Residents and staff members of Eskaton Village Carmichael, a continuing care retirement community in Carmichael, CA, recently got crafty in the kitchen with celebrity chef Jet Tila. The eagerly awaited event took place Aug. 26.
“I’ve traveled all over the country, and I actually have the most fun at senior living communities,” Tila said in a news release. “It’s a lot of fun to be able to draw upon their knowledge and history during these visits.”
Tila spent the day performing a cooking demonstration in Eskaton Village’s auditorium. Then events moved to the dining room, where he signed copies of his book, 101 Asian Dishes You Need to Cook Before You Die, and spoke with residents and staff members.
In the afternoon, Tila took over the kitchen alongside the community’s culinary team and did another cooking demonstration and book-signing.
The food options were eclectic — and a hit with residents. Teriyaki chicken, California fried rice, Thai iced tea and lo mein in oyster sauce were some of the meal highlights of the day, some of Tila’s staple dishes.
“Food just brings people together, especially in a senior living community,” said Dan Urban, regional director of operations for Morrison Living , culinary partner of Eskaton. “For some residents, a lot of their social interaction happens at meal times, so we want to make everything vibrant, healthy and fun.”
One of the community’s goals is to provide residents with fresh, creative cuisine to satisfy their culinary palates as well as meet their nutritional needs.
“This is what Eskaton is all about, innovating the aging process,” said Brandon Meadows, executive chef at Eskaton Village Carmichael. “Rather than just having your typical dining experience, you have a new chef showing you different tastes, different looks of the world, and I really think it speaks to what we do here at Eskaton.”
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