By Karen Haram

Twenty-five years ago, four women gathered on a weekday morning over coffee at la Madeleine French Bakery & Cafe to discuss an idea  — one that would lead to the formation of the San Antonio chapter of Les Dames d’ Escoffier, one of the busiest and most dynamic chapters in the country.

Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, the chapter has hosted an international conference with plans to host a second in 2021; produced a Grande Dame, Rosemary Kowalski; begot past international president and vice president, Pat Mozersky and June Hayes, respectively, and current secretary, Jennifer Goodman; and awarded more than 60 scholarships, among other accomplishments.

In 1995, the four women  — Nancy Lazara, an H-E-B executive; Mozersky,  a cooking school teacher and food columnist; Karen Haram, Food Editor at the San Antonio Express-News; and the late Lenny Angel, a cooking school teacher — recruited six more women and soon formed the 10-member chapter, thanks to leadership from Lazara, who had been a Les Dames member in Seattle, and Mozersky, who learned about the organization from friend Sharon Kramis, a Seattle Dame who had extolled the virtues of the group to her.

As the 10 charter members were busy with thriving careers, progress was snail-paced for the group for the first couple of years. Needed legal work was mostly paid for through in-kind services, specifically with gourmet meals prepared by Mozersky for a food-loving attorney friend, Ed Einstein, who also was given complimentary admission to the group’s events.

Haram, a writer with more a creative mind than a mathematical one, recalls that as the group’s first treasurer, a dresser drawer recently vacated by her daughter’s departure for college served as the holding place for the few hundred dollars in the group’s coffers, as the women hadn’t yet started fundraising activities.

Within a few years, however, with bylaws firmly in place and an increased number of active members, the group was well on its way to more successful times. As Mozersky puts it, “A seed was tossed into somewhat fertile ground.”

In the intervening years, membership has grown to 82 and the group has started/sponsored 11 community gardens, founded an Aspirations Grant program to help women starting food businesses, joined the Brock Circle, and gathered farmers market produce each week as well as cookbooks to donate to low-income families. They host an annual holiday party for at-risk children, donate turkeys and all the trimmings to in-need families for the holidays and teach cooking and nutrition classes to low-income families and youth.

Today’s members own or work at restaurants, wineries, catering companies and bars; write, edit and photograph food; teach cooking classes; run food businesses; hold high-level positions in the grocery industry; are physicians and dietitian nutritionists; work in hospitality; run farms; develop recipes and food products; handle marketing, social media and public relations; and more.

“We are excited to celebrate 25 years this year,” says Nichole Bendele, president. “We have a wonderful chapter of dynamic and energetic Dames.  It is an honor to be a member of this organization.”

Twenty-five years later, the group is much larger and more successful than its humble beginnings would hint at, but the camaraderie and closeness shared by the original 10 remain.

Four founders are still active members and in honor of the 25th anniversary, Haram, Mozersky and Cynthia Guido were granted emeritus status at the group’s January meeting, joining founding member Rosemary Kowalski, already an emerita. A planned celebration honoring the group’s anniversary was scheduled for October but has been postponed to a later date due to COVID-19.

SAN ANTONIO AT A GLANCE
Founding members:
Lenny Angel
Barbara Bechtol
Cynthia Guido
Karen Haram
Priscilla Kent
Rosemary Kowalski
Nancy Lazara
Pat Mozersky
Cynthia Pedregon
Patsy Swendson

Year chartered: 1995

First president: Nancy Lazara

First major event: Gourmet dinner honoring Auguste Escoffier

First international conference hosted:  2002, themed VIVA! LAS DAMAS EN SAN ANTONIO!  Women Influencing Cuisines & Cultures

Best money-making idea: Meals on Reels

Other successful fundraisers: Olives Ole, Simply Celebrating Julia, A Dame Good Afternoon