Chef Cookoff was held March 25th for Optimum Life

DALLAS, April 5, 2010 - A culinary competition of professional chefs was the focal point of an Optimum Life event at a senior living community in Dallas. Ultimate Chef America was held on March 25, 2010.

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

Town Village North Dallas , a Brookdale Senior Living independent living community hosted the intense competition that involved culinary professionals from nine local senior living communities. Altogether, about 600 guests attended, including residents of Brookdale Senior Living communities in the area.

During the event, the culinary professionals from Brookdale Senior Living, industry-leading owners and operators of senior living communities, had two hours to produce four courses with the theme of healthy cooking. Two teams of four chefs participated.

Leeza Gibbons, guest judge, talks with Brookdale chefs about their heart-healthy creations during the Ultimate Chef America competition.

“The Ultimate Chef America event in Dallas was very successful,” said Joska J.W. Hajdu, Senior Vice President of Dining Services for Brookdale Senior Living. “The culinary competition entertained, educated and showcased the culinary talents of our Dining Services professionals. Healthy cooking for seniors was truly taken a new level.”

Attendees gained a close-up look at the competitors and the fast-paced competition. They watched the action, and were able to interact with the chefs to ask questions, gain new ideas and learn more about healthy cooking.

Several national partners and sponsors were highlighted in a vendor expo, where attendees could learn more about these companies, ask questions, and receive samples/information.

Educational programs were offered as well, including a seminar featuring Brookdale’s Medical Director, Dr. Kevin O’Neil, on the topic of “Food for the Soul,” a wine tasting class, and a class presented by the Culinary Arts Institute at Brookdale: The Art of Seasoning which addressed diminishing taste buds brought on by aging.

Celebrity judges included:

· Leeza Gibbons, media personality, founder of The Leeza Gibbons Memory Foundation, and author of America's No. 1 book on caregiving, “Take Your Oxygen First.”

· Bronwen Weber, a pastry chef and renowned cake decorator. In her 20-year career she has worked at a variety of bakeries and won numerous awards, and is a frequent competitor on Food Network Challenge cake decorating competition.

· Kellie Rasberry, a member of the Kidd Kraddick in the Morning radio show, and self-proclaimed foodie.

· Lyle Oelfke, resident of Town Village Ridgmar, a Brookdale Senior Living community. A deer hunter for 45 years and a professional chef for 10 years, Oelfke is the author of a cookbook of 100 deer meat recipes.

· Kevin W. O’Neil, MD, FACP, CMD, FACP of Internal Medicine and Geriatrics and Medical Director of Optimum Life® for Brookdale Senior Living

The judges tasted the four courses prepared by the teams, with the following results:

· Team One consisted of Don Bosch, director of Dining Services for Broadway Plaza Pecan Park; William Anchondo, director of Dining Services for Town Village North Dallas; John Tolbert, executive chef for Chambrel Club Hill; Brett Herman, director of Dining Services for Summit Lakeway; and Biljana Djumic, cook at Town Village Ridgmar. The team prepared a seafood duo with red pepper coulis, grilled lamb chops with orange berry sauce, Pan Asian whipped potato duo, Asian vegetable toss, and a fruit napoleon. They won Best Taste and Best Creativity.

· Team Two consisted of Philip Doel, director of Dining Services for Broadway Plaza Cityview; Greg Davis, director of Dining Services for Summit Westlake Hills; Ramiro Rabadan, chef at Patriot Heights; Robert Kelley, dining services manager for Sterling House Bartlesville South; and Juan Estreda, executive chef for Town Village Ridgmar. The team prepared Aegean grilled scallops with vegetables, red pepper sauce, and a balsamic reduction; stuffed salmon rustica with pinot grigio wine reduction sauce; dilled pasta with black pepper, low fat goat cheese; grilled calabasa squash with radicchio and sun dried tomatoes; and a duet of fresh berries, low fat lemon yogurt sauce, expresso chocolate foam and raspberry sauce. They won Best Presentation.

“Participating in Brookdale’s Ultimate Chef America competition allowed me to show that not all retirement-living communities are the same,” said John Tolbert, executive chef for Chambrel Club Hill in Garland, Texas. “This competition also allowed me to show everyone that low fat, low sodium and healthy cooking doesn't have to be boring and tasteless. This event highlighted the unique ways to bring flavor to healthy cooking.”

In addition, art created by residents of Brookdale Senior Living communities across the nation was auctioned at the Ultimate Chef America event. Proceeds of this auction, which totaled more than $4,800, went 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 Nestle Vitality, Nestle Professional, Ecolab, Royal Cup Coffee, Fidelity Printing, Tena, Advance Food Company, Entegra, Tyson Food Service and Walgreens.

More information about Ultimate Chef America can be found at http://www.ultimatechefamerica.com and http://www.facebook.com/ultimatechefbrookdale

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Brookdale Senior Living Inc. is the leading owner and operator of senior living communities throughout the United States. The company owns and operates independent living, assisted living, dementia care, skilled nursing and continuing care retirement centers. In all, Brookdale operates 565 communities in 36 states with a capacity to serve approximately 53,600 residents, as well as operating a dedicated rehabilitation and therapy group serving its communities and residents nationwide. Brookdale is committed to providing exceptional living experiences within properties that are purpose-built, designed and operated to help residents live well while achieving an Optimum Life®. Brookdale Senior Living communities provide a daily experience of programs, services and care that are unique as a result of the collective talents and inspiration of the residents, their families, and its associates – demonstrating Brookdale’s promise of “Our People Make the Difference.” Brookdale is a publicly-traded company (NYSE: BKD). For more information, visit http://www.brookdaleliving.com