DC Chefs Join American Culinary Corps as part of Partnership Between James Beard Foundation and State Department

Photos courtesy of the US State Department

By Tim Ebner / Edible DC

Food has the power to change the world. That is something you could see clearly in February as Secretary of State Antony Blinken, along with Chief of Protocol Ambassador Rufus Gifford, welcomed more than 50 chefs to Washington to celebrate their work in diplomatic exchange.

This was a celebration of food, culture and chefs who have helped make an impact in communities near (most chefs hailed from the DMV region) and far, and it is a partnership effort supported by the James Beard Foundation.

Chef AMY brandwein from centrolina is being congratulated on becoming a culinary diplomat.

“Our mantra at the James Beard Foundation is ‘Good Food for Good,’” said Clare Reichenbach, James Beard Foundation CEO. “Together we have created a remarkable group of chefs and culinary professionals who represent the rich culinary tapestry and panoply of foodways in this country. These individuals are industry leaders and the embodiment of the foundation’s mission and values.”

The chefs who came to Washington visited the White House and gathered for a reception at the Department of State witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding along with Ambassador Gifford and Reichenbach. This Biden Administration action solidifies the Diplomatic Culinary Partnership between the Department of State and the James Beard Foundation.

“When we break bread with people, we learn something about each other in ways that transcend divisions of geography or language,” Secretary Blinken said. “In my own time as a diplomat, I have found that sitting down for a meal with my counterparts has often led to conversations, candor, exchanges that simply don’t happen when you’re in a conference room, a board room, in an official formal environment. Put another way, sometimes diplomacy gets more done effectively at the dining room table than at the conference table, and I’ve witnessed that, experienced that myself.”

This concept is core to the American Culinary Corps. It also adds another tool to the Department of State’s public diplomacy by embracing and utilizing food, hospitality, and the dining experience as tools to engage foreign dignitaries, bridge cultures, and strengthen relationships abroad.

Participants from the Diplomatic Culinary Partnership commit to work within their local communities and abroad, including global missions where they will travel, cook, share culinary traditions one meal at a time.

You can support these D.C. chefs and their mission to do good, by following them online and dining out at their restaurants soon:

• José Andrés 

• Victor Albisu

• Angel Barreto 

• Amy Brandwein

• Erik Bruner-Yang

• Michael Friedman 

• Jerome Grant

• Fernando Gonzalez 

• Carla Hall

• Matthew Hill

• Christian Irabién

• Jeremiah Langhorne

• Edward Lee

• Andrew Markert

• Marjorie Meek-Bradley

• Masako Morishita

• Patrick O’Connell

• Rose Previte

• Debby Portillo

• Daniella Senior Alvarez

• Aaron Silverman

• Johnny Spero

• Vikram Sunderam

• Yuan Tang

• Kevin Tien

• Paola Velez