Food & Food Equipment News

South Loop's Oriole and Streeterville's Tru Awarded Two Stars in the New 2017 MICHELIN Guide for Chicago

Michelin has announced its highly regarded star selections for the seventh edition of the "MICHELIN Guide Chicago 2017," which will go on sale later this year in time for the holiday season and is also now available on the "Michelin Restaurants" app available on iTunes. This year's edition of the Michelin Guide to Chicago highlights a total of 298 restaurants, including 26 establishments which have been awarded Michelin stars.

Chicago's two-star dining choices increased from three to five this year, with West Loops' Oriole and Streeterville's Tru restaurants joining this illustrious Michelin two-star list that includes just 25 establishments in the entire country. With the guidance of Chef Noah Sandoval—who moved on from his one-star Senza that he closed a year ago— Oriole is a rarity in the culinary world by virtue of having attained a two-star during its first year in business. "Despite his relative youth, the Michelin inspectors were impressed by Chef Sandoval's creativity, consistency, and ability to combine different cooking styles and products in his cuisine," commented Michael Ellis, the International Director of the Michelin Guide.

Almost antithetical to the story of Oriole's climb to two-star status, Tru restaurant, which is located in Streeterville, has been a perennial one-star since 2011, when the first Chicago MICHELIN Guide debuted. This year, Michelin's famously anonymous inspectors recognized a level of consistently inspired cuisine that rose to ever higher levels. Open since 2008, Tru's co-founder and head chef, Anthony Martin, has overseen a cuisine that still feels fresh and exciting, offering a truly contemporary display of American ingredients paired with interesting flavor combinations and appealing visual presentations.

"Chef Anthony Martin proposes a fresh and contemporary style of cooking, which uses superb products and is constantly evolving; chef Martin and his team serve food that is both deep in flavor and elegant," Ellis said. Along with Acadia, 42 Grams and Sixteen, Chicago now counts five restaurants with two Michelin stars. In this new 2017 guide, Grant Achatz's Alinea offers diners a new concept in a renovated space, and has maintained its three-star ranking. Likewise, Curtis Duffy's Grace continues with three Michelin stars, thus confirming these two Chicago restaurants as members of the very exclusive club of just over 100 three-star restaurants in the world.  

A record 19 one-star selections are in the 2017 edition of the guide, including four newcomers. One of the more original culinary concepts can be found at Band of Bohemia, a creative eatery in Andersonville that is also a brewery. Another newcomer to Michelin's one-star selections is the recently opened Green River in Streeterville, where Chicago native Aaron Lirette has created an ambitious menu of dishes that highlight regional ingredients. West Loop's Roister also joins the one-star ranks. As the latest member of the Alinea Group and led by Chef Andrew Brochu, Roister employs open-fire cooking and a technical expertise in cuisine that is both primal and delicately refined. Finally, there is another new one-star in the West Loop at Symth where the husband-and-wife cooking team of John and Karen Urie Shields have just debuted a brilliant combination of two levels at the same location. Upstairs is a spacious area that offers a formal prix fixe and celebrates the sea and Earth, and downstairs one can find a cozy tavern.

 

California-Indian Cuisine Is a Two-Star Thing

Chef Srijith Gopinathan of Taj Campton Place in San Francisco is changing the architecture of California cuisine as he blends California’s fresh ingredients and the use of its smoke, fire, and brining techniques with India’s multi-faceted regional dishes and traditional spice blends.

For seven years, Gopinathan has redefined Taj Hotels’ fine dining experience with his interpretation of California-Indian Cuisine, and the restaurant’s second year two-star Michelin award status further confirms Chef Sri’s status among the culinary elite, being the only Indian two-starred Michelin chef in the world. “We are so humbled and proud to be given this honor,” General Manager Ashrafi Matcheswala says of the news.

Forging early childhood memories of Southern India cooking with western schooling at Hyde Park’s Culinary Institute of America, Gopinathan is, unequivocally, in love with California and its ingredient-driven cuisine, and he’s created a new culinary phenomenon that blends the complexity of Indian spices with the boldness of hyper-fresh and flavorful produce and proteins.

Gopinathan’s popular Spice Route tasting menu is a journey of Eastern and Western flavor stops, with plenty of detours to excite the senses. This season, he’s focusing on the bounty of Northern California’s fall and early winter produce and local fish.

Some of his seasonal dishes include:

• An amuse of Meyer Lemon Milk with mint oil
• Naan buns — with naan butter in fluffy bun form — to scoop up a yellow lentil paté laced with ghee (clarified butter)
• Smoked Tandoori Poussin, chestnut kitchidi, Asian pear endives and fermented chili relish

“When you identify ingredients that are grown during the same time of year, you know you have the foundation for a great dish. From there, the idea becomes focused and with the addition of spices, that dish becomes distinct, elevated, and complex,” says Gopinathan. “Opposites attract, which is the best way to describe the depth of spices with the freshness of produce. The key is the technique that you apply, which brings out the best in both.”

Gopinathan joins an illustrious group of culinary stars who previously cooked at the Campton Place stove. That list includes Daniel Humm, Todd Humphries, Jan Birnbaum, and Bradley Ogden.

Taj Campton Place is part of Taj Hotels, Resorts & Palaces, which delivers a unique flavor of hospitality that offers world-class refinement while remaining deeply rooted in its Indian heritage. Unparalleled service, a Master Sommelier, and an iconic Union Square location equate to an unforgettable dining retreat.

Wild About Game Winners Announced

It was an extravaganza of culinary talent this past weekend at the 16th annual Wild About Game, presented by Nicky USA, when chefs from Portland and Seattle competed head-to-head in four game meat-based categories using Nicky Farms proteins over the course of the cooking competition. The categories were, wild Hawaiian venison, rabbit, partridge, and duck. In the end it was, Edouardo Jordan of Salare who beat the competition overall with his dish of Scotch Bonnet Consummé with Nicky Farms Rabbit Torchon, blistered okra, einkorn, freekah & berbere. The overall award was decided by a panel of judges. Attendees of Nicky USA’s Wild About Game, held at the Resort at the Mountain near Mt. Hood, Oregon, had the chance to taste each of the eight dishes and vote for their favorite, and this year’s People’s Choice award went to Troy MacLarty of Bollywood Theater with his Nicky Farms Wild Hawaiian Venison with shell bean & sweet pepper curry, and spiced riata.

Overall winner: Edouardo Jordan, Salare

People’s Choice winner: Troy MacLarty, Bollywood Theater

Full lineup of dishes served in the cooking competition, and restaurants that won in each game category:

Nicky Farms Wild Hawaiian Venison: Troy MacLarty of Bollywood Theater, Venison winner

Troy MacLarty, Bollywood Theater Portland: Nicky Farms Wild Hawaiian Venison with shell bean & sweet pepper curry, and spiced riata

Jesse Elliot, Witness Seattle: Nicky Farms Wild Hawaiian Venison Scrapple, red cabbage, corn chow chow, beer chocolate sauce, pork crackl’n

Nicky Farms Partridge: Kasey Mills of Mediterranean Exploration Company, Partridge winner

Kasey Mills, Mediterranean Exploration Company Portland: Nicky Farms Partridge Phyllo Hand Pie with cabbage, carrot muhamarra, pickled chanterelles

Seth Fernald, Novelty Hill Januik Winery Seattle: Nicky Farms Partridge in a Pear Tree, smoked breast, liver mousse, barley miso, bone crumb, fermented lingonberry

Grimaud Farms Duck: Taylor Thornhill of Bateau, Duck winner

Erik Van Kley, Taylor Railworks Portland: Poached Grimaud Farms Duck Breast with duck leg carnitas, duck neck curry, smoked soy mushrooms, crispy skin and chiles

Taylor Thornhill, Bateau Seattle: Dry Aged Grimaud Farms Duck & Geoduck Tartare, black truffle, fermented apple, fried potatoes

Nicky Farms Rabbit: Edouardo Jordan, Rabbit winner

Earl Ninsom, PaaDee/Langbaan/Hat Yai/Common Law Portland: Nicky Farms Rabbit, curry, coconut rice

Edouardo Jordan, Salare Seattle: Scotch Bonnet Consommé with Nicky Farms Rabbit Torchon, blistered okra, einkorn & berbere

 

While the competing chefs cooked, attendees were treated to food and beverage samples in the Artisan Marketplace, along with bites from additional featured chefs including Gregory Gourdet of Departure, Philippe Boulot of the Multnomah Athletic Club, Chris Carriker of Bluehour, Matt Bennett of Sybaris Bistro and Aaron Barnett of La Moule. Over 45 vendors were represented, including Nicky Farms, Jim Beam Black, Creekstone Farms, Carlton Farms, Anderson Ranches, Bella Bella Gourmet, Classic Foods, Hudson Valley Foie Gras, Manchester Farms Quail, Nueske’s, Oregon Beef Council, Painted Hills Natural Beef, Snake River Farms, Alma Chocolate, The Bitter Housewife/Raft Syrups, Briar Rose Creamery, Bull Run Distillery, Carter Cutlery, Case Study Coffee, Division Winemaking Co., Double Mountain Brewery, Estancia Grass-Fed Beef, Finex Cast Iron, Frog Eyes Wasabi, Ft. George Brewing, Gilgamesh Brewing, Hama Hama Oysters, Jacobsen Salt/Bee Local, Mary’s Poultry, Wild Hawaiian Venison, Misty Mountain Mushrooms, Novelty Hill Januik Winery, Olympia Provisions, Salt & Straw, Sato Sharpening, Starvation Alley Cranberry, Thomas & Sons Distillery, Union Wine Company, Wagshal’s Imports (Fermin Iberico), and Wurk Apparel.

 

The judges for this year’s competition were Kathleen Squires (freelance journalist who has written for The Wall Street Journal, Saveur, and more), Michael Russell (The Oregonian’s Restaurant Editor and Chief Critic), and Jackie Varriano (Seattle Zagat Editor). The event's master of ceremonies was Missy Maki of the "Simple Kitchen" radio show on Portland’s KPAM AM 860.

 

Dining Room at The Nittany Lion Inn Receives Wine Spectator Award

For the first time, The Dining Room at The Nittany Lion Inn has received Wine Spectator magazine's 2016 "Best of" Award of Excellence—the highest wine list award achieved in the history of the Inn. 

Although The Dining Room has been a Wine Spectator "Award of Excellence" winner every year since 2002, this is the first year that its extensive wine list has achieved "Best of" status. Wine Spectator cited wines from California, Oregon, France, and Italy as strengths of The Dining Room's wine list.

The Dining Room joins an exclusive group of dining establishments whose wine lists have earned this honor: Only 18 restaurants in Pennsylvania—and no other establishments in State College—hold the "Best of" designation.

Bon Appétit Reveals The Hot 10: America's Best New Restaurants 2016

With the release of its September issue, Bon Appétit has unveiled its annual Hot 10 list, crowning the ten best new restaurants in America.

Taking the top spot is Atlanta's Staplehouse, a fully non-profit restaurant built by a devoted family with the support of a community that helped them overcome countless obstacles. Joining past winners like Washington D.C.'s Rose's Luxury and San Francisco's AL's Place, Staplehouse raises the bar with a delicious take on New American cuisine and the inclusion of The Giving Kitchen, a charity created to support restaurant workers in need.

"It's a grind, but a fun one," says deputy editor Andrew Knowlton, who traveled with senior editor Julia Kramer over 5,700 miles to more than 40 cities in search of the restaurants that are defining the way we eat in 2016. "We had more real contenders this year than ever before," says Knowlton.

The Hot 10: America's Best New Restaurants 2016 are:

1. Staplehouse (Atlanta, Georgia)
2. Bad Saint (Washington, D.C.)
3. Lord Stanley (San Francisco, California)
4. Morcilla (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
5. Baroo (Los Angeles, California)
6. South Philly Barbacoa (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
7. Oberlin (Providence, Rhode Island)
8. Wildair (New York, New York)
9. Buxton Hall (Asheville, North California)
10. N7 (New Orleans, Lousiana)

No other publication dedicates the time, research, and calorie count that Bon Appétit puts into its best new restaurants list. Spanning September's entire 46-page feature well, this ode to the American restaurant showcases the energy and distinctive characteristics of each winner with vibrant design, original photography, rigorously tested recipes, and ambitious storytelling.

"The September issue is the one we look forward to the most," says Bon Appétit editor in chief Adam Rapoport. "This year, we are adding a huge, immersive online element, which will noticeably elevate the experience for our audience."

Chefs Compete for Chef of the Year Title

Scottsdale Chef Lenard Rubin, CEC, Executive Chef, The Country Club at DC Ranch, Scottsdale, Arizona, will compete for the title of USA’s Chef of the Year against his regional counterparts during Cook. Craft. Create. Convention & Show, Phoenix, July 15-19 at JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa (5350 E Marriot Drive, Phoenix, Arizona, 85054). The national winner receives $5,000 and the title of 2016 U.S.A.’s Chef of the Year.

The competition takes place live on the trade show floor, with the chefs being cheered on by Cook. Craft. Create. attendees.

The USA Chef of the Year award, sponsored by Unilever Food Solutions and established in 1963, recognizes an outstanding culinarian who works and cooks in a full-service dining facility. This person demonstrates the highest standard of culinary skills, advances the cuisine of America, and gives back to the profession through the development of students and apprentices.

Specialty Food Producers Take Home the Gold

By Lorrie Baumann

La Pasta’s Radicchio, Parsnip & Apricot Ravioli has won the 2016 sofi Award for Best New Product. Radicchio is sauteed with a little bit of balsamic vinegar to bring out the sweetness of the vegetables and then folded into ricotta, parmesan and mozzarella cheese together with roasted parsnips and dried apricots. The filling is then enclosed in La Pasta’s signature pasta with black pepper pasta stripes.

“We got lucky. It happens,” said Alexis Konownitzine, President of La Pasta, “Our chef Kristen made the product and will be at the Fancy Food Show.”

La Pasta already had several sofi Awards for products including its Marinara Sauce and Beet, Butternut Squash & Goat Cheese Ravioli. This year’s winner was selected from among 23 finalists in the Best New Product category by the sofi judging panel of culinary experts in a blind tasting. Overall, 28 products were named winners and 100 named finalists from among 3,200 entries this year.

This year’s judging diverged from the methodology used for the past couple of years, in that the judging was completed before the Summer Fancy Food Show and winners were named at the same time as finalists. This process was designed to make the judging more fair and transparent, according to the Specialty Food Association, which owns the sofi Awards program. The products were judged by criteria that awarded 70 percent of the product’s score for taste, which included flavor, appearance, texture and aroma and 30 percent for ingredient quality, which included a consideration of whether any of the product’s ingredients were artificial and whether they were combined in a creative or unexpected way. One winner was chosen in each of the 28 judging categories, and the top 4 percent of the entries in each category were named finalists. No awards were presented this year in classic, foodservice or product line categories, which were part of last year’s contest.

Finalists for the Best New Product award included Dalmatia Sour Cherry Spread fromAtalanta Corporation, Jansal Valley Boneless Prosciutto Toscano D.O.P. from Sid Wainer and Son Specialty Produce and Specialty Food, Organic Stoneground Flakes Cereal — Purple Corn from Back to the Roots and Sliced Prosciutto (Domestic) from Creminelli Fine Meats. “Prosciutto is everywhere in the U.S., but we do it differently, using whole-muscle Duroc pork that’s 100 percent vegetarian-fed with no antibiotics ever. We layer it in the tray by hand instead of by machine,” said Kyle Svete, Creminelli Fine Meats’ Director of Sales for National Accounts. “We invest in people, not machines. It’s part of who we are – people, animal, craft…. We have machines to help us do our job, but it’s really about the people. The recyclable tray and the elegant look of it elevates the product and the category.”

“We’re proud of it. We put the ingredients right on the front of the label,” he added. “That’s all there is to it – time, love, pork and sea salt.”

Chocolate-covered Cocomels – 5 Salts from JJ’s Sweets, Gourmet Honey Spread: Salted Honey from Cloister Honey LLC, Wild Boar Salted Star Anise Single Origin Organic Dark Chocolate Bar from Hagensborg Chocolate Ltd., Original Tangerine Sriracha from Just Jan’s Inc., Mr. Hot Stuff Pepper Spread from Steppin’ Out LLC, Clementine Crush Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Enzo Olive Oil Company/P-R Farms, Inc. and Deschutes Brewery® Black Butte Porter Truffle from Moonstruck Chocolate, Co. were also among the finalists for the Best New Product Award.

Other finalists were Pineapple Habanero Caramel from JulieAnn Caramels, Frozen Passion Chia Lassi from Monsieur Singh LLC, Chicken Fat (Schmaltz) Premium Cooking Oil fromFatworks LLC, Avocado Oil Mayo and Licorice Mint Tea from Chosen Foods, Inc., Chili Crunch Bar from Vivra Chocolate, Vegan Stone Ground Hazelnut Butter from Karmalize LLC, Raspberry Amaretto Preserves fromRobert Rothschild Farm, Orange Artisan Fruit Cracker from Simple & Crisp, Gluten-Free Coffee Brownie from Savvy Girl Baking Company and Dark Moon from Marin French Cheese Company.

In the remaining categories, Brussizzle Sprouts from Pacific Pickle Works, Inc. was named the best appetizer. The Spice Hunter, Inc.‘s Coriander Lime Global Fusion Rub was named best baking ingredient, baking mix or flavor enhancer, Ginger Hemp Granola from Michele’s Granola LLC was the best in the category for breads, muffins, granola or cereal, and Vermont Creamery‘s Bijou was judged the best cheese. Vermont Creamery’s Bonne Bouche was a finalist for the award both this year and last year.

Money on Honey by Droga Chocolates won the sofi in the chocolate category, and Bittermilk LLC‘s No. 3 Smoked Honey Whiskey Sour won the award in the cold beverage category. Bittermilk was a sofi finalist last year with the same product. Non-GMO Salted Caramelized Fig Spread from King’s Cupboard was named the best condiment, and Sea Salt & Vanilla Farmstead Goat Milk Caramels from Big Picture Farm LLC received the award for the best confection. Big Picture Farm won sofi Awards last year for best new product with its Raspberry Rhubarb Goat Milk Caramels and for best confection with its Goat Milk Chai Caramels. Moon Dance Baking‘s Holly Baking Cookie Brittle Cinnamon & Spice was named in the category for cookies, brownies, cakes or pie.

Barnier Pimento Sauce with Preserved Lemon from FoodMatch Inc. was named best cooking, dipping or finishing sauce. Cranberry Pistachio “The Original” from Jan’s Farmhouse Crisps was named the best cracker. Epicurean Butter‘s Organic Cocoa Coconut Butter was named in the category for best dairy or dairy alternative product. “The reason this is something really new and innovative is that this is organic pasteurized cream, organic coconut oil, organic honey, organic canola oil, organic cocoa powder and Himalayan pink salt. It’s good on crepes, pancakes French toast. We actually just love it on a baguette,” said Janey Hubschman, who co-founded Epicurean Butter with her husband John, who’s the chef and still does all the formulations for the company’s products. “It’s got a lovely mouth feel with the butter and the coconut oil and then the finish of the salt.” The Organic Cocoa Coconut Butter is part of a product line that includes 13 finishing butters, of which two are organic. The company has just installed new equipment in its plant that allows Epicurean Butter to produce single-serve squeeze packs. Each of those has 190 calories for a 1-ounce serving, and Hubschman expects that the single-serve packaging will draw a lot of interest from the producers of home-delivered meal kits.

Bourbon Matured Maple Syrup from BLiS LLCwas named the best dessert sauce, topping or syrup. Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate‘s Single Origin Drinking Chocolate 72% Belize, Toledo received the sofi Award for the best hot beverage. Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate was a finalist in the chocolate category last year with its 72% Madagascar, Sambirano bar. The Gelato Fiasco‘s Ripe Mango Sorbetto was named the best ice cream, gelato or frozen treat.

Cioccomiel, a spread made from hazelnuts, cocoa and honey, won the sofi Award for the best jam, preserve, honey or nut butter. It is imported by Marcelli Formaggi LLC.

Fermín Chorizo Ibérico Picante / Fermín Ibérico Pork Dry-Cured Chorizo Sausage Spicy from Fermin USA was named the best meat, pate or seafood.

Stöger Organic Austrian Pumpkin Seed Oil was named the best oil. It is imported by Los Chileros, which won a finalist award last year for the same product.

Gustiamo, Inc.‘s Pianogrillo Sicilian Cherry Tomato Sauce took home the sofi Award for the best pasta sauce, while the best pasta was Pastifico Artigianale Leonardo Carassai, made in Campofilone, Italy, and imported by Bravo International Inc.

Wozz! Kitchen Creations, which won the 2015 sofi Award for best salsa or dip with its Kiwi Lime Salsa Verde takes home the gold in the salad dressing category this year with North African Chermoula Dressing. This year’s award in the salsa or dip category went to American Spoon Foods’ Pumpkin Seed Salsa.

Hickory Smoked Spicy Candied Bacon from Little Red Dot Kitchen LLC won the sofi Award this year in the category for savory snacks. The best sweet snack came from Creative Snacks Co. with its Organic Coconut Bites.

Dinner Tonight Black Bean Tortilla Chili Mix from Backyard Safari Company won the award for best soup, stew, bean or chili. ParmCrisps Mini Aged Parmesan Crisps from Kitchen Table Bakers won the award for the best vegan or gluten-free product. Kitchen Table Bakers was a finalist last year for its Jalapeno Parmesan Crisps. Finally, this year’s best vinegar was Balsamic Nectar from Boulder Flavours.

Cypress Grove Wins 13 Prizes at California State Fair

Cypress Grove won 13 prizes at the 2016 California State Fair Commercial Cheese Competition. Cypress Grove’s Truffle Tremor and Fromage Blanc were each awarded a prestigious Best of California prize, in addition to eight gold medals and three silver medals for several other cheeses.

Not ones to be left out of the fun, the other winners include: soft-ripened Humboldt Fog Grande and Mini, Truffle Tremor Mini, and Bermuda Triangle; and fresh cheeses Purple Haze, Sgt. Pepper, Ms. Natural, PsycheDillic, and Herbs de Humboldt.

“National and international awards carry a lot of prestige, but come on(!), Cali is our home and when you win two categories and 13 total awards – it feels really, really good. We are thrilled,” says Bob McCall, Cypress Grove Sales Director. “I am particularly proud that Fromage Blanc took ‘Best of California’ in the soft goat cheese category. This product is the basic building block of all we make, so being the best reflects positively on our entire line.”

A panel of 12 qualified judges tasted and evaluated 169 California cheeses in advance of the July State Fair. The 2016 California State Fair runs July 8-24.

Beaverton Foods Wins Four Gold Medals at World-Wide Mustard Competition

Oregon’s 87-year-old specialty condiment manufacturer took home a grand total of eight awards; four of them gold medals – at the 21st annual World-Wide Mustard Competition. The event involved more than 100 judges at the National Mustard Museum in Middleton, Wisconsin. The global competition has included entries from as far away as Japan, Greece and Sweden.

Barry Levenson, curator of the National Mustard Museum, noted in an email: “The rest of the world is ‘yellow with envy’ of Beaverton’s long dominance at the World-Wide Mustard Competition.”

Beaverton won gold medals for Inglehoffer Sweet Hot Mustard in the Sweet Hot category, Inglehoffer Ghost Pepper Mustard in the Pepper Hot (Scorching Hot) category, Inglehoffer Hot Horseradish Mustard in the Horseradish/Wasabi category and Beaver Cranberry Mustard in the Fruit category. The company was awarded silver medals for Beaver Brand Dusseldorf Mustard in the Classic Hot category and Inglehoffer Horseradish Wasabi Mustard in the Horseradish/Wasabi category and bronze medals for Inglehoffer Sweet Hot Mustard in the Pepper Hot (Mild to Medium) category and Inglehoffer Creamy Dill in the Herb/Veggie category.

Domonic Biggi, CEO of Beaverton Foods, said the fourth generation family-owned and operated company is proud to be a long-time participant in the renowned international mustard competition. “It’s humbling to say we have won more than 150 medals at this annual competition,” he said. “We are especially pleased that our new Inglehoffer Ghost Pepper Mustard was selected for a gold medal. Additionally, we’re grateful that culinary experts around the world like our products.”

The annual competition is open to all commercial mustard producers and agents worldwide. There are 16 flavor categories of which there are gold, silver and bronze awards given to the contestants. Since 1995, judges consisting of chefs, food writers and mustard aficionados have blind tasted the mustards in the competition.

Mentorship Experiences for Women in Food, Beverage & Hospitality

Women working in the food, beverage and hospitality industries are eligible to enter the 2016 Les Dames d'Escoffier International (LDEI) Legacy Awards. For an application, http://bit.ly/1U4IOaH

Deadline for completed applications is April 20, 2016.

The Legacy Awards were established in 2009 in an effort to provide highly-defined mentor opportunities for women (minimum of four years professional experience and not LDEI members). Each Legacy Award winner is sponsored by an accomplished LDEI member (Dame) and offers a one-week workplace experience at participating businesses in the U.S., U.K., Canada and Mexico. The Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts supports the Awards.

This year, there are six awards in four categories: one experience each in Wine, Farm to Table and Food/Wine Journalism and three in Culinary.

• Imagine spending a week at America's first certified organic restaurant with its award-winning owner in historic Washington D.C. 
• Enhance your food journalism expertise at the hands of Family Circle's food director and her team in exciting New York City. 
• Travel to beautiful Vancouver to help out with harvest and production at one of Canada's best-known makers of fine preserves and wine.
• Learn about all facets of the winery and wine tourism industries from vineyard to bottle to vineyard concerts at Washington state'soldest winery.
• Visit vibrant Chicago to get an insider's back stage pass to the deli, catering, baking and brewing businesses!
• Indulge your passion for the fine chocolate world with a life-changing trip to London, England.