When Gary Davis is not winning awards at local chocolate, chili and chowder contests, he is quietly, diligently working to change the perception of food served at nursing homes.

The food service director at Russell Park Manor in Lewiston since 2000, Davis said he’s all about “enhancing dining services in nursing homes. People usually think pureed turkey or canned peas.”

But that’s not the case, he pointed out: Long-term-care facility food has changed quite a bit over the years. “There’s a paradigm in long-term care,” he said, where nursing home cooks think “we’re not as good” as restaurant cooks. But Davis knows differently. “There is such talent in this industry!”

With that said, Davis has put his talents to work in the last few years competing in several local contests, including Chocolat! (to benefit the Lewiston Middle School), the Chili and Chowder Fest (for Longley School) and SeniorsPlus’ ChocoLArt.

North Country Associates, which owns Russell Park, has been very supportive of Davis’ culinary ventures, he said.With the help of several dining services staff members, he has won awards for the best use of chocolate (a creamy, layered chocolate mousse-like dessert), the best chocolate displays (also involving a fountain, cascading kale and a watermelon carved to resemble a ship), and first place for a sweet potato/black bean chili. That chili had been well received the year before, but didn’t quite make the rank, so he upped his game this year, adding fresh zucchini and summer squash. It was enough tweaking to score the win this year. He’s already scheming, thinking up ideas for next year’s entries. “We also seem to be getting ‘famous’ for our chocolate sculptures, as well,” he noted.

Davis shared his award-winning chocolate tiramisu recipe with readers today, which earned a top prize in April’s ChocoLArt at the Hilton Garden Inn in Auburn. This tiramisu is an adaptation of the more traditional version, he said, using a chocolate sponge cake instead of the typical ladyfingers. For the competition in April, he said it was assembled and frozen, allowing him to frost it, cut it into squares and then into triangles for the plate presentation. “This last step is not necessary if making it at home,” he said, “since we took this final step for the competition strictly as a design element. Leaving the tiramisu whole in the pan will obviously not change the flavor. It’s just as delicious!”

Davis has also participated in a cooking competition designed for just the long-term care community, held in Portland and organized by executive chef Gary Sheldon, who works for food distributor Sysco. While it supports a scholarship fund for students going into the field of long-term care services, Davis said it mostly gives nursing homes the chance to get out there and show people what they can create, again emphasizing how things have changed.

Last year, approximately 23 facilities competed. Competitors were given a list of ingredients about one month prior to the competition, and were given 1.75 hours to pull together an entree, dessert and a creative salad. Russell Park earned a first place win for its poached pear dessert.

To show local folks how things have changed in the business of long-term care facility dining, Davis has been inviting the public to stop by Russell Park Manor for lunch or dinner — and for $3 a meal, it’s an excellent bargain.

The dining room is a pleasant surprise too — modern, tastefully decorated, with hard-wood floors and small, square tables for four. Items from a recent “week at a glance” menu included seafood chowder, cheddar biscuits and cucumber-dill salad; country bean and bacon soup; Philly steak subs; Yankee pot roast; pork chops with honey-pineapple sauce; and chicken marsala with seasoned rice and spinach.

The only downside? They don’t serve their fancy tiramisu every night!

Russell Park Manor’s award-winning chocolate tiramisu

Chocolate sponge cake:

1 cup all purpose flour

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup unsweetened bakers cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

4 eggs, separated

2 additional egg whites

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions: Sift together 1 cup of the sugar, the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate large bowl, beat the egg yolks with an electric mixer until light and lemon colored. Turning the speed down to low, gradually add the oil, water and vanilla. Slowly add the sifted ingredients and beat together until well combined. In another clean, large bowl, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Whip until firm peaks form. Slowly add a portion of the whipped whites into the chocolate mixture. When incorporated, add all of the chocolate mixture back into the egg whites; folding until well incorporated. Scrape the mixture into a well-greased and floured half-sheet pan and bake at 325 degrees until the edges just start to pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove and cool.

The following basting syrup is used to moisten the sponge cake while assembling the tiramisu:

In a small saucepan combine:

5 cups of a strong flavored coffee, such as espresso

3/4 cup water

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup Kahlua

1/4 cup rum

3 tablespoons Frangelico

Bring to a boil and then simmer for several minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

The following cream filling is used to fill in between the moistened sponge cakes:

24 ounces of mascarpone cheese

12 ounces of a good quality milk chocolate

8 eggs, separated

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons Kahlua

3 tablespoons rum

Melt the chocolate either in a microwave, using 30 second intervals on high and stirring in between or melt over simmering water, being careful not to let any water touch the melted chocolate or it will seize. Set aside. In another heat-proof bowl, set over simmering water, whisk the egg yolks with 1/4 cup sugar. Continue to whisk until the sugar is dissolved and the egg yolks just start to thicken, being careful not to overcook as the yolks will start to scramble. Remove from heat and add to the mascarpone cheese, beating until just combined. Add the melted chocolate and mix well. Set aside. In a separate, grease-free bowl, whip up the egg whites until soft peaks form. Slowly add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar until the peaks become firm and shiny. Fold into the mascarpone cheese mixture. Stir in the Kahlua and rum. Refrigerate until needed.

The chocolate sponge cake can be cut in sizes to fit the pan you are using to assemble the tiramisu, keeping in mind that it is a layered dessert, so several pieces will be needed. If you are using a square pan, simply cut the sponge cake in half.

Lay some of the mascarpone filling on the bottom of the pan. Lay a section of the sponge cake on top of this. Generously soak the cake with the basting syrup using either a pastry brush or small ladle. When good and soaked, spread some more mascarpone filling on top, then repeat the process until you have as many layers as you wish. Two layers is a general rule, ending with the mascarpone filling. Garnish the top with sifted cocoa powder and chocolate curls, if desired. Refrigerate for at least one hour to set, before serving.

Voila! How the pros do it

Because presentation is an important factor in a competition, Gary Davis and his staff at Russell Park Manor take it very seriously.

“For the competition,” he said, referring to the tiramisu effort that won them first place at April’s ChocoLArt event at the Hilton Garden Inn in Auburn, “we made several sponge cakes and extra mascarpone filling, ‘frosting’ each cake on all sides with the filling, and freezing the cake in between frostings (since the cake would otherwise have crumbled).

“After all sides were frosted and refrozen, the cakes were cut into equal squares, then each square into a triangle,” Davis said. “Each triangle piece was then individually coated with Oreo cookie crumbs and then stood on end like a pyramid. These were plated at the competition and ‘garnished’ with a chocolate cup we made by dipping the ends of balloons into marbleized dark and white chocolate.

“When set, the balloons were removed and the chocolate cups were filled with a Frangelico (a hazelnut liqueur) cream filling (made with sugar, whipping cream, thickened egg yolk, vanilla and the liqueur),” Davis explained. “A few candied hazelnuts were sprinkled on top, along with a small stick of chocolate we piped onto a sheet pan — both dark and white chocolate, flavored with a bit of orange.”

Davis admitted it sounds a bit complicated. “It was a lot of production for the competition, but as mentioned, these steps were not necessary if making at home – just do the basics!”