Lima Estates Culinary Team Wins Battle for Best 'Iron Chef' Competition, Moves on to Finals

A team of five culinary professionals from Lima Estates/ACTS Retirement-Life Community in Media recently won The Battle for Best Pennsylvania Regional culinary competition to benefit The Samaritan Fund for seniors in need. Led by Chef Patrick Kenney, Jonathan Slosser, Nancy Hare, Sean Hennessey and Ian T. Sammons will move on to the grand finale to be held Sept. 25.  

Lima Estates was challenged by Spring House Estates and Brittany Pointe Estates in  head-to-head competition in front of live cameras and three Philadelphia celebrity judges Executive Chef and Owner Patrice Rames - Bistro St Tropez, Executive Chef Royer Smith - LaSalle University and Alan Gross - Culinary Arts Instructor, The Art Institute of Philadelphia who scrutinized the flavor, taste, texture, creativity, ingredient compatibility and presentation. Pans were flying, sauces bubbling and chef hats hopping during the timed competition.

Each team prepared a three-course meal in front of an audience of 120 seniors, who are known to be tough critics when it comes to food. The seniors sampled each creation and voted electronically for their favorite. To add a little spice to the event, inspired by the Iron Chef reality show, a secret ingredient was added (chocolate). The benefit took place at Southampton Estates in Southampton and has raised more than $7,000 for the ACTS Samaritan Fund since the contest began in Florida.

The level of chef expertise and menu selection found at today’s senior living communities such as ACTS  is on the order of gracious, fine dining – yet there is plenty of home-style comfort food. Residents surveyed at ACTS Retirement-Life Communities, whose life care plan includes a four-course dinner from a choice of six to eight entrees each night, indicate a significant health benefit can be attributed to the culinary program. For more information about Lima Estates visit www.ACTSretirement.org

Here are Lima's Award Winning Recipes:

Stuffed Mini Peppers Catalan Style  - Appetizer

6 mini bell peppers

1 pound ground pork

1 ounce ground pork fat

½ ounce raisins

½ ounce green olives

½ ounce onions

Pinch smoked paprika

½ ounce pumpkin seeds

½ ounce parmesan

Pinch Cocoa (optional)

Pinch cloves

Cut opening in peppers and blanch in salted water till tender. Set aside. Saute onions in pork fat, add smoked paprika to bloom. Add pork and cook till white. Add all other ingredients except parmesan. Adjust texture and seasonings. Bind with parmesan to make a pliable mixture. Stuff inside peppers. Grill cooked peppers on grill pan to mark and finish in oven. Hold till service.

Sauce:

2 pints grape tomatoes

½ green pepper

½ red pepper

½ onion

Chicken stock

2 ounce semi sweet chocolate

Sauté veg pieces and finish by roasting on oven. Puree when soft. Add chocolate to puree mixture at last minute. Adjust seasonings

Micro cilantro to garnish

Hulled pumpkin seeds for garnish

Avocado cream garnish

Heat heavy cream and puree with avocado to make a light green color.

Reserve 1-2 avocado halves for plate garnish.

Lay out 2 stuffed peppers with avocado garnish, chocolate sauce, avocado cream sauce for contrast, micro cilantro and hulled pumpkin seeds.

Flank Steak with Chocolate BBQ sauce and frizzled cocoa Vidalia onions, grilled sweet corn flat bread and crunchy cilantro slaw  -- Entree

12 ounce flank steak cut into 3 portions

Cumin

Cocoa

Cinnamon

Smoked Salt

Rub beef with seasonings and set aside

BBQ sauce

2 cups sherry vinegar

1 cup ketchup

1/2 cup molasses

Pinch cumin

Sugar to taste

Semi sweet chocolate to taste

Crunchy cilantro slaw

1 head Napa cabbage sliced for slaw

Salt

1 ounce Sherry vinegar

Sugar to taste

1 bunch cilantro

1 scallion sliced

½ ounce sesame oil

2 ounces vegetable oil

½ red bell pepper sliced

Combine all reserve chilled

Sweet Corn Flatbread

2 T yeast

Warm water

3 cups flour

Salt

2 cups frozen corn, thawed

Puree frozen corn

In a bowl combine warm water, yeast and flour and mix till a workable dough is achieved. Knead for a couple of minutes and form shapes, allow to proof, cook on a hot grill pan.

Final presentation

Cook beef to mid rare in grill pan, allow to rest, add sauce, spring mix, flat bread and slaw.

Chocolate torte with banana jam and caramel cream sauce - Dessert

Torte: 4 ounce chocolate

4 ounce butter

¾ cups white sugar(10x)

½ cups cocoa powder

3 eggs

Vanilla extract

1-2 bananas roasted and pureed

Melt chocolate and butter together

Add other ingredients and beat

Pour into molds and cook till done

Banana jam: 3-4 bananas roasted pureed

Vanilla

10 x sugar to taste

Caramel Cream:

Sugar

Heavy cream

Strawberry garnish, banana jam garnish, whipped cream on top, strawberry somewhere, maybe chocolate covered fingerling banana.

Bon Appetit!