Justin Sprecher
A new network of female food professionals will be showing off their skills and spreading the word about their group at Isthmus’ Food Cart Fest. The Culinary Ladies Collective — which formed this spring — will serve street food at the festival, to be held in Madison’s Central Park on May 21. Eight chefs from the group will be making dishes inspired by their family heritage.
“We are going to be preparing original recipes from our grandmothers to highlight our ethnic backgrounds in food,” says Tami Lax, owner of Harvest and a founding member of the collective.
Lax will be bringing kolaches filled with fruit and cheese. She has fond childhood memories of her Grandma Alice making huge batches of the European pastries.
“She would make hundreds of kolaches for every church event. I remember going to her house as a child and seeing all these pastries. They were on every surface but I wasn't allowed to touch. The wonderful smell of fresh pastries filled the house,” says Lax. “So I’m paying homage to Grandma Alice, both with the recipe and also the fact that I have to make like 500 of these.”
Jennie Capellaro, chef/owner of the Green Owl, is going to recognize her Lebanese roots.
“I’m thinking about doing dolmas, stuffed grape leaves,” says Capellaro. “That or sweet potato baba ganoush. I grill the sweet potato so it has this subtle but distinctive smoky flavor.”
Lauren Montelbano of Surya Cafe, which opened at Perennial Yoga in Fitchburg this April, is preparing chickpea sliders for the festival. She sources many of her ingredients from crops she grows. The cafe serves mainly animal-free dishes with the notable exception of a quiche made with duck eggs — these Montelbano collects from a nest in her backyard.
“My heritage is Italian. And it's pretty much impossible to make authentic vegan Italian,” Montelbano says. “But I did travel around south East Asia and did a lot of cooking in Thailand and India. Those experiences were highly influential. I learned from little old ladies who know how to do it best.”
Laila Borokhim of Layla’s and the Noosh food cart plans on making a hand pie, drawing on her father’s Persian heritage.
Culinary Ladies Collective members Kristina Stanley of Brown Rice & Honey, a Madison-based catering company, Jennifer Mans of Humble, Carmella Jackson of Melly Mel's and Shanna Pacifico of the Graduate Hotel are also preparing dishes. And local chefs Shannon Berry and Megan Belle are teaming up on a creation for the event.
The Culinary Ladies Collective is the brainchild of Lax, Borokhim of and Francesca Hong of Morris Ramen. The business network of “female chefs, cooks, food and beverage producers, growers and artisans” already boasts nearly 100 members across the state despite forming only a few months ago, says Lax.
“Through regular meetings, we nourish ourselves in body and spirit. We are a group that respects food, how it’s grown, where it’s raised and who is growing it,” reads the mission statement of the collective.
The group wants to to empower women by providing mentorship, outreach and educational opportunities in the culinary community.
“It’s also a time to get together and just relax and touch base. Having a group of female chefs come together every few weeks is unique,” says Lax. “We’re all so busy, we don’t get a chance to see each other and just talk.”
Lax says the Culinary Ladies Collective will also support other nonprofits. The group’s first fundraiser was a barbecue brunch at the South Madison Farmers’ Market on May 7. Proceeds from the event benefited Neighborhood Food Solutions, a local organization focused on creating food-related economic solutions in disadvantaged communities.
As a rookie restaurateur, Montelbano says she feels lucky to be part of a network of women in the industry “that have her back.”
“Opening a restaurant is a daunting task. I’m grateful to be surrounded by a group of mentors who have seen it all and know how to navigate all the challenges.”
Editor's Note: This story has been updated to include additions to the chefs coming to Food Cart Fest: Shanna Pacifica and Carmella Jackson.
