Senior Living Company Seeks To Crown The Ultimate Chef Of America

A series of dynamic culinary competitions among the professional chefs of Brookdale Senior Living, one of the largest owners and operators of senior living communities, highlights healthy cooking and wellness for older adults. The Ultimate Chef America tour kicked off in the Phoenix area recently, and has five more stops in cities across the United States this year.

During the culinary cook-offs, chefs compete for the chance to win the "Ultimate Chef America" title, and all attendees achieve fulfillment in the dimensions of wellness.

A way of life offered exclusively by Brookdale Senior Living at its communities for residents and associates, Optimum Life focuses on six key dimensions - emotional, intellectual, physical, social, spiritual and purposeful.

"Ultimate Chef America truly encompasses Optimum Life, both for participants and for attendees," said Sara Terry, vice president of Optimum Life for Brookdale Senior Living. "The feedback from all thus far has been very positive; this event is showcasing healthy cooking and our residents and associates living live to the fullest."

The Dining Services professionals of Brookdale Senior Living will entertain and showcase talent during the competitions. Well-known and award-winning, Brookdale's Dining Services delivers distinctive, memorable dining experiences in all of its communities.

During each Ultimate Chef event, two teams of four Dining Services staff members compete during a two-hour cooking competition focusing on healthy cooking for seniors.

"The creativity, ability, and talent of our Dining Services associates is showcased during these unique competitions," said Joska J. W. Hajdu, senior vice president of dining services for Brookdale Senior Living, and also an Executive Chef by trade. "Our chefs are masters at creating traditional, heart-healthy meals, and these competitions will stretch their creative talents further than ever."

The educational dimension is highlighted in several avenues. Attendees to Ultimate Chef America are able to join in the event by gaining a close-up look at the competitors and the fast-paced competition. In addition, Brookdale has partnered with several national sponsors to be included in a vendor expo. Attendees are able to participate in various educational programs, including a seminar featuring Brookdale's Medical Director, Dr. Kevin O'Neil, on the topic of "Food for the Soul," a wine program, "The Brookdale Wine Club," and a class about using fresh herbs and seasonings, "The Art of Seasoning."

The events also feature a gourmet food tasting where participants receive a taste sampling of the recipes prepared in the competition. Community tours will also be available.

The purposeful aspect of Ultimate Chef America is featured throughout, but shines through the most through the auction. Food inspired art created by residents of Brookdale Senior Living communities across the nation will be auctioned off at the Ultimate Chef America events. Proceeds of this auction will go to the Leeza Gibbons Memory Foundation, an organization which elevates the national consciousness of caregiving and fosters a culture of healthy caregivers impacted by chronic illness through programming, universal access to resources, and behavioral research.

National sponsors include Vitality, owned by Nestle and a supplier of juice concentrates and noncarbonated drinks; Advanced Food, a manufacturer of proportioned meats; SCA, which offers personal care products, tissue, packaging, publication papers and solid-wood products in more than 90 countries; Fidelity Printing, a full service and custom print company that has been providing quality customer care since 1999; Royal Cup Coffee, known for