Abundance Setting Dinner's Yes to Women Chefs
Fundraiser for women in culinary driven by four role models
Delicious Celebration of Strong Women
Local Food Forum attended the dinner held Tuesday (March 19) at Evanston’s LeTour restaurant to benefit The Abundance Setting, the Chicago non-profit that advocates for equitable treatment of women — especially women raising children — who work and seek to pursue careers in the culinary industry.
The dishes served at the event were delicious. But how could in be otherwise, when the dinner was designed by four James Beard Award-winning women chefs: Debbie Gold, executive chef at LeTour; Sarah Stegner, chef-owner at Prairie Grass Cafe and a co-founder of The Abundance Setting; Beverly Kim, chef and co-owner at Anelya; and Gale Gand, one of our city’s legendary pastry chefs.
The evening was hosted by LeTour owner Amy Morton, one of the region’s most prominent woman restaurateurs.
The dinner was aptly billed as a Celebration of Strong Women. As Sarah underscored during her dinner remarks, women have to be strong to succeed in the restaurant business. She noted that while more than half of culinary school graduates are women, women hold only 6 percent of executive chef roles.
A major reason is that women continue to be the main child care provider in most families, and the culinary industry has been slow to provide accommodations to their schedules, leaving many women with the difficult choice of pursuing a career or raising a family.
The lead photo shows Sarah and Debbie during the pre-meal instructions to the restaurant staff.
Here’s Gale, also at the prep meeting.
The amuse bouche was a coddled egg yolk with cauliflower cream and roe.
In Sarah Stegner’s creation, butternut squash, fruit and microgreens surrounded a luscious Cape Cod diver scallop.
Beverly Kim was unable to attend the dinner because of a schedule conflict but provide this colorful dish, a Ukrainian Halushki dumpling filled with farmer’s cheese with a sauce made from three varieties of berries.
Debbie Gold’s dish was a richly flavored braised beef cheeks.
Gale Gand’s dessert was an elderflower and raspberry rice pudding.
Wine flowed freely from the opening reception through pairings with each of the courses.
The evening was also a master class in hospitality, as owner Amy Morton greeted each guest at the door. This produced a photo of Chicago restaurant royalty, as Amy welcomed Ina Pinkney, the retired restaurateur long known as the “Breakfast Queen of Chicago.”
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