WAG still recalls the delicious day spent at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park for a story that ran in our July 2015 issue.
And we’ll never forget our time with lifestyle expert Martha Stewart, who welcomed us to her Bedford home to chat about entertaining for our annual food-themed issue the year before that.
So, it’s nice to see some of WAG’s “history” come together, in a manner of speaking.
We’ve just heard from The CIA that it will hold its next Leadership Awards gala next month in Manhattan – and Stewart will be part of the “Trio of Titans” being honored.
The CIA reports it raised a record $1 million for student scholarships at the 2016 event and so has high hopes for this year’s edition. The April 19 event at the American Museum of Natural History will gather more than 600 food-service and hospitality industry leaders, celebrity chefs, CIA alumni and others from the business and entertainment world.
Tim Ryan, president of The CIA, will present the Augie Award to, the announcement says, “three individuals who, through their prolific life’s work, have transformed and elevated the food and hospitality industry – helping it garner the respect it deserves.” The award, created in tribute to famed French chef Auguste Escoffier, will be presented to:
- Shep Gordon, talent manager for rock stars, Hollywood agent, film producer and New York Times bestselling author, who’s also credited with creating the celebrity chef category;
- Jacques Pépin, the French chef, food writer – and longtime Madison, Connecticut, resident – as well as a former columnist for The New York Times, recipient of France’s highest civilian honor, La Legion d’Honneur, and 16 James Beard Foundation Awards; and
- Martha Stewart, the Bedford-based, Emmy Award-winning television host, bestselling author, lifestyle expert and business entrepreneur whose household and garden products are sold nationwide.
“Martha Stewart, Jacques Pépin and Shep Gordon all have a commitment to excellence that mirrors the core values of the CIA,” Ryan says. “They are all trailblazers, innovators and provide tremendous inspiration to our students and alumni alike. We are proud to honor them.”
The evening will begin with a lavish menu of hors d’oeuvres prepared by guest chefs, many of whom are CIA alumni, followed by a sit-down dinner. There will also be an online auction, which opens two weeks prior to the gala, to raise additional scholarship funds.
For more, visit ciachef.edu.
— Mary Shustack
