Yesterday, our friends and culinary leaders at Les Dames d’Escoffier International (LDEI) announced their partnership with Food Day 2012 across all 28 chapters in North America. LDEI is a premier organization of influential professional women committed to the advancement of education and philanthropy via food, beverage, and hospitality for the good of the global community.

Leading members of LDEI (as well as Food Day Advisors) including Food Network’s Ellie Krieger, Author Marion Nestle, Chef Nora Pouillon and Chef/Author Alice Waters, are joining many more members and chapters across the U.S. to lend their expertise to Food Day celebrations by organizing large and small events.

LDEI’s Green Table Initiative aims to showcase the importance of fresh food and how healthful ingredients weave their way through daily life, from farm to table. It brings together some of the most prominent voices for promoting better eating, including nutritionists, farmers, chefs, cookbook authors, food stylists, caterers, beverage professionals, and philanthropic leaders.

What’s in the plans? In Honolulu, LDEI is partnering with Liholiho Elementary School for a wellness initiative and Family Fun Day, supported by many community businesses. LDEI Dames will run tasting stations in the cafeteria showing how to prepare and cook vegetables with CSA (Community-Supported Agriculture) produce. In Austin, the Green Tables Initiative is hosting a Food Fight Charity Auction. The New York chapter will hold a hands-on interactive cooking class broadcast simultaneously on the web. Sign up at alacartelive.com – enter Food Day, and it’s free.

To learn more about Les Dames d’Escoffier International plans for Food Day, visit http://www.ldei.org/index.php?com=greentables