.

What’s your favorite dessert to prepare? Tarte tatin. It’s so pretty with its concentric circles of apples.

What’s one ingredient you can’t live without? Cheese. It goes on pretty much everything I make. My favorite is smoked Gouda.

Name 3 kitchen gadgets you can’t live without. My microplane, handheld juicer, and chef’s knife.

What is the one thing you like best about your kitchen? It’s brand new! We gutted it two years ago, redid everything, and got all new appliances, including a wine fridge. I especially love my giant sink, which doubles as a baby bathtub for my granddaughter!

Dame du Jour: Cynthia Eakin

by Maria Isabella, Interview by Joan Pistone

No wonder Cynthia is so good at what she does. She brings a lifelong love of food and a sincere appreciation for hard work to her job (quite frankly, one that all foodies would envy) as a successful and widely respected newspaper staff writer and dining and entertainment columnist.

“The hospitality industry has always been a part of my life,” says Cynthia. “When my great-grandfather arrived in this country, he opened a tavern to support his family. My grandparents and parents were also restaurateurs.”

She goes on to add, “I grew up with the greatest respect for people in the restaurant business.  I think one of the reasons so many restaurants fail is because people open them with the idea that, ‘I like to cook and I like people,’ thinking that qualifies them for success. They don’t realize how hard they will have to work and the long hours they will have to endure…My parents finally retired ten years ago when they were 75.”

What was it like growing up with restaurateur parents? “My sister and I were both raised in my parents’ restaurant,” she explains. “I worked every New Year’s Eve and Mother’s Day until I married and moved to Cleveland from Western Pennsylvania. On Friday evenings, when dinner business slowed down a bit, my parents would have me join them for a late meal. My father said I could order anything on the menu, but it had to be seafood and it had to be different each week…I have yet to sample a clam chowder that is as good as theirs!”

Armed with a freshly minted degree in journalism/news from Kent State University, her first job as a journalist had her writing about a wide variety of topics. “Strangely enough,” she admits with a smile, “my favorite subject has always been food.”

Now that both her children are grown, Cynthia and her husband combine recreation and entertainment as boaters. “Every Sunday, we extend an invitation for friends to join us at our dock for a cookout. Sometimes, 20 or 30 friends and fellow boaters show up. We fire up a couple of Weber grills, and everyone brings something to share. We always have way too much food, but somehow it all seems to disappear by the end of the evening.”

Curious minds want to know, as a restaurant writer, which is Cynthia’s favorite restaurant. “I am often asked this question. I always reply that I have many favorites, depending on my mood and what food I crave. Some sort of fresh seafood is always at the top of list of foods to order,” she reveals.

As for how she learned of LDEI, Cynthia explains, “I had the honor of being invited to an LDEI meeting half a dozen years ago by a fellow Cleveland chapter member. I am truly in awe of the talent and intelligence of the women in this group.”

Learn more about Cynthia as she shares some fun and interesting insights about herself.

Who influenced your love of food the most?
Several times each summer, my grandfather would host a lamb roast for family and friends. The men would spend the day roasting a whole lamb on a spit while enjoying cold beverages, and everyone invited would contribute a favorite dish. I wanted to continue that family tradition for my own children. Several years ago, I purchased a La Caja China roasting box. Each summer, my husband and I host a lamb or pig roast for 60 to 70 of our closest friends and family.

Of all the places you’ve traveled, where did you have the best food?
Describe it. One of the most memorable meals I have ever had was in Jamaica. I was invited to fly there for lunch with a number of other writers. We were shuttled from the airport to a tiny, private island off the coast of Montego Bay, where we enjoyed a meal of fresh Amberjack, beans and rice, lobster pizza and, of course, delicious jerk chicken.

What’s the most unusual thing you’ve ever eaten?
Probably Japanese Fugu (or blowfish).

What’s your favorite comfort food?
My mother’s meatloaf. I love it hot or cold. I also enjoy some of the ethnic dishes, like stuffed cabbage and apple strudel, that my grandmother prepared when I was growing up. Cold turkey dressing and potato salad are dangerous because I can’t pass by the refrigerator without a forkful if I know those items are in there.

What’s your favorite snack?
Planters Heat Hot Spicy Peanuts (the chipotle seasoned ones). I’m addicted to them.

Do have a signature dish?
I don’t have a signature dish. I love to cook all types of food. My son has always loved stuffed grape leaves. So, I learned to make them from a recipe I got from the Greek Church of the Annunciation. I make them whenever he’s in town from Chicago. My son also loves to cook. When he was young, we made Sunday dinner together. It could be anything he wanted as long as he helped shop for the ingredients and prepare the meal. My daughter, on the other hand, has always loved to bake. She tells me that she is that strange person in the office who arrives at work carrying boxes of cupcakes that she has baked for the other employees. I am proud to say that I’ve raised a couple of fine foodies.

What’s your go-to, quick-and-easy dinner?
Caesar salad or Greek salad with feta cheese and grilled salmon.

What’s your favorite dessert to prepare?
My favorite desserts are pies and cobblers. (I’m not much of a chocolate lover.) My mother baked four fresh pies every morning for their restaurant. I make a great strawberry/rhubarb crisp with rhubarb that we grow in our own garden. Concord grape pie is also another favorite and an autumn tradition. It can be time-consuming because you have to separate the grape pulp from the seeds and the skin. Consequently, my husband has always called it my “swearing” pie. He disappears until it goes into the oven.

What’s one ingredient you can’t live without?
The one core ingredient I always have on hand is fresh garlic. My sister and I get together in late summer to can hot peppers in oil and spicy dill pickles. So, you will always find those in my refrigerator, too, along with goat cheese for snacking. I also love Heinz spicy brown mustard. I guess I like fiery foods. My husband loves Orlando Seed’licious bread, so that is always in the refrigerator as well.

Name 3 kitchen gadgets you can’t live without.
A Calphalon skillet; a good, sharp knife; and my KitchenAid mixer.