We Asked: What Food Do You Like to Make for Your Clients? You Gave Us the World!

Over 185 VNS Health Home Health Aides responded to our May raffle question: “Do you have a favorite dish or special type of food that you like to make for your clients?”

We received wonderful descriptions of dishes from cultures around the world, including Korean, Chinese, Dominican, Italian, Creole, Hungarian and Jamaican dishes, just to name a few!

These responses from our HHAs showcase our diverse team and clients as well as the importance of food as a universal language. Sharing food helps us celebrate our diversity and encourage empathy and understanding in a delicious and very real way. By sharing meals and cooking practices, we gain insights into the history, values and social customs of different communities and cultures. Traditional dishes often tell stories of ancestral heritage, regional ingredients, and festive celebrations—creating connections that go beyond geography and language.

Three $200 Prizes: We took the names of all the HHA team members who participated in the May raffle question, put them together, and drew three at random. The winning team members, who each received $200, were Michelle Bradford, Devi Deodat and Dianne Dick.

Here are just some of the great responses we received to our May raffle question: “Do you have a favorite dish or special type of food that you like to make for your clients?”

Arelis Dominguez: “As long as they can eat it in their diet, I like to prepare the typical pabellón criollo of my country. The pabellón is made up of beans, sliced eggs, rice and shredded meat. My patients have loved this dish, and they also really like how I make chicken with vegetables and chicken soup. I had a patient tell me that I make chicken soup the way his mother made it!”

Robin Edwards:“Metemgee. This food is a combination of ripe plantains, cassava, sweet potatoes, corn, and duff. Duff is a mixture of flour, sugar, a pinch of salt, baking powder, and butter. Most people call it ‘dumpling.’ These ingredients are boiled with seasonings, to taste, in coconut milk. Then they are simmered down and served with fried and seasoned salty fish, tomatoes, and onions (also called ‘dry food’).”

Shonta Ince: “I love to make spareribs with honey barbecue sauce for my client, who likes me to make it tender with the sauce falling off the ribs. We buy the sauce and add special ingredients (cinnamon and a little light mustard). I mix everything in a bowl, put it on a slow fire, and then add it to the ribs. My client likes to stir it to complete her arm exercises for the day. We have so much fun making it at least once a week.”

Sviatlana Busko: “My client likes a stracciatella—a very tasty and light Italian soup with spinach, Parmesan and egg.”

Maribeth Quejano: “Stuffed grape leaves. You need ground beef, onion, parsley, cilantro, mint, salt, pepper, and rice. Combine and mix ingredients and wrap the mixture in the grape leaves. Put it in a pot with water, lemon, and a chicken cube. Then let it boil and simmer on a low flame until cooked.”

Cathleen Scott: “Apple Compote. It’s so easy. Peel two apples and boil in water. It’s delicious, nutritious, and a favorite of my Romanian client. Bon appétit!”

Mehli Yeasmin: “One of my favorite recipes to make for my patients is beef curry. I cut beef into small pieces and put special seasonings from Bangladesh into it. This recipe has gotten amazingly positive reactions from my patients. Having it served with jasmine rice is their favorite. It is always nice to see the beaming smiles on their faces as they chow down!”

Pinghua Zhu: “I make a broccoli and beef chow mein dish, using fresh noodles and stir-frying them together with the broccoli and beef. It’s easy to make and rich in nutrients.”