Love the Food Network? Addicted to Top Chef? Then cooking boot camp may be the perfect way to spend your weekend.
Ever since I read about the CIA Boot Camp (that's Culinary Institute of America, CIA, not the uber-secret CIA), I've wanted to go. I mean, what could be more fun than spending a week playing with food and wearing those cute white chef hats?
But the week in New York was a bit too much of an organizational hassle for me, so I opted for a weekend at a local French cooking school.
Can you say fun-filled? On the first day, we learned knife skills, de-boned a chicken, made two chicken dishes, discussed the proportions of the perfect vinaigrette, filleted a fish, and cooked three fish dishes.
Now I realize that de-boning a chicken and filleting a fish aren't everyone's idea of a good time, but I have to say it was a blast!
Day Two was even more fun: butterflying a pork tenderloin, stir-frying flank steak and cooking mussels, shrimp and crab. By the end of the weekend, I was cooking like a pro (although my fish filleting skills leave much to be desired).
Next stop -- Iron Chef America!
