Jewish Home Assisted Living Means Gourmet Meals

As anyone who has had dealings with an assisted living facility knows, one of the most important components is... FOOD! The Jewish Home Assisted Living in River Vale combines gourmet style food with an elegant dining experience. Menus may include a tasty tilapia, a delicious whitefish salad, or an authentic Yankee pot roast. Any item that appeals to a resident will soon appear on the menu because Jean Duroseau, Director of Food Services, wants to make sure that the residents are happy. He knows that mealtimes are the highlight of the day for them. “They look forward to coming to the dining room to eat and socialize three times a day.”

After meals, Jean strolls around the spacious and beautifully decorated dining room to see how the residents have enjoyed their meal. “Getting a positive response makes me want to do more tomorrow,” he added.

If a resident wants a dish that’s unfamiliar to Jean, he asks if they have a recipe. If they brought one from home, he makes the dish and puts it on the menu with their name on it. One resident shared a collection of recipes with Jean that was published by her synagogue in Closter. “She knows exactly who the recipe comes from when I use one from the cookbook,” he said. “I don’t run the kitchen as an institutional kitchen. I put my heart and soul into it so that everyone gets what they want.”

Good meals come from good ingredients, says Duroseau. “We use higher quality meats and fresh fish... not frozen, and excellent produce.” As this indicates, careful shopping is an important part of the job. Jean will order fresh fish from a market in the morning and it will be delivered later that day in time for dinner.

Duroseau is an experienced chef who is well versed in French, Italian, Continental, and Glatt Kosher cuisine. He launched his career as an executive chef in resort hotels in Haiti and St. Maartin, but since 1989 he’s been involved with food preparation in assisted living facilities. Asked how he became an expert Glatt Kosher cook, he said he reads a lot of books on the subject and does research online.

To learn more about the JHAL or to taste test for yourself, call 201-666-2370. You can also log onto our website at www.jhalnj.org - go to our “Try our Recipe” page, and see our residents’ favorite dish of the season.

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