Chefs Of Local Senior Living Communities Compete For Ultimate Chef America Title; Event Educates Public On Healthy Dining And Aging

DENVER, April 23 /PRNewswire/ -- A dynamic culinary competition among area professional senior living chefs highlights healthy cooking, wellness and quality of life for older adults.  During the culinary cook-off, the culinary professionals from Brookdale Senior Living, industry-leading owners and operators of senior living communities, will entertain and showcase their culinary talents to compete for the chance to win the " Ultimate Chef America" title.

On Thursday, May 20 from 4 to 7 p.m., Heritage Club Mountain View, a Brookdale Senior Living community, located at 8101 E. Mississippi Ave. in Denver, will open its doors to the public and host the intense competition and educational event. Seating is limited. Reservations by Tuesday, May 18 to 303-337-3400 are required.

During the Ultimate Chef America competition, two teams of four Dining Services staff members from area senior living communities will compete during a two-hour cooking competition focusing on healthy cooking for seniors. They will be charged with preparing four courses, and only able to use a grill for cooking.

Dishes prepared at the event will be tasted by a panel of judges. For this event, the judges are:

• 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."
• Kirk Montgomery, entertainment reporter and anchor for Denver's Channel 9 News.
• Warren Byrne, host of KEZW-AM's The Restaurant Show. Byrne has hosted the Restaurant Show in Denver since 1978.
• Dr. Kevin W. O'Neil, MD, FACP of Internal Medicine and Geriatrics and Medical Director of Optimum Life® for Brookdale Senior Living.
• Lee Shultz of Heritage Club Aurora, a Brookdale Senior Living assisted living and Alzheimer's care community. Shultz worked in the bakery during his service in the Navy, where the team of six men would bake about 7,000 pastries a day. He and his wife owned "The Sweet Shop" in Doyle's Town, Ohio.

Attendees can join in the Ultimate Chef America event by gaining a close-up look at the competitors and the fast-paced competition. They will have the opportunity to ask the chefs questions, and taste culinary delights, including seafood soups and entrees, beef and pork tenderloin creations and more.