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A Chef in the Kitchen
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In September, LifeCare welcomed certified
executive chef Robert DeSantis for a
three-week visit. During that time, he
helped Carletta Rhen-Mlodzik, a registered
dietitian and Director of Food and Nutrition
Services at LifeCare, formulate a plan for
implementing a full-time chef program.
As a result, LifeCare hired Wanda Thompson
as its first in-house chef. Under her new
title, Thompson is responsible for leading
the kitchen’s food preparation team and
planning the week’s worth of healthy meals
for LifeCare’s staff, hospital patients, and
nursing home residents.
Now living in Arizona, DeSantis - also
called Chef Bob by the kitchen Staff -
continues to assist LifeCare’s dining
services as a professional food broker,
providing sources for ingredients to
Thompson’s continually expanding menu.
Recently, HealthMatters caught up with these
two food lovers to discuss the concept of
having a chef in the kitchen at LifeCare and
the importance of having a passion for food. |
Below are excerpts from those conversations:
Q:
HM: Chef Bob, you clearly have a gift when
it comes to working with food. Your
performance at the Partners for Health event
speaks for itself. But just to clarify, what
does it mean to be classified as a certified
executive chef?
A:
CB: A Certified Executive Chef, or CEC, is a
chef who has specialized training and
experience and has passed a written exam
through the American Culinary Association..
Q:
HM: Wanda, one of the unique quality of a
chef is having a sensitive palette. How does
this effect a chef’s performance?
A:
WT: Putting foods together is more than
mixing ingredients together. Food needs to
taste as good as it looks. Food is first
visual, and then it needs to satisfy the
palette..
Q:HM:
Congratulations to you both in preparing the
banquet for LifeCare’s Partners for Health
event. Tell us about preparing the five
course meal for the 175 people attending
that event.
A:
CB: This was a community effort. It could
never have happened without the support of
many individuals in the community working
together.
Q:
HM: Wanda, what are some of
the interesting new recipes and procedures
you were able to work on with Chef Bob.
A:
WT: I enjoyed learning to use new pieces of
equipment as well as spices to enhance the
flavor of foods rather then just adding
salt. We worked with Quinoa, a complete
protein whole grain. We made a wonderful
Carrot Sweet Potato Bisque using locally
grown carrots. We did an old fashioned
Parsnip Potato Mash. It was great to use
products from the raw fresh state. .
HM: Well, it is certainly interesting to
know so much goes into the meals provided at
LifeCare. We look forward to more surprises
and trying your tasty recipes at the
hospital cafeteria!
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