01 Dec Park Springs Adds Food Network Chef To Dining Staff
Food Network Chef Idris M
uhammad of Cut Throat Kitchen and Beat Bobby Flay Fame Joins Park Springs Food and Beverage Team as Cobblestone Homemaker
ATLANTA, December 1, 2020 – Park Springs has added renowned chef Idris Muhammad to the Stone Mountain, Georgia-based life plan community’s food and beverage staff. Muhammad is well known for his appearances in Food Network’s Cut Throat Kitchen and Beat Bobby Flay, with several additional appearances scheduled for upcoming Food Network seasons. At Park Springs, Muhammad will be starring as a homemaker at Cobblestone, the assisted living community within Park Springs, where he will be putting his skills to work serving healthy menu items featuring seasonal cuisine and fresh ingredients in the River Household, a mentally stimulating environment for people with mild cognitive impairments.
Park Springs, practices the household model of relationship-based care in the community’s assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing households. Each household is designed as 18 private bedroom suites, a kitchen and dining room run by a personal chef or homemaker, living room, den and outdoor courtyard. The emphasis is on caring for the whole person, not just clinical care, therefore dining plays an integral role. At Cobblestone, a Mediterranean diet is central to the daily menu due to its properties that can help delay the onset of memory loss. However, member favorites are also part of the regular rotation, often with members sharing their own family recipes with the homemakers.
“Idris brings enthusiasm and excitement to our River Household,” stated Jeff Helms, executive director at Park Springs. “With his extensive culinary background, he is able to create dishes that are both delicious and nutritious while encouraging our members to expand their palates. Dining at Park Springs is just as much about the experience as the nourishment, and we are thrilled to have Idris share his expertise with our members.”
Growing up in Europe and traveling globally with parents who were both famous musicians, Muhammad sought an artistic profession that built on his love of foods from throughout the world. Muhammad’s professional experience started as a personal chef to Sean “P Diddy” Combs and Jennifer Lopez prior to becoming sous chef in P Diddy’s famous New York restaurant, Justin’s. He has also served as executive chef in business clubs and retail establishments, where he honed his skills and served famous diners including business leaders, politicians, and even President Barack Obama. He has a bachelor’s degree in culinary science from The Culinary Institute of America and spent years in Europe studying different cooking styles and perfecting his pastry skills.
“I have already learned so much from the members about their personal dining preferences,” said Muhammad. “One day, I made strawberry shortcake and one member shared that her mother used to make that for her when she was young. Another day, I served a Mediterranean lasagna and a member shared that his wife’s lasagna was his favorite dish. Knowing our members on this personal level helps me to create menus that are both comforting and nutritious. I can make their favorites, while adding a new healthy spin to the recipe, encouraging wellness.”
Muhammad’s chef skills and television experience also highlight his penchant for plating. A key element in creating pleasing dining experiences, plating is also a strategy for improving the appetites among Park Springs members as proper placement of food and the use of specific colors in dinnerware can entice those suffering with even mild memory loss to eat more and better enjoy their meal.
“As homemaker at River Household, I am able to combine all of my skills – European fine dining, comforting soul food, healthy ayurvedic menus and beautiful plating – into one role that serves our senior population and improves wellness, making this my most fulfilling role as a chef,” Muhammad concluded.
About Park SpringsPark Springs is an award-winning resort-style life plan community offering best-in-class independent living, assisted living, memory care and Medicare-certified skilled nursing on a beautiful 61-acre campus in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Park Springs Memory Care practices the Butterfly Home model of care, providing feelings-focused, emotion-based care to support those suffering with Alzheimer’s and dementia. For more information, visit https://www.parksprings.com/.
Park Springs is in Phase Two of their response to the novel coronavirus, which includes precautions such as testing and screening all staff, limiting and intensely screening visitors, continuing to provide meal delivery services, doubling-up on existing infection control protocols, practicing social distancing and use of personal protective equipment. Services which had previously been temporarily suspended, such as dining room service and in-person programming have been reintroduced with social distancing and heightened safety protocols.
About Isakson LivingAtlanta-based Isakson Living creates communities that focus on active, independent lifestyles, better health and more control for the members of its communities. At Isakson Living communities, comprehensive healthcare services are linked with wellness programs and health-supporting environments, including Medicare-certified physicians trained in geriatric medicine who can serve as the members’ primary care physician, assisted living, memory care, short and long-term skilled nursing care, physical therapy and home care services. For more information, visit https://www.isaksonliving.com/.