Glorious food
Senior living communities are stirring things up
Televised
cooking shows offer the perfect blend of ingredients to capture our attention, our hearts, and ultimately our stomachs. So their immense popularity is not a surprise. Options for viewing programming are increasing exponentially via network TV, streaming, YouTube, and cable, with some channels devoted entirely to culinary arts.
Eager to satisfy the palate for their own current and future residents, senior living communities have hopped on the craze as they offer their own forms of food demonstrations, showcasing their increasingly sophisticated fine dining.
FORKK teaching kitchen
Executive Chef Adam Shimer has a more moderate but every bit as loyal following as any celebrity chef. At Friendship Village senior living in Schaumburg, Shimer is the much beloved and trending chef who shows off his skill, knowledge, and charisma at FORKK, the community’s state-of-the-art cooking kitchen.
FORKK offers cooking demonstrations hosted by Shimer, who is accompanied by a dietician. “Adam teaches how to prepare the different items, and a dietician offers an informational component, talking about healthy options,” says Joanna Chan, dining services director.
Before COVID, in-person classes were offered regularly to residents as well as to marketing prospects. Shimer says he particularly enjoys this as “there’s a deep connection between people and food. It brings people together. And I like the interaction with the residents and prospects. There are lots of memories created while cooking and reengaging with ingredients, and I enjoy listening to the attendees reminisce.”
Additionally, the in-person demonstrations enable opportunities to ask the dietician questions. “That educational piece is important,” says Chan.
In order to reach a larger audience, the cooking demos at FORKK are shared with residents throughout Friendship
Village on the in-house television station. This became especially important during COVID-19, when in-person programming has been limited. Shimer has continued to demonstrate and plan future programs for items featuring nutritional foods like overnight oats, treasured family recipes such as banana bread, and more. He says he’s likely to showcase fresh produce recipes during spring and summer, including asparagus, peas, and morel mushrooms.
Culinary demos
Lexington Square Elmhurst has launched an in-person program on-site for its residents. The Chef’s Table, which is led monthly by Chef Alan Bloom, includes not only a demonstration but also the opportunity for residents to follow and participate right along.
The first Chef’s Table featured Bloom creating a puff pastry with chicken, apples and brie cheese, with an egg wash. “The residents had plates with all the ingredients, which they assembled along with me. We all chatted while the items baked,” says Bloom. “It was extremely popular.
More than three dozen people participated. They love to do this type of thing.”
Residents of Lexington Square Lombard and Elmhurst senior living communities are further experiencing an exceptional culinary delight — seasonal food preparation demos. Launched during the winter holidays, it was so well received that the experience will be replicated seasonally and will be also be utilized as a marketing initiative.
Showcasing the retirement communities’ partnership with HHS Hospitality Services, Lexington’s seasonal food demo was comparable to popular shows on the Food Network. The inaugural event was a three-course meal featuring butternut squash soup with herb oil, roasted rack of lamb, glazed carrots and Brussels sprouts, and red-wine poached pear. While mouthwatering to watch, the event was better still, as the same delectable fare prepared on camera had been delivered to the residents’ apartments ahead of time. Thus, they had the opportunity to enjoy viewing and dining simultaneously.
“We are proud of how our partnership is the main ingredient in our fine dining services. Our communities’ restaurants consistently offer choices of dishes, including roasted prime rib, baked tilapia, chicken cordon bleu, as well as comfort foods including hamburgers, pizza, mac and cheese and more,” says Dan Harrington, vice president of senior living. “We try hard to present our residents with special treats and extra attention whenever we’re able. This exciting event not only engages them but also feeds them.”
The dinner and the presentation earned rave reviews. “Great dining is so important in senior living. We look forward to showing off what we have to offer over the coming year,” says Harrington. “Spring and summer demos are likely to include lighter fare, a lot of farm-to-table produce, and a foray into some special ethnic and heritage cuisines. Our dinners will be creative and delicious. Our residents are very excited.”