"fantasy camp" news and stories

Want to experience the glory of running a four star kitchen - without wasting all that time at culinary school and all those hours on the line? Chris Connolly did just that, signing up for the "Expedite Tonight" package at the Rancho Bernardo Inn. For $698, Chris was able to button into a white chefs jacket and call out the orders to the cooks behind the scenes at the El Bizcocho restaurant, dine with the staff afterward at the staff meal and, the next night, eat in the main dining room of the restaurant he just "worked" in.

Unlike the semi-controlled chaos, ruined dishes and expletives that many would expect to see in a professional kitchen, Chris was impressed with the smooth flow and seemingly relaxed pace of the evening. The skill of the cooks, combined with their practiced familiarity with tasks like searing foie gras, made the evening very controlled. The cooks joked around and admired each others' handiwork, while plating tasting menus and generally cooking everything to perfection.

Was Chris ready to toss in his pen and pick up an apron? No, but after an evening of watching, sampling and spoon stealing, which the article has a full account of, Chris has a greater appreciation of the workings of a real kitchen - and knows that it is more difficult and more interesting than previously imagined.

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