We’re elevating the culinary experience

Five Northwell Health hospitals are competing for a chance to be named the winner of the 2019 Chefs Challenge on May 23rd. Tasked with cooking a healthy and nutritious meal, each team will have 90 minutes to prepare a one-of-a-kind meal with a salmon appetizer, filet mignon entree, and an apple dessert. Each team will have three chefs and one certified dietitian who will work together to prepare a meal for guest judges. Meet the teams competing at the Chefs Challenge!

The Southside Hospital team is excited to be able to cook healthy, high-end restaurant quality food that they serve in our hospitals. They are also looking forward to seeing the variety of creative healthy dishes being prepared and presented by the other culinary teams.

Brian Sauer

Executive Chef, 4 months at Northwell

Favorite healthy ingredients to cook with: Fresh herbs

Leah Pasquarella

Chief Clinical Dietitian, 15 years at Northwell

Favorite healthy ingredients to cook with: Avocados and baby spinach

Gina Lantigua

Cook, 3 years at Northwell

Favorite healthy ingredients to cook with: Good olive oil, cauliflower, quinoa, carrots, garlic and cilantro

Miles Farrell

Executive Chef, 4 months at Northwell

Favorite healthy ingredients to cook with: Fresh herbs

The LIJ Valley Stream team is most excited about showcasing their talents. Executive Chef Patty Sobel says, “I really want to showcase how improved my team at Orzac Rehab and LIJ Valley Stream Hospital has become. I have worked with this team for 18 months and they are rising with culinary skills like the mighty phoenix!”

Patty Sobol

Executive Chef, 5 years at Northwell

Favorite healthy ingredients to cook with: fresh ginger, fennel, oranges, earthy spices like turmeric and cumin, fresh basil, lemon verbena

Jane Prokopowicz

Chief Clinical Dietitian, 18 years at Northwell

Favorite healthy ingredients to cook with: Fresh vegetables, fruit, and fresh herbs

Yvon Julien

Cook, 20 years at Northwell

Favorite healthy ingredients to cook with: Salmon with yellow and julienned red peppers, fresh herbs, chervil parsley, chives, tarragon and fresh garlic

Kervins Pierre-Pierre

Cook, 4 years at Northwell

Favorite healthy ingredients to cook with: Grains- quinoa & farro and fresh grouper with kale swiss chard or spinach

The North Shore University Hospital team is most excited about getting to showcase the culinary abilities they learned in previous culinary experiences and apply them to a healthcare setting.

Paul Choe

Chef de Partie, 9 months at Northwell

Favorite healthy ingredients to cook with: Fermented soybean paste

Laura Zelenka Dufresne

Registered Dietitian, 28 years at Northwell

Favorite healthy ingredients to cook with: Asparagus

Nicholas Rappa

Chef de Partie, 14 months at Northwell

Favorite healthy ingredients to cook with: Brussel sprouts

Gyalsten Ethenpa

Sous Chef, 20 months at Northwell

Favorite healthy ingredients to cook with: Turmeric

The Lenox Hill Hospital team is excited to collaborate and create dishes that are appetizing, appealing, and healthy enough to fit the Northwell Healthy Choice criteria! These are challenges we come across every day so we continuously educate and put into practice strategies for adjusting diets to be nutritious and enjoyable. This competition gives us an opportunity to think outside of the box and prepare meals that will leave patients feeling healthy and satisfied.