Culinary Innovation - Pureed Foods

The thickening and presentation of pureed foods served at the Lieberman Center for Geriatric Care have been a real challenge. We felt there had to be a better way to make these items look more appealing and taste better. The current program consisted of the typical scoops of pureed foods on the plate. That is not a very attractive picture. Additionally, being a Kosher facility, we are very limited in the products we can use as thickening agents for our purees.

Our department's culinary team did some research and found that utilizing egg whites as a thickening medium worked very well as a thickening agent. This also allowed us to shape and form an attractive product. The results have been a greater assortment of realistic looking pureed recipes. Sauces and toppings can also be pureed and used to top off the product or "paint" the plate. This certainly adds color and flair to the dish, as well as making it more appealing to eat. Our new techniques have been accepted by not only the residents, but the facility director, nursing and speech therapists as well.

Finalized recipes include: tuna, scalloped potatoes, vegetables, blintzes and more. For more information about these recipes, feel free to contact the culinary team of Executive Chef Fermin Mendez at Lieberman or our Regional Executive Chef, Chris Moore at Villa St. Benedict.