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"My journey of showing people
how to eat better (and enjoy it) has helped me to understand that spotlighting what drives others to produce great products… sharing their insights and talents… is a gift to self." ~ Laura Pensiero |
ARCHIVED COLUMNS:
December 2020 "Healthy Holidays: It's All About the Side Dishes" October 2020 "Living Like a Farmer" August 2020 "When All Seems Lost...Laugh Until it Hurts" May 2020: "Nature Can't Stay in Place" February 2020: "Ode to Chocolate" December 2019: "Happy Healthy Holidays" May 2019: "Pull the Trigger: Your Health is What Matters Most" April 2019 "Introducing Laura Pensiero, RD" |
MENTORING: One of Life’s Greatest Gifts
July 2021
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The generous spirit of professional mentoring is essential. In some circumstances, the mentor/mentee relationship is a catalyst to personal development as well. Guidance, encouragement and support from an older, more experienced person can be empowering and life-altering to a newbie in any industry.
Generally, mentoring occurs between a young person (mentee) and a more experienced person (mentor) who provides guidance and support which benefits one or more areas of the mentee's development. This support can also include guidance in a non-professional capacity. In many restaurant situations, whether fine dining or quick service, a profound life experience can be a young individual's first job, a place where he or she learns the basics of punctuality, professionalism, general appropriateness and teamwork. So many mentors influenced my life and professional trajectory. There are far too many for this article, but there are many standouts that I feel very privileged to highlight. As I think about both sides of the mentoring journey, some key points come to mind. Some mentors guide us professionally, others emotionally, spiritually, or even socially. And some do it all! Mentors have different styles, but the key element is an interest in the mentee’s growth and success. |
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Laura's Mom & Bill Beehler
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KINDNESS: I'm part of a generation that started working from the very moment we received working papers (at fourteen years old). At that time, my mother was an assistant in a Dutchess County multiple listing real estate office. Her manager, Bill Beehler, now at the young age of 94, is still involved in real estate. Bill showed extraordinary kindness and patience to a kid on her first job. I am confident that I am in line with hundreds of young people that Bill has impacted by making their first employment a very positive experience.
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TOUGHNESS & HONESTY: In January 1991, Susan Bradford, RD, MPH, was the scariest woman I had ever met. She was at the top of the field of Nutrition Support Therapy – the eternal and parental pathways to feed critically ill patients - and she was the Director of Nutrition at Long Island College Hospital in Brooklyn, NY. Part of this position included overseeing the Nutrition Residency program, the last pathway for qualification to sit for the registration exam.
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At 21, having just earned my Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Food Management, I moved to the Big City where I knew no one. My world was the residency program under Susan's direction, and she was tough, blunt and honest. I grew up in a "seen and not heard" environment, so being upfront and direct was challenging. One day, Susan pulled me into her office and basically told me to stop the passive-aggressive BS. She unequivocally stated that I should tell people exactly what I think and what I want. "You will never make it in New York City by dancing around the topic," she told me. Once she softened her tone, she explained that, while working with critically ill patients, I could practice this by separating myself from the situation. If a patient suffering from cancer, HIV, or any other diagnosis that impeded nutritional health, I should insist on the right course of nutritional care with the attending physician on behalf of the patient – remembering that it has nothing to do with me personally. |
Laura (left), Susan Bradford (center) & Laura's Dad (Provence, France)
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Susan (left) & Laura in Costa Brava, Spain
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When I finished my residency, Susan invited me to stay on as a clinical dietitian, always keeping me accountable through her tough guidance. We eventually became peers and lifelong friends, which often happens between a mentor and mentee when maturity allows for the evolution of the relationship.
When I think of Susan, I think about honesty and direct communication. I now try to implement this in my everyday work. People who care about you and see your talent will stick their neck out to tell you the truth. The key: Don’t be offended by constructive criticism that might sting at first because these words may open unlimited doors to growth. Also, mentoring takes a lot of time and energy. Therefore, an employer or superior might say nothing if they do not see humility and gratitude in return. Young professionals should always remember to evaluate advice. Is it coming from a place of genuine concern and a recognition of your potential? |
SKILL AND OPPORTUNITY: I was a student at the International Culinary Center (the ICC - founded as the French Culinary Institute) in Manhattan in its early golden days - small classes, fantastic instruction. You might be working in one of its then four kitchens, where Jacques Pépin would walk through and correct your technique on omelet making. Can you imagine watching the most gifted culinary tactician and teacher directing full attention to your skill development? Knowing that I was a registered dietitian, Jacques later gave me opportunities to work on his nutrition-focused books.
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But it was Chef Alain Sailhac from Provence, France who ended up being my longtime mentor. Chef Sailhac earned the first ever four-star rating from The New York Times while at Le Cygne in 1977. He went on to be a chef at Le Cirque, the 21 Club and the Plaza Hotel.
In 1991, one year before I attended, Chef Sailhac joined The French Culinary Institute as Dean of Culinary Studies. He was not only a top chef and teacher, but he was also one of the most astute and hilarious rascals one could ever meet. It saddens me to think that his dry humor might not be as appreciated today. Tip: Try to understand someone's background and intentions - assume the best, unless someone shows you the worst. |
Chef Alain Sailhac (left) with Laura
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A most striking characteristic of Chef Alain was his ability to pick out students with drive and skill and understand what their ambitions were. He always had a list of students tucked in his chef coat, the ones he was comfortable recommending to his colleagues in the industry. In my case, he knew my goals were to merge food, nutrition, and writing into a future career. When Rodale Publishing asked Alain Sailhac, Jacques Pépin, Andre Soltner (longtime chef/owner of Lutèce), and the world-renowned pastry chef Jacques Torres to team up and write a healthy cookbook The French Culinary Institute's Salute to Healthy Cooking, Alain immediately brought me onto the project. Under the guidance of the remarkable Judith Choate, who has authored and "ghosted" hundreds of cookbooks, I worked with the celebrated four to interpret and test all of their respective "healthy" recipes.
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They hated this project – good food was just that, good food. But they were always available, cheery and helpful. Alain was forever begging me for another tablespoon of butter or olive oil. This memory, the absurdity of cooking by nutritional numbers and Alain's firmly planted roots in Provençal cooking, forever helped guide my sense of balance in "healthy cooking" and innately healthful Mediterranean food. From Judith, I developed an understanding of how to write cookbooks. Following my graduation, Alain stayed in touch, and he always made time for a chat and some advice when I returned to ICC. In 2010, I was awarded the ICC Outstanding Alumni Award, and it was presented by Alain, Andre, and Jacques Torres – the diploma was hand-painted by Jacques Pépin. It was certainly one of the most heartwarming and proud moments of my career. |
Michael Osborne M.D., MSurg, FRCS, FACS, now retired, is without question one of the most brilliant people I have ever met. His degrees and certifications do not describe the depth of his professional skills and diverse interests; he was far more than a physician and surgeon. Michael has lectured in the field of breast disease worldwide and has published and presented over 400 papers and articles and has authored three books. During his career, he diagnosed over 8,000 men and women with breast cancer – always taking a holistic and personal approach. He is masterful in fundraising, teaching, mentoring, and holding roles that require fiscal and leadership qualities. Michael also had an extraordinary passion for food and is likely more admired than some celebrity chefs in the field!
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When I met Michael, he was Chief of the Breast Service and Attending Surgeon in the Department of Surgery at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Cornell Medical Center and President of Strang Cancer Prevention Center. When Strang started a nutrition consultation program in 1995, my then boss/mentor Arline Salbe, Ph.D., thought this was an excellent opportunity to merge my background in food and nutrition from clinical care and research into prevention. She was right, and she made the introduction and recommendation to Michael.
After working with so many high-risk patients or those recovering from cancer, I determined that most people know what to do - they just didn't know how to do it. I found myself scribbling down recipes more than I was providing nutrition counseling. This prompted me to approach Michael and suggest a cookbook. Michael was delighted with the idea and told me to find a literary agent. When we "sold" the book, I found myself full of apprehension – I now had to write it! Michael steadied me and told me he had confidence that we could get it accomplished. About a third of the recipes were my own; for the rest, I reached out to more than 40 of the most recognized chefs throughout the U.S., providing the guidelines for ingredients rich in protective phytochemcials. I then tested and tweaked these recipes for consumer use. |
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Michael Osborne (left), Jacques Pépin (center) & Laura
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Upon publication of The Strang Cancer Prevention Center Cookbook, we celebrated at The French Culinary Institute. Michael asked if we might be able to have lunch with Jacques Pepin. It was a thrilling experience to bring these unique, brilliant groundbreakers together. Michael brings up the occasion to this day.
Of all that Michael has published over his more than 50 years in medicine, he has told me that The Strang Cancer Prevention Center Cookbook brings him the most pride. Michael and I are now close friends. He visits me at Gigi Trattoria, and when schedules permit, we meet for a drink or dinner in New York City. About ten years ago, I was honored to attend a ceremony recognizing Michael's career in medicine at the Boathouse in Central Park. Dozens of his surgical and research fellows described how Michael shaped their careers in medicine and in life. It was amazing to see how many people he had influenced, and this solidified the power of mentoring within me. With respect, curation of relationships, and an open mind to constructive evaluation, mentors can become peers and lifelong friends. |
Laura Pensiero is Sanctuary's nutrition columnist and the founder, chef/owner and creative force behind Gigi Hudson Valley (Gigi Trattoria and Gigi Catering). She is the author of Hudson Valley Mediterranean and co-author of The Strang Cancer Prevention Center Cookbook. Find out more about Laura by reading her interview with Sanctuary HERE.
