Last week we attended our son’s graduation from McGill University in Montreal. While we were excited to help him celebrate this accomplishment, we didn’t know what to expect from the actual ceremony since it was a mid-year graduation. We’d anticipated there would be only a few students and less pomp and circumstance than a regular spring graduation event. We were wrong.

The event was held in an arena at Montreal’s art’s center. The ceremony itself was an amazing mixture of grandeur and warmth. Hundreds of students in black and crimson caps and gowns graduated that day. Their fields of study included everything from undergraduate English literature, like our son, to Masters in Social work and Ph.D.’s in Environmental studies. An amazing group from all over the world and of every age group had their loved ones there to mark their major accomplishments. The event was as much a celebration of their hard work as it was a celebration of their diversity. The speaker of the evening was Heather Reisman, the founder of Indigo Books. Ms. Reisman spoke eloquently and with warmth about the power of books and the power of the human spirit to create new ways to overcome adversity and define personal success. Using The Little Engine That Could as a metaphor, she was truly inspirational. That day, she became a new mentor to us all.

Her message made me think of my mentors during my studies and over the years. Although I’ve never met her, Deborah Madison has been a mentor in my life. With her groundbreaking vegetarian restaurant Greens on the Presidio in San Francisco and its accompanying cookbook in the ‘80s, she and her partners showed the world the power and flavor of vegetable-based dishes. I was in culinary school in at the time,  where I was taught that flavor in recipes comes from the addition of meat, such as bacon, and the fats that they render in any savory dish. I remember heated discussions at the time with my cooking instructor where I voiced my thoughts that other ingredients, fresh vegetables in particular, could be just as flavorful as meat-based dishes. He didn’t agree but let me take a gamble on my final exam.  My work partners and I chose to create and serve a vegetable-based meal at the school’s restaurant for our final end of the year project. The menu included dishes from the Greens Cookbook. Rich Red Wine and Red Onion Soup was followed by this  Fragrant Onion Tart—a buttery pastry crust filled with onions and herbs that have been delicately sauteéd to bring out their natural sweetness. Topped with more fresh herbs and wrapped in a light cheese filled custard, this tart and the entire meal was a success. I’m mostly happy that the restaurant diners enjoyed but I was also pleased to have been the first person, along with my partners,  in the history of the school to achieve a perfect score on the final exam.  I learned my instructor was generous. He learned something new, too.

Deborah Madison continues to be an inspiration in my life. I’ve collected and learned from all her published books over the years. They sit at my desk and in my kitchen, reminding me of the power of food, mentorship, and of course, good books.

Who are your mentors?

I look forward to seeing you in my kitchen, gathering flavors, soon.

Dena