Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Prepare fresh Afghan and Persian meals and snacks according to approved menus and participant needs.

• Ability to speak both English and Arabic

• Develop or support rotating menus that provide variety while reflecting participants’ cultural preferences and familiar foods.

• Prepare traditional dishes in quantities appropriate for a large group while maintaining consistent taste, quality, and portion size.

• Modify recipes as directed for low-sodium, diabetic-friendly, heart-healthy, vegetarian, allergy-restricted, soft, chopped, minced, or pureed diets.

• Follow each participant’s documented dietary restrictions, food allergies, and texture requirements; ensure the correct meal reaches the correct participant.

• Use appropriate cooking, cooling, holding, reheating, and serving procedures and maintain required food temperature logs.

• Prevent cross-contamination and follow hand hygiene, sanitation, and infection-control practices.

• Receive, label, date, store, rotate, and monitor food supplies using FIFO (first in, first out) practices.

• Maintain a clean, organized, and sanitary kitchen, including equipment, food-contact surfaces, storage areas, and floors.

• Monitor inventory, expiration dates, portioning, and food waste; assist with ordering while staying within the established food budget.

• Coordinate with caregivers, nursing staff, and management regarding participant dietary needs or concerns.

• Report concerns when a participant repeatedly refuses meals, has difficulty eating, or appears to have a change in appetite or swallowing ability.

• Prepare meals and snacks on schedule so service is timely and consistent with the adult day care program’s daily routine.

• Follow all organizational policies and applicable food-service, health department, and adult day care requirements.

• Demonstrated ability to prepare authentic or culturally familiar Afghan and Persian dishes suitable for older adults.

• Ability to reduce sodium, sugar, oil, or spice when needed without unnecessarily removing familiar flavor and cultural appeal.

• Willingness to listen to participant feedback and adjust menus appropriately while continuing to meet nutrition and safety requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

Must be bi-lingual in both English and Arabic

• Previous professional cooking experience; experience in adult day care, senior living, healthcare, assisted living, school food service, or other high-volume settings is preferred.

• Must have Food Handler or food safety certification

• Experience preparing Afghan and Persian cuisine; strong experience in at least one cuisine with willingness to learn the other may be considered.

• Knowledge of senior nutrition, food allergies, special diets, and texture-modified foods.

• Food-handler or food-safety certification as required; ServSafe certification is preferred where applicable.

• Ability to prepare food for large groups while maintaining consistency, quality, and safe food-handling practices.

• Dependable, organized, able to work independently, and comfortable coordinating with a multidisciplinary care team.