Dame du Jour: Carmella Fragassi

By Maria Isabella

With a degree from Heidelberg University and plenty of grit, Carmella enjoyed a very fulfilling, action-packed career in law enforcement. And after decades of faithful, dedicated service, she finally retired.

But did she sail away to paradise to spend her time leisurely drinking margaritas poolside at a retirement home in Florida? Far from it. She embarked on her own Act 2 and opened a restaurant—more accurately, a trattoria, which she named La Campagna (Italian for “the countryside”). That was 24 years ago.

Today, Carmella is enjoying well-earned success as one of Cleveland’s most respected chefs. She admits it’s all derived from the pleasures she enjoyed growing up in an extremely tight-knit Italian family.

“Both of my grandmothers were from the same hometown in Italy,” explains Carmella. “They cooked the same seasonal meals where food was simply prepared with the freshest ingredients available.”
She goes on to add, “Everyone got together to help cook for the holidays. Food and wine went hand in hand at both my grandparents’ homes. Then my mother carried on those same traditions with her own children.”

When asked which food always reminds her of home, Carmella quickly responds, “Homemade cecatelli, better known to most as cavatelli.”

Even after all that she’s accomplished, Carmella says her proudest moments involve teaching people an old recipe she remembers from childhood. “The delight on their face is more than gratifying,” she says. “I love it when a customer gets excited about a meal that brings back memories for them.”

When asked to describe the best food or wine she’s ever had, Carmella admits it’s hard to pinpoint just one. “It was probably that most delicious leg of lamb we had in Basliacata. Wait. Maybe it was the puréed fava beans with shaved octopus we had in Manfredonia. Or better yet, maybe it was the fried zucchini blossoms and borage in Orsara di Puglia. No, wait. Perhaps it was the pizza we had in Foggia that was made with pane cotto (bread and arugula placed on a pizza and cooked in a wood-fired oven). Or maybe it was…” she trails off wistfully.

But when asked what was the most unusual thing she’s ever eaten, Carmella doesn’t hesitate for a second. “Raw razor clams from the Adriatic Sea,” she responds with a smile.

As for which chef, living or deceased, she would want to invite over for dinner, she says that’s a tough question. “There are several,” says Carmella. “Marcella Hazen, Lidia Bastianich, and Mary Ann Esposito, to start with. Of course, there are also a few others as well. I would feed them some of the traditional peasant meals from Puglia, including “burnt wheat” orecchiette pasta with dandelion greens, focaccia with potatoes and rosemary, vegetable stew Orsara di Puglia style, and purée of white fava beans with shrimp. Then some homemade biscotti for dessert.”

As a member of LDEI, Carmella says she enjoys networking with others in the business the most.

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

Describe your perfect meal. Food gathered from the garden and a piece of rosemary-lemon chicken on the spit with a nice glass of red wine.

What’s your favorite comfort food? Homemade pizza.

Any favorite indulgences? A good cup of coffee.

What’s your favorite snack? Salt and vinegar chips.

Do you have a signature dish? Eggplant Parmesan.

What’s your go-to, quick-and-easy dinner? Onion and egg soup with crusty bread and salad.

What’s your favorite dessert to prepare? Homemade canned peaches soaked in red wine.

What’s one ingredient you can’t live without? Olive oil.

Name 3 things that are always in your refrigerator. Parsley, basil, and rosemary.

Name 3 kitchen gadgets you can’t live without. Pasta crimper, hacksaw, and zester.

Dame Crickett Karson Hosts Annual Chapter Membership Meeting

By Marla Monzo-Holmes | Photos by Shara Bohach

On Monday May 11th over 20 Dames and guests enjoyed an evening of welcoming potential new members to our Cleveland Chapter. Once again Dame Crickett Karson graciously opened up her home for our evening. There was much time for socializing and chatting as we enjoyed the dishes that each Dame provided. Our meeting was brought to order and we heard from each committee chair. Each Dame introduced themselves for our guests and then we got a brief introduction from our guests. Terry Frick, our membership chair, spoke on the requirements to become a Dame as well as the many benefits. Presently we have 29 active Dames and 3 on hiatus.

We then heard from Ifoema Ezepue, Economic Development Manager from Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities (in charge of the CSAs for Cleveland Crops). Ifoema was born in West Africa, spending much time in her mother’s restaurant. She has a passion for helping others, and explained how this CSA helps persons with disabilities. She explained how SAW (Solutions At Work) is the non-profit affiliate of the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities that provides training and employment opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities in Cuyahoga County. Cleveland Crops is an agriculture and food processing training and employment program designed to create innovative work opportunities and new career choices for adults with developmental disabilities.

The evening concluded with Dames continuing on to dessert and additional time for conversation. It was a lovely evening despite the thunderstorm! Dame Maggie is presently working on our July get together!

Each Dame is reminded that if you have a woman in mind for Les Dames, they are always welcome to attend most of our meetings as a guest.

Western Reserve School of Cooking and Cleveland Culinary Launch & Kitchen

Cooking and Touring with Catherine & Carl St. John
(Western Reserve School of Cooking and Cleveland Culinary Launch & Kitchen)

By Maria Isabella
Photos by Beth Segal

A group of 11 animated Dames and three guests showed up Monday evening, March 9, 2015, to see what the buzz was all about. You see, a second location of the venerable Western Reserve School of Cooking (WRSOC) from Hudson, Ohio, had recently opened up in Downtown Cleveland, literally across the hall from another brand new and novel venture: the Cleveland Culinary Kitchen & Launch. It was the first time these women were going to see firsthand what was so special—and they certainly were not disappointed.

The part owners and husband-and-wife team of Carl and Catherine St. John were our gracious hosts. They provided a generous spread of cheeses, crackers, fruit, nuts, hummus, and more, which awaited everyone upon arrival. After our kick-off chapter meeting concluded, Carl took the rein and led our group on a private tour through the Cleveland Culinary Kitchen & Launch.

This shared commercial kitchen is handsomely equipped and fully licensed for multiple purposes (canning, catering, bottling, baking, frozen foods, etc.). It offers chefs and food enthusiasts alike the opportunity to rent any one of its seven work stations, two walk-in coolers, or one walk-in freezer on an as-needed basis. It’s open 24/7 and currently boasts about 60 members, including Saucisson, Great Lakes Cookies & Cakes, Philomena Bake Shop, Gingerbread Homes, Red Lotus Foods, Randy’s Pickles, Kickin’ Kat 5 Hot Sauce, Comrade’s BBQ Sauces and Dry Rubs, and Montana Girl Hot Mustard.

While touring, we serendipitously bumped into a team from 46 and 2 Brewing Company. They were testing out a new flavor for their line of cold-brewed coffees. Be on the look-out for it soon!

After the tour, Catherine took over and demonstrated several delectable dishes, which she served piping hot. All Dames were visibly impressed. Her feast included Roasted Tomato & Red Pepper Soup with Basil Oil and Parmesan Garlic Herb Croutons, Beer-Brined Pork Tenderloin Sliders with Apple Ginger Slaw, and Chicken Skewers with Spicy Apricot Glaze.

Catherine accompanied her demonstration with a colorful story about her childhood and rise to success as a chef, caterer, consultant, teacher, and cooking school owner. (She grew up in California and graduated from the highly respected Tante Marie’s School of Cooking in San Francisco, where Alice Waters was one of her instructors.) 

Catherine concluded the lovely evening by sharing recipe cards…but to everyone’s shock, she actually saved the best last. Knowing how much our group would appreciate it, Catherine gingerly pulled out her own personal copy of A Guide to Modern Cookery, published in 1903 and personally autographed by Auguste Escoffier himself! What a surprise and great delight! The evening couldn’t have ended any better.

Rum and Beer Tasting at Portside Distillery and Dinner at The Willeyville

By Shara Bohach | Photos by Beth Segal

On Monday, January 12, Cleveland Dames and guests were the lucky first group to enjoy a tour and tasting at the new Portside Distillery on the Flats East Bank. A craft beer and rum distillery, Portside opened this past year and has its grand opening tonight, Thursday, January 15, 2015.

Lauren McPherson took us on a tour of the distillery. She noted that the building had some history, once used to manufacture organ pipes and later for sanitation, before they took it over in 2011. Located next to the Port of Cleveland, they adopted a nautical theme in the decor, complete with lighthouse tap handles. We gathered around their one-of-a-kind copper-pot still locally-made in Tremont, learning that the double diamond barrels at the top remove impurities at the beginning of the three to four week distilling process.













They make five different styles of rum, using products from The West Side Market to infuse flavors: Silver Rum, Hopped Rum, Vanilla Maple Rum (pure Geauga County maple syrup and Madagascar vanilla beans), Spiced Rum, and Christmas Spirit (made just once a year). They're also aging barrels of rum, which will be ready in three years. Save the date!













Dan Malz, one of the founders, owners, and chief brewer then took us on a tour of the brewery. They cleverly stack tanks to make the most use of their limited space. Upper and lower tanks each brew a different lager or ale. We were then led back to the tasting room to sample. Each Dame was given a choice of four rums, beers or a combination of both. With five rums and twelve craft beers on tap, there was much to choose from. One of the crowd favorites was the Yule Shoot Your Rye Out winter warmer (named / punned after the line in A Christmas Story), which despite its ABV of 8.2%, was not too heavy and bursted with cinnamon flavor.













We then walked less than a block, on this very chilly, very windy night, to The Willeyville Restaurant, owned by Chris and Krista DiLisi. Dames enjoyed a wonderful three-course dinner of Salad or Vegetable Minestrone, Chicken Florentine or Vegan Ramen, and an assorted sampling of cream puffs and other decadent bite-sized desserts. Lively conversations and laughter surrounded the table and indeed, everyone had a warm time on a chilly night.
 

Shaffer Links Les Dames

Excerpt from Cleveland.com

By Debbi Snook, The Plain Dealer
Follow on Twitter
on January 05, 2015 at 9:25 AM

The year 2015 is starting out just right for several leaders in the local food movement. Attention and honors are being paid to Northeast Ohioans who are growing, preparing and selling foods here. Or just raising the bar.

With Les Dames
Bev Shaffer, the cooking instructor and cookbook author from Seville in Medina County, has been named liason between the Cleveland chapter of Les Dames d'Escoffier and its international unit. Shaffer will help plan the wider group's conference Oct. 29-Nov. 1 in Charleston, S.C. Shaffer has written often for The Plain Dealer, now works as chef and recipe developer for Vitamix in Olmsted Falls, and wrote numerous books, including the terrific, "Brownies to Die For."

“Waste Not, Want Not” Addresses Food Waste Problem in U.S.

Boston Conference session summary written for the LDEI Quarterly
By Cynthia Schuster Eakin

Food, a most valuable commodity, is being wasted at an incredible rate in this country, while a good portion of our nation’s populace goes hungry.

“Waste Not, Want Not,” an informative session at the LDEI International conference held in Boston, addressed the problems of food waste and food insecurity in the U.S.  Speakers at the session included Ashley Stanley, founder and executive director of Lovin’ Spoonfuls Food Rescue, and Dame Edith Murnane, director of food initiatives for the City of Boston. Emily Broad Leib, deputy director of the Food Law and Policy Clinic at Harvard Law School, addressed some of the legal issues that contribute to food waste and distribution.

“Food is a right and not a privilege,” Ashley Stanley said. “Hunger is a problem of local distribution. A third of the world’s food supply is being tossed. Yet, there are 49 million hungry Americans. We could fill the Rose Bowl with fresh food every day and set it on fire and that is the amount of food being wasted nationwide.” Stanley went on to say that discarded food is the largest source of solid waste in our landfills. Lovin’ Spoonfuls, a non-profit funded by organizations and private donations, works with farmers markets, produce wholesalers and bakeries to rescue outdated food and distribute it to hunger agencies.

Emily Broad Leib helps provide law students with an opportunity to work with policy makers and food advocates, using the law to improve the food system. She noted that confusion over food expiration dates is a leading cause of waste. There are no federal standards for expiration dates, except for infant formula. Leib said not a single outbreak of foodbourne illness has been linked to an expiration date. Yet, 90 percent of consumers throw outdated food away. Her students are working to establish a uniform food dating system.

Edith Murnane said the City of Boston is promoting urban agriculture by growing food in vacant lots, on rooftops and other unused places and by launching a composting program in the city. Putting healthier, better-tasting food in schools would reduce food waste, she said. Murnane noted that about 60 percent of the 55,000 students in Boston public schools receive free or reduced-cost food. Plate waste studies indicate that, if tastier, chef-inspired dishes are created, students will eat the food and not throw it away.

Dame du Jour: Maggie Harrison

By Maria Isabella

While Maggie was working on her degree from the Cleveland Institute of Art, she did what most college kids do to earn money: she worked in food service with a variety of seasonal cooking positions. Fifteen years later, she couldn’t ignore the fact any longer: She loved everything about food.

“I finally realized that I really enjoyed the food industry,” says Maggie, “and that I could make it a serious career”—which she did.

Today, Maggie is a Cleveland sales representative for Vanguard Wines. To get to this point in her impressive 30-year career, she achieved some lofty credentials: CSW (Certified Specialist of Wine) and WSET (Wine and Spirits Educational Trust Level 3). She also attended the enviable, by-invitation-only Oregon Pinot Camp. Plus, she was once a wine buyer for Whole Foods, a very competitive position.

“It was my mom who influenced my love of food the most,” admits Maggie. “I still remember eating the heel of her freshly baked bread. I also remember pulling up my very first carrot out of her garden. The best carrot ever! I’ll never have one as good.”

She goes on to add, “Today, cooking is relaxing for me. It separates work from personal time. It’s a creative outlet and can be somewhat meditative in nature. As for wine, I think of it as a food. I serve it with meals, which slows you down. It also slows down the conversation you’re having with company. It’s pretty much a key ingredient to any meal.”

As for where she’s had the best wine, she says it would have to be in Piedmont, Italy.

“That is where things ‘clicked’ for me,” admits Maggie. “Locally grown produce and meat with local wine. Simple but fresh ingredients, simply prepared. It was the start of my visiting small towns throughout central Italy. Each one had its own distinct style and flavor. They really added definition to the term ‘local.’”

Of all the great foods she’s tried, the most unusual were the freshly caught octopus and crab on Corsica. “They were caught by our host’s son,” she explains. “His wet suit and spear, which we saw outside the cellar, gave us our first clue to the possibility of our evening meal. It was absolutely delicious and unusual for the fact that it was caught just for us within a mere hour of dinner.”

As for how she first heard of LDEI, Maggie says Beth Davis-Noragon invited her about five years ago, but she didn’t feel quite ready to join at that time. Then Beth asked her again last year, and she is now the Cleveland chapter’s vice president.

“LDEI’s mission is in line with what I am most passionate about: food, education, and philanthropy,” says Maggie.

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

What is your favorite cookbook? Joyof Cooking. A great resource.

What is your favorite food blog? Smitten Kitchen.

What’s your favorite comfort food? A casserole of eggplant and zucchini with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and lots of basil. Sort of an eggplant parmigiana.

Any favorite indulgences? Really good wine. Champagne, Barolo, Burgundy.

What’s your favorite snack? Peanut butter and gluten-free rice crackers with almond milk.

Do you have a signature dish? Baby back ribs. Even though I eat almost an entirely vegetarian diet, my ribs are the best. It’s the one meal I don’t have to ask my family twice to come over for!

What’s your go-to, quick-and-easy dinner? Stir-fried veggies with rice and noodles.

Name 3 things that are always in your refrigerator. Lemons, wine, and honey.

Name 3 kitchen gadgets you can’t live without. Cast iron pan, chef’s knife, and cutting board.

What would people be surprised to find in your kitchen pantry? Frozen tater tots.