Leslie Schaller and Randi Settleman admit they may not love to cook, but when it comes to food, they are definitely connoisseurs. It’s one of the reasons the sisters, who work side-by-side at their family-owned business, Bond Distributing, couldn’t wait to co-chair this fall’s biggest culinary event featuring five of the nation’s most prominent Jewish chefs.
The Associated’s Keynote: A Culinary Experience will feature Michael Solomonov, the James Beard award-winning executive chef of Zahav in Philadelphia, Pati Jinich, host of the PBS show, Pati’s Mexican Table, Molly Yeh, Food Network star of Girl Meets Farm, and Yehuda Sichel, Baltimore-born executive chef at Abe Fisher. Guests will enjoy kosher renditions of their recipes and participate in a discussion led by cookbook author Joan Nathan.
Why did you get involved?
Leslie: When they brought this idea to me, I thought it was perfect. I love the idea of incorporating good food and good beer with a good cause.
Randi: This year’s Keynote is out of the ordinary. I think food appeals to everyone.
Leslie: Food is so central to our Jewish identity. What makes this event unique is that we are showcasing culinary talents who are Jewish. They will talk about how their Jewish upbringing inspired them and helped bring their cooking to life.
How does food intersect with Judaism in your home?
Randi: It seems like whenever we celebrate Jewish holidays there is always great food that we bond over.
