Strawberry Lemonade Caviar at Dominican Sisters

 

Dietary associate Jason Clark was looking for a way to use up some strawberries this past week and decided upon a rather unique idea...strawberry lemonade caviar. First he made strawberry lemonade by pureeing strawberries and mixing them with our standard lemonade. He then took a portion of that lemonade and mixed it with agar (a gelling agent) and boiled it. He then used a dropper to drop the hot liquid into cool oil to have them harden into caviar type balls. He then cored some strawberries and scooped the "caviar" into the strawberries. Pictured is the display we put out...a refreshing treat for a hot summer day.

Resident Engagement at Christian Rest Homes

 

With the summer in full swing, what better way to hold a Resident & Dining meeting than with a quick demonstration of Basque style fresh tomato salad, our Superfood for the month of August! Here Director of Dining Services Christina Bodanza mixes Balsamic vinegar, olive oil, fresh bread croutons, and wonderful pieces of fresh tomatoes, into a tasty combination. This was a dish that "Ruled" and pleased, while promoting healthy eating as well. The residents are looking forward to seeing this on the menu in the future.

Cardinal Stritch hosts Cardinal Francis George

 

 

Each year in August, Cardinal Stritch hosts Cardinal Francis George and 30 area bishops for a five day retreat. We began a new tradition last year by presenting a traveling chefs event for their final dinner.

 

The evening begins with cocktails and appetizers in the library. This year Chef Jose Tinoco offered mini crab cakes sauteed to order and served with lemon-herb aioli. In addition, we served fresh antipasto skewers with housemade pesto-marinated ciliengini mozzarella, kalamata olives, teardrop tomatoes and balsamic reduction.

 

The group then moved to the dining room for a plated and served four course meal. The starter course this year was a salad of spring mix and baby spinach dressed in a housemade citrus vinaigrette with shaved fennel and bresaola sottofesa.

 

Second course was a seafood sampler consisting of a raw oyster with housemade sherry mignonette, a baked clam with garlic/lemon/herb stuffing, and mussels steamed in Stella Artois beer.

 

Lamb loin over sunchoke puree with lamb reduction and fresh chives was the entree.

 

Dessert consisted of chocolate mocha cake with fudge sauce and vanilla ice cream (all housemade from scratch.)

The Bishops very much enjoyed the meal and we received a hearty round of applause at its conclusion.

The staff at Cardinal Stritch would like to thank the Chefs that attended and helped prep, prepare, plate, and serve the meal - Bart Stoprya (Felician Sisters,) Kevin Chlada (King Home,) and Jose Tinoco (Lake Forest Place.)

Smoothie Contest at Central Baptist Village

 

Submitted by Therese O'Reilly
During the monthly staff meeting I called for recipes for the contest. We ended up having 3 different recipes to present to the staff and residents for voting. This event went went very well. We had resident family members surprised and excited for the chance to taste smoothies and vote. We where also able to catch many residents leaving chapel services to taste and vote on the best smoothie. Account employees also participated and thanked the deaprtment for the event. The culinary services staff who decided to participate really had fun with this event. 2 Staff members decided to team up and create a recipe and buy there own cups and umbrellas to serve with their smoothie. This was very nice to see. Of course the smoothie with the umbrella won. Included in the email is the flyer used, picture of 3 smoothie creations, winning recipe, and winning staff group.

Coconut Pineapple Mango Smoothie

Yeild: 8 (8 oz) servings

1 Pineapple

3 Mangos

1 cup Coconut Milk

1 Pint Frozen Yogurt

Blend and Serve Cold

Lieberman's Fireside Chats

 

 

Lieberman is proud to announce the opening of the Courtyard and Anixter Park. Residents at Lieberman are glad to have an outdoor space to call their own. These areas are open daily from 8am-7pm for residents, family, and staff to enjoy. Both parks have been packed with residents enjoying the bird feeders and herb garden since opening. The Morrison Management team has temporarily moved fireside chats to the park so residents can enjoy nice weather while it lasts. In addition to the hydration station set up inside, pictured is Assistant Director Mary Croxon passing out Popsicles for the residents to enjoy during the hot summer afternoons. The best part about the park is that it is located just outside the window from the Dining Services Offices giving us the chance to enjoy it as well.

Puree Program at Christian Rest Home

 

Another graduate of our Culinary Tech training program, veteran Dietary Aide Felicia Warners created Chicken Cordon Bleu; complete with layers of ham and chicken with a moist crumb crust, and vegetable rice pilaf mold. The presentation was breathtaking. 

The Culinary Tech/Puree program has been a terrific opportunity to involve employees in stepping up to the next level, developing recipes and proceedures for a taste experience previously unknown to residents on modified diets, and in skilled nursing care.

 For the Techs, it segueys the skill level into back of the house operations, bringing with them the buy-in and compassion developed from working front line with residents. This is a combination that has bought about outstanding results, both in quality of food, and employee engagement and empowerment. A win-win combination, especially for the residents!

Summer Fair at Dominican Sisters of Peace

 

Last week we held a summer fair at Dominican Sisters of Peace. The Sisters set up games for all the employees and their kids; there was also a guy making balloon animals as well as face painting. Of course there was also some fantastic fair food to be had. Chef Andy Harker did a philly cheesesteak to order station complete with sliced sirloin, onions and peppers and house made cheese sauce. Director Matt Johnston made lemon shakeups to order as well. The highlight of the evening was dietary aide Jason Clark's banana beignets for dessert. The beignets were very simple to make: we cut out 2 inch squares out of puff pastry, lightly buttered them and filled them with bananas. We then fried them right before the event and garnished them with a praline sauce and powdered sugar. They were a bit of an upgrade to the funnel cakes served in the past. Pictured are Andy and Matt's action stations.

 

Family Fun Day at Smith Village

 

 

This August, Smith Village hosted its annual Family Fun Day, where residents and their families were invited to come out for games, food, Bingo, raffles, magician shows, face painting, and more! The resident’s truly had a great time and they raved about the many food favorites, including a hot dog cart, nachos, pretzel and cheese, fresh lemonade, and snow cones. As part of family fun day, we worked with the activities department to host a gift basket raffle, where we worked with other departments to raise over $1,200 for the Emilie Fund, which is a fund that allows the residents to stay at Smith Village once they have outlived their means. We had over 300 residents and their guests come together to enjoy the beautiful day outside with their loved ones and friends. The event was enjoyed by all!

Flambéed Peaches with Ice Cream at Smith Crossing

Meet our new pastry chef, Elsa. Elsa set up an action station in the dining room one evening to showcase some of her cooking skills. Residents flocked immediately to her table before they even sat down to order dinner. They said that the wonderful aroma in the air made them curious to see what was going on.

Elsa combined butter and brown sugar in a pan until the butter was melted, then flambéed peaches with triple sec. This was served over ice cream with a delicious syrup on top. Elsa certainly kept busy, we had to find a new whole set of dessert bowls to accommodate the overwhelming demand of the residents. Great job, Elsa!

Elly's Inspirations

Don’t be afraid to stand for what you believe in, even if that means standing alone.

– Unknown

Employee Appreciation at Villa St Benedict

 

 

Showing our appreciation to our excellent front of the house staff here at Villa St. Benedict. The Resident Satisification Survey results are in and their scores were amazing! Just our little way to show our thanks. The staff definitely enjoyed the 100 grand!

Bringing Healthy Cooking to Lakesiders!

In the second year of our partnership with Lakeside Chautauqua, Wesleyan Senior Living presented an outdoor cooking demonstrations as part of their weekly Farmer’s Market.  The shoppers enjoyed our delicious samples and learned interesting facts and information about summer “Super Foods” and how they contribute to a healthy lifestyle.  Wesleyan’s dining services provider, Morrison, emphasizes the use of fresh local produce in Wesleyan Village’s cuisine.  Our Sous Chef, Josh Ives, prepares fruit Kabobs using stone fruits at the outdoor farmer’s market.

Taste of Smith Village

 

 

This summer Smith Village hosted their very own Taste of Smith Village, where residents and prospective residents came together to enjoy the many food favorites of Chicago. Featured menu items included a Chicago style hot dog bar, an Italian beef station, mini deep dish pizzas, BBQ smoked ribs, and a chef on display made to order pasta station. Each table was decorated with the traditional theme of the food items featured. The residents and their guests had a great time enjoying the many Chicago themed dishes and hope to do it again next year.

The Battle of Desserts at Christian Rest Homes

 

The Battle of the Dessert Chefs continues: Bringing comfort food to the next level, Dining Services Director Christina Bodanza put her CIA background to use and created Deconstructed Strawberry Napoleons. Using Greek Yogurt and fresh berries it was a Board dinner dessert that "Ruled" and impressed. Setting the bar higher for the rest of the staff, it also provided a great opportunity to teach and mentor in pastry skills and classical preparation. We are all looking forward to next month, when our Lead Cook Caitlyn Hastings picks up the challenge!

Indiana Masonic Home's Monthly Open House

 

For our monthly Open House we did a tex mex style menu. We stuffed a blackened chicken breast with goat cheese, then laid it on a nest of southwestern style coleslaw and finished it with a roasted corn and black bean salsa. Then marinated beef brisket in Guiness and braised off. That went in a grilled tortilla along side some radicchio and red cabbage topped with a garlic aioli and cheddar.

September 2013 Promotions

 

Monthly
All American Breakfast Month: Oodles of Breakfast Recipes
Bourbon Heritage Month: It's not just for drinks! Feature Entree Ideas
Chili Pepper Month: Information to go with your feature.
Fig Month: Health Benefits and Recipes
Wild Rice Month: Healthy AND Economical! Recipes are here
Hunger Action Month: GREAT TEAM ACTIVITIES
Childhood Obesity Month: Place information and healthy snack recipes in breakrooms for employees
Honey Month: Honey Trivia and Cartoons
Mushroom Month: Health Benefits and Info about Wild Mushrooms
Organic Harvest Month: Lunch and Learn about the difference between regular and organic
Passion Fruit Month: Info and Recipes
Peach Month: Health Benefits and Recipes
Pea Month: Health Benefits and Recipes
Radish Month: Health Benefits and Recipes

Weekly
1-7 Waffle Week: Recipes and MORE Sept "Holidays"
9-14 Line Dancing Week: Create a Western Meal and partner with Activities for Line Dancing Classes
15-21 Clean Hands Week: Health Promotion Materials

Daily
2 - Labor Day
4 - Rosh Hashannah: Learn about this Jewish Holiday and the traditional foods eaten
7 - Salami Day: Pizza, Subs and Sandwiches, oh my!
8 - Grandparents Day
10 - Swap Ideas Day: Do you remember Ideas are Free? This would be the perfect day for it...and include the residents!
11 - National Service and Remembrance Day: Great day for a team community service project!
13 - International Chocolate Day: Info and Recipes
13 - Celiac Awareness Day: Info and Ideas
13 - Peanut Day: Healthy Ideas
13 - Yom Kippur: Information to share
14 - Kreme Filled Donut Day
18 - Cheeseburger Day: Recipes and ideas for promotional features
18 - Sukkot: Information to share
22 - Ice Cream Cone Day
22 - White Chocolate Day
25 - National Women's Health and Fitness Day
26 - Johnny Appleseed Day: Info and recipe ideas
27 - Hug a Vegetarian Day: Okay, you don't have to hug one, but place a vegetarian option on the menu for this day.
29 - Coffee Day: Recipes for special coffee drinks as well as baked good with coffee!

James C King Home Hosted League of Women Voters

 

On August 6, 2013 The James C. King Home hosted the League of Women Voters with special guest U.S. House of Representative Jan Schakowsky. 60 People attended the event for the array of salads and sides including:

-Roasted Red Pepper Hummus and Pita Chips

-Grilled Chicken Spring Salad with Crumbled Feta and Mandarin Orange Segments, which paired well with the house made poppy seed dressing

-Shrimp Salad served over baby Spinach with cucumber and tomatoes

-Couscous and Raisin Salad which was dressed with a house made orange-honey vinaigrette

-Roasted Vegetables served with a balsamic glaze

-Assorted Dressing, including the house made poppy seed and house made champagne vinaigrette

-Assorted Cookies and Marshmallow Brownies

Farmer's Market at Cantata

At the end of July I joined the customer relations team from Cantata at the Riverside Farmers Market. I did a little cooking demo using various fruits and vegetables from the market. I featured each farmers name, the product I used, and the final dish on a dry erase board which was posted in front our booth. I acquired some fresh blackberries, raspberries, and peaches from Klug Orchards. With the fruit I made a dutch oven cobbler. I paired some salmon with fresh squash from Wisconsin. The third dish was a pan seared chicken breast with a tomato and peach ragu. The area residents and the vendors a like loved the food and can't wait for my next appearance.

Marketplace a colorful hit at Western Home Communities

 

 

Saturday marked the first of many marketplace/ farmers market style entities for the dining services team. It is a great opportunity for residents to enjoy farm fresh ingredients that they can make in their apartments. Colorful vegetables ranging from tomatoes and corn to beautiful fruits filled the tables at Windcove. Residents commented on how convenient it is get this produce instead of traveling down to the busy farmers market. The dining services team is looking forward to providing these products to residents to ensure the importance of not only healthy eating but buying locally as well to support the community.

The Taste of Cantata

Dining Services teamed up with the marketing department here at Cantata to put on "The Taste of Cantata".

We offered slider versions of various offerings on our menu. We had chicken cordon bleu's, reuben's, a traditional catfish po' boy. We also had a selection of homemade desserts. Our cook Lorraine used her mother's recipes for the lemon bars and chocoalte peanut butter bars. The people who attended have a great time and loved the food.

Elly's Inspirations

Now that it's all over, what did you really do yesterday that's worth mentioning?

~Coleman Cox

Chef Reserve Dinner at The Moorings

On July 25^th, The Moorings hosted their Chef Reserve Dinner.  Eight residents signed up to enjoy what Chef Silas Pinto created for them.  There were five courses, each course was paired with wine. 

1^st Course Lobster Bisque

Chunks of Cold Water Lobster Accompanied with a Champaign Lobster Shrimp Fritter Paired with Freixenet Brut Champaign 

 

2^nd Course Pan Seared Jumbo Sea Scallop

Pan Seared Jumbo Sea Scallop served on a Creamy Summer Corn, Leek, and White Asparagus Fondue Paired with Santa Cristina Pinot Grigio 2012 

 

3^rd Course Pan Seared Crispy Duck Breast

Pan Seared Crispy Duck Breast with Confit Savory Cabbage and Fresh Polenta Cake Topped with a Cherry Gastrique Paired with Graffigna MalBec  Reserve 2011 

 

4^th Course Roasted Rack of Lamb

Roasted Rack Of Lamb with Summer Vegetable Caponata and Fingerling Potatoes Topped with a Dijon Demi-Glace Paired with Napa Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

 

5^th Course Lavender Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta

Lavender Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Grand Marnier Marmalade and Assorted Berries Paired with Inniskillin Ice Wine Vidal 2007  

The residents gave Chef Silas a standing applause.  All eight residents already signed up for August 29^th Chefs Reserve Dinner.

Lobster Fest at Westminster Place

 

 

Food Rules at Westminster Place

The lobster was shipped fast, overnight delivery, fresh from Maine.

How to Prepare a Whole Lobster

Procedure:

1. Split the Lobster by driving a French knife into mouth of Lobster and cutting down the center of the Lobster being careful not to split Lobster in half. Remove the intestinal track and hard cartilage " mouth" and discard. Slide a skewer u the tail into the body cavity to keep the lobster flat. Place split, live Lobster in perforated pan and steam for:

2# Lobster - 4-5 minutes

3# Lobster- 5-7 minutes

4# Lobster 7-9 minutes

2. Once Lobster is firmed in steamer, finish the cooking process by placing under the broiler until meat is firmed and slightly caramelized. remove Lobster from broiler and brush with hotel butter over split tail.

Taste of Chicago at Central Baptist Village

For the July diversity activity the culinary services department put on a Taste of Chicago for our residents. The aides, cooks, and management staff really enjoyed this event. Many chefs, cooks, aides, and management staff each cooked something for this event. The staff and residents of CBV really appreciated this event and gave positive comments after the event.

 

 

 

Indiana Masonic Home Ice Cream Social

 

 

At our open house we had an ice cream social where we featured six different elaborate items which were; papaya-mango smoothie with a grand Marnier infused whip cream, key lime ice cream with a blackberry glaze, banana foster style empanada with vanilla ice cream and a blueberry sauce, peach ice cream in a fresh peach bowl with a raspberry sauce, espresso ice cream surrounding in a champagne-strawberry soup, and last a Oreo crusted Butterfinger and mint ice cream with a chocolate glaze.

 

Episcopal Church Home Expands the "Green"

 

 

It is year 3 of the Garden at ECH. This year we expanded the garden ten-fold in order to have enough of our fresh vegetables to actually make a difference with our budget and to reach all of our residents. Greg Johnson and Mary Schushaskie, Managers at ECH, continued the herb garden this year and added a large garden for bulk vegetables like tomatoes, zucchini and squash. Some residents are asking for the fresh tomatoes on a daily basis!

 

Western Nights at AM McGregor

During the month of July, the team at McGregor did a number of activities.  We participated in the Chicago Food Festival at our retail cafe, featuring various "Chicago Dogs".  The staff appreciated them.

One of our diversity / inclusion activities was the sentence game, in which two teams made (tried to make) complete sentences using one word for each team member at a time.  The staff had fun with it, and learned to work together.

We also are doing every Tuesday in July a John Wayne tribute.  It starts at 2PM with a John Wayne movie with snacks (movie candy!), and then each dinner meal is a "Western Night" featuring various camp fire faire such as chili & cornbread, beans & weenies with a cornbread crust, smore pie, bison burgers, and corndogs.  The residents have a good time, and the staff enjoyed dressing the part.

Central Baptist Village Leads By Example

Leading by example is something we put into practice regularly here at Central Baptist Village. It is a great way to show our staff that we enjoy what we do and are willing to teach others what we know. Boosting the moral of our staff is essential in creating a caring environment with the residents and employees. We stay away from that “Do as I say and not as I do” mentality. Rather we challenge our staff to communicate their ideas so we can enhance the lives of our residents. Conducting our daily show time meetings is also a great way for them to communicate their struggles to management so proper training can be implemented.

Chef Tasting at King Home

 

 

 

Chef Kevin Chlada's Chef Tasting at James C. King Home, Evanston, Illinois

Featured items included: Fresh breads from Scratch including French loaves, rosemary focaccia, and tomato basil focaccia. Served with whipped honey butter and whipped rosemary garlic butter. Tossed Salad served with house-made dressings: Garlic Balsamic Vinaigrette and Champagne Vinaigrette.

10 Residents attended and everyone enjoyed the mid-week treat!

July Birthday Dinner at Smith Crossing

 

 

This dessert was for our July birthday dinner. The "Dessert Trio" consisted of chocolate soufflé with chocolate mint leaves, banana wonton with pecan brittle crumbles, and homemade cherry donut. The residents really loved the special birthday dessert.

Elly's Inspirations

A Diversity Moment at Felician Sisters Motherhouse

 

We here at the Felician Sister Motherhouse in Livonia Michigan experienced a very personal diversity moment. Recently our Director/Executive Chef received 3rd degree burns on his legs and was reduced to only standing/walking for 4 hours per day. As a result the Sister's allowed him to borrow one of the motorized scooters to travel up and down the halls. It was a very brief look into the lives of most of the Sisters. Not only seeing things from the level that they view most activities but also learning to operate the chair properly. "I can understand better a lot of their frustration, losing your mobility (even temporarily) is very difficult. Having to rely on others help for your daily activities takes a lot of patience, mostly with yourself" It was a very humbling learning experience.

Grillin' Out at Bay County Medical Care Facility

 

Cookouts in the pavilion have been held for each unit this month. Menu items included juicy burgers hot off the grill, baked beans, potato salad and lemonade. Resident's finished off the meal with the option of two different punch bowl desserts. Nothing beats grilling in the summertime.

 

 

Our New Diversity Ambassador at Christian Rest Home

 

Continuing with our theme of employee empowerment, The Morrison Management Team at Christian Rest Home has fully engaged cook Joy Collins with creating and serving ethnic buffets to our Independent Residents.  This month it was a Mexican feast, with hard and soft tacos, tamales, and Sugar Rimmed "Margaritas".  This was a great opportunity for Joy to get on board with some of the goals of the team, and take ownership of her very own enterprise.  The response from the residents was ecstatic, and from our Client as well.  And Joy, well, the look on her face says it all!  Next month she is already planning an Italian feast, and the residents are excited about it as well.  Great job, Joy!