The North Carolina Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier announces “Dames in the Kitchen,” hosted Thursday, April 6 as a collaborative effort by its members and offering a culinary tour through North Carolina, as prepared by eight Dame cookbook authors and chefs. Guests will also enjoy raffle prizes and live bluegrass by Dame Susi Gott & the Kitchen Dudes.

“Dames in the Kitchen” will benefit the Interfaith Food Shuttle – a statewide organization which addresses food insecurity – and will take place at The Root Cellar, from 6:30 to 9pm, owned by Charter Member Sera Cuni. The Root Cellar is located at 750 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, in Chapel Hill. Tickets can be purchased for $65 ($30 tax deductible) at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2887188.

Cookbook authors participating include:
Sandra Gutierrez, Sheri Castle, Stephanie Tyson, Susi Gott & Nancie McDermott

Restaurateurs and chefs participating include:
Sera Cuni of The Root Cellar in Chapel Hill, Jill Santa Lucia from Catering Works in Raleigh, Rhonda Jones from Chez Moi Bakery in Durham, Stephanie Tyson of Sweet Potatoes in Winston-Salem, and Spring Council of Mama Dips in Chapel Hill

Raffle tickets may be purchased for an additional $10 ($75 total, ticket including dinner & raffle), and these include:

• Trip to Las Vegas
• Overnight stay at The Fearrington Inn
• Dames cookbook library
• Overnight stay at The Sanderling Resort
• Dessert Party for 10 provided by Tonya’s Cookies
• Chez Moi gift certificate

Dame Susi Gott, who has assembled the evenings’ live music, explained that “food and music in Appalachia have always been intertwined.” Gott is also the author of Appalachian Appetite – a groundbreaking new cookbook featuring over 100 recipes that represent an innovative take on tradition, with contributions and stories from many of the mountain region’s best chefs, restaurants, and citizens. Susi Gott & the Kitchen Dudes is a musical ensemble comprised of the author, two Ashevillians, and two Chapel Hillians, united especially for this introduction to the North Carolina Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier.

Les Dames d’Escoffier, named for Auguste Escoffier (1846 –1935), is a philanthropic organization of professional female leaders in the food, beverage and hospitality industries committed to the advancement of education and philanthropy for the good of the global community. The by-invitation membership, composed of over 2,200 members in 37 chapters in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Mexico, is highly diversified and reflects the multifaceted fields of contemporary gastronomy and hospitality. The NC Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier was founded in Fall 2015. North Carolina’s members join the ranks of other well-known trailblazers in the industry, including Julia Child, Paula Wolfert, Nathalie Dupree, Jean Anderson, Sara Moulton, and many more. Follow @LesDamesNC and visit https://www.lesdamesnc.com/.