The Parkway Senior Living Culinary Department to Honor Asian American Pacific Islander Month

May is Asian American Pacific Islander month, or AAPI for short, a time to celebrate the Asian and Pacific Islanders in the United States and their contributions to the history of this country. By recognizing the culture, history, and achievements of Asian American and Pacific Islanders, we can broaden the understanding of their countries and cultures, as well as enhance the appreciation for all that they have given to make this country great.

As is the case with many commemorative months, AAPI originated with Congress. In 1978, Congress passed, and President Jimmy Carter signed into law, a joint resolution declaring a week in May as “Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week.” This was later expanded to a month, and in 1992, May was designated as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month.

At The Parkway Senior Living Blue Springs, MO, we will be celebrating by honoring the countries of India, Korea, Mongolia, and Samoa, the state of Hawaii, and territory of Easter Island.

The dishes I’m making are butter chicken with rice and roasted squash from India, grilled mahi mahi with tropical salsa, mashed sweet potatoes and roasted squash from Easter Island, Korean beef stir fry, and Mongolian Chicken. I plan to fix Hawaiian and Samoa themed foods for happy hour.

I chose butter chicken because I used to cook a lot of Indian food when I worked at USC. Mahi mahi is a favorite with our residents, so to change it up I added sweet potato mash and tropical salsa. Korean beef was a choice because my friend’s wife would make it for us, and I always loved it. Mongolian chicken was chosen because I felt Mongolia should be represented.

As a culinary director, I feel we should celebrate Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month because so many wonderful dishes come from these places, and they deserve to be recognized. This was a lot of fun to do!

We are honored to have the opportunity to celebrate these countries, their contributions, and their foods this month! And we would be even more honored if you would join us. Give us a call to learn more about how you can get a seat at the table this month!