Riverview #ViewCrew cooks place first in culinary competition

        The Ottawa County Riverview Healthcare Campus #ViewCrew cooks were recently awarded first place in the Ohio Healthcare Association (OHCA) Mystery Box Culinary Competition. Gordon Food Services and Sandridge co-sponsored the event.
        The team of three consisted of cooks Sarah Wagner (20 years of service), Lisa Woods (23 years of service) and Margie Zunk (18 years of service), who put their culinary skills to the test in a friendly competition with 25 other facilities in the state of Ohio.
        “The competition wanted to put the team’s culinary skills and creativity to the test and Riverview’s cooks rose to the challenge,” said Kendra M. German, administrator, Ottawa County Riverview Healthcare Campus.
        “A mystery box of ingredients was delivered to our facility. Our #ViewCrew Cooks took the different ingredients and found creative dishes to serve using 14 of the 15 ingredients sent,” German said. “After sharing the meal with our residents, the team presented their dishes virtually to the competition’s judges.”
        The menu consisted of:
        • Baked salmon with sautéed spinach and butternut squash puree.              
        • Wheat pita with chicken and kale country crunch mix with pine berry dressing.
        • Sweet potato quinoa cakes and yogurt dipping sauce.
        • Cranberry orange layered Jell-O salad.
        During the Facebook live announcement of the winners, judges asked the #ViewCrew Cooks about their cranberry orange layered Jell-O salad.
          “We wanted to do a different salad this year instead of a typical tossed salad, so we decided to go with a Jell-O salad because our residents like Jell-O salads a lot,” Woods replied.
        Riverview Food and Nutrition Director Jane Wolf stated, “I am impressed by these ladies for the enthusiasm and work they put in every day and especially this contest. They were creative and worked together, bouncing ideas off one another and creating dishes to really be proud of. The heart they have for what they do really shows through what they create every day. When they can go up against other senior living facilities that have chefs with formal training it is quite an accomplishment, and I am so proud and they should be too.”
        In addition to the trio of cooks, German thanked Jane Wolf, Food and Nutrition Director and Megan Knecht, Food and Nutrition Manager, for their presentation, technical support and encouragement.
        In honor of winning the competition, the Riverview Healthcare Campus Food and Nutrition Department will receive a $250 Amazon gift card, Gordon Food Services and Sandridge “swag,” ingredients for a celebratory dinner, Butcher Box Steaks, and free admission to the Ohio Healthcare Association Annual Conference.
        Those interested in joining Riverview’s Food and Nutrition Department may contact human resources at 419-898-2851, ext. 4027, visit riverviewhealthcare.com, or email rpfeiffer@co.ottawa.oh.us.
        Riverview offers traditional long-term care, memory care, short-term rehab stays, senior living options and inpatient and outpatient therapy. For more information on Riverview services, call Cara Densic, RN, case manager, at 419-898-2851, ext. 4041.