ABout Les Dames D’Escoffier International
We are a philanthropic organization of women leaders in the fields of food, fine beverage and hospitality. Composed of over 2,400 members in 43 chapters in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Mexico, is highly diversified and reflects the multifaceted fields of contemporary gastronomy and hospitality.
LDEI is an international organization of women leaders who create a supportive culture in their communities to achieve excellence in the food, fine beverage and hospitality fields.
To make this vision a reality, LDEI members:
Share knowledge
Support members
Provide leadership, educational opportunities and philanthropic events for the community at large
FORMATION OF THE LDEI DALLAS CHAPTER
The Dallas chapter was formed in 1985 as one of the original five chapters that formed Les Dames d’Escoffier International to operate as an umbrella organization for the formation of new chapters throughout the world.
About Our Founder, Dolores Snyder, in her own words
“In 1978, I went to the French Riviera for some R & R after leading a two week food and wine tour for Neiman Marcus to Normandy and the Loire. I had signed up for cooking classes in Michelin starred restaurants—a pilot program designed by Simone Beck. The trip originated in Cannes in early May. The cultural side of the tour included the Matisse Chapel and a visit to Picasso’s home with a cooking class in Simone’s kitchen.
Staying at our hotel was Carol Brock who was leading a group from New York. One day we took an excursion to the home and birthplace of Auguste Escoffier. There, Carol was presented with a medal for founding the New York Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier in 1976. She and I discussed the future possibility of a Dallas Chapter.
Time passed and a culinary teacher from Australia visited me in 1983. She asked if I knew what Les Dames d’Escoffier was and I told her of my encounter with Carol Brock during our cooking classes. My Aussie friend had been asked to start a chapter over there. She said,”Dodie, I am going to suggest you start a Dallas Chapter when I am in New York next time.” This was May, 1983 and the following September, I received a letter from Saralie Slonsky inviting me to form a Dallas chapter. I immediately replied but time passed before a reply came. On August 27, 1984, I had the first meeting with my nine charter members. Each immediately replied, “Yes.” when I asked them to meet to form our chapter but each asked, “What is it?”
In 1985 and 1986, I made trips to New York and Washington D.C. to form Les Dames d’Escoffier International.as we now had five chapters. Our formal induction of New York, Chicago, Washington D.C., Dallas and Philadelphia took place on October 27,1986 around the world globe in the lobby of The New York Daily News. There, I lit a candle for Dallas as an official Les Dames d’Escofffier chapter, and all because I was in need of some R and R on the French Riviera.”
Carol Brock, LDEI Founder
Carol Brock, founder of Les Dames d'Escoffier, began her long and distinguished career in food journalism in 1944 at age twenty, when she landed her first job as assistant food editor of Good Housekeeping. In her capacity as hostess editor, a position the publication created for her, her responsibilities included recipe development and food photography. She also served as personal chef to Hearst magazine executives and editors, authored a monthly byline in the publication’s “For the Hostess” column, coauthored The Good Housekeeping Party Book and ultimately worked as a contributing editor of three Good Housekeeping cookbooks....
Upon being granted the original charter by Les Amis d’Escoffier, the first chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier was founded in New York in 1976. The Dallas Chapter was founded in 1985.
There are 2,400 members worldwide representing chefs, culinary school proprietors and teachers, culinary historians, food editors and writers, hoteliers, vintners and wine merchants, restaurateurs, caterers, professors, chocolatiers, bakers, manufacturers and purveyors.