“If you’re afraid of butter, use cream.” – Julia Child (Aug. 15, 1912 to Aug. 13, 2004)
Participants include The Fairmont Empress Room, Gatsby Restaurant, The London Chef, and Zambri’s
Joining a world-wide celebration on Wednesday, Aug. 15th, and in support of the BC Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier – an organization that was close to her heart – four Victoria chefs will pay homage to Julia Child by donating a special dinner menu for four or eight people, in honour of what would have been her 100th birthday.
Chefs Peter Zambri (Zambri’s), Kamal Silva (The Fairmont Empress Room), D’Arcy Ladret (Gatsby Mansion), and Dan Hayes (The London Chef) are each offering one unique table (for four or eight people) and creating a special menu in honour of the iconic chef who changed the way we celebrate cooking and dining.
Tickets are $69 per person and can be reserved by contacting Les Dames d’Escoffier at http://lesdames.ca/events.htm or info@lesdames.ca. Each restaurant has set aside either four or eight seats; diners can book a full table or a seat at each table. Dinner will include a multi course dinner with wine that has been paired and donated by different wineries to complement the Julia Child-inspired menu. Additional alcoholic beverages and gratuities are extra. A full listing of participating restaurants across BC can be found by visiting www.eventbrite.com/event/3838139980/efblike.
“Julia Child is so prolific because she demystified French cooking and made amazing food accessible to the everyday person. That is exactly what we are trying to do here at The London Chef,” says Chef Dan Hayes. “Cooking is fun, cooking is cool, and cooking is satisfying. These are all things that Julia helped teach us – she demonstrated her adventurous side and explored her zest for life in the kitchen. And, she ate bloody well while doing it. So will our guests on Aug. 15!”
§ Peter Zambri’s menu inspired by Julia features oysters with lemon gelato, Julia’s split pea soup, potato, bean, smoked tuna and olive salad, halibut meuniere, roasted duck with black currants served with pommes anna and tarte tatin for dessert.
§ At The Fairmont Empress Room, Executive Chef Kamal Silva has chosen to recreate some of Julia’s personal favourites with a contemporary splash for presentation. His traditional French menu features salad nicoise, beef tenderloin bourguignon, chateau potatoes and chocolate almond cake.
§ Chef D’Arcy Ladret at the Gatsby Mansion is planning French onion soup, which was the last dish Julia made herself before she passed away; coq au vin (chicken in red wine with sautéed mushrooms) inspired by Julia from her cookbook, Way to Cook; and perfect crème brulee.
All proceeds from the dinners will be donated to Les Dames d’Escoffier, BC Chapter, for scholarship, educational and outreach funding. Created in the 1970’s to combat the inequality within an industry rife with discrimination in hiring, pay and educational opportunities, the group’s goal was to help open the world of food, wine and hospitality to women.
Today, Les Dames d’Escoffier is the only organization of its kind: a world-wide philanthropic society of professional women leaders in the fields of food, fine beverage and hospitality. The membership, composed of 28 individual chapters across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, is highly diversified and reflects the multifaceted fields of contemporary gastronomy and hospitality. Since its incorporation 25 years ago, Les Dames d’Escoffier has followed its mission to elevate the profession through mentoring its members and helping worthy students succeed in their culinary careers. For more information, visit www.ldei.org and www.lesdames.ca (BC Chapter).
