A French Adventure

Thank you for posting this. How does one get started in a situation like this? I would love to cook in france for even a few days. Is there an agency of some sort that can help set something up? Or should I just start wriring letters?
Thank you,
Kevin

[bouland]

ChefKev: I make my contacts either directly or through mutual friends. I usually try to have a phone conversation with a chef before I show up and to verbally confirm the arrangements. I then follow-up the conversation with a confirming fax. A lot depends on what your goals are and what your experience is. Being an experienced chef doesn't necessarily help because you'll still do low level work and spend a lot of time observing. Afterall, you're just there for a few days. That is unless you want to work for a season, then you can really get in the middle of everything. I have seen a couple of people on the web offering to set up trips like the ones I take, but I don't see what they have to offer over what I can arrange directly, except the opportunity to greatly increase the cost.

If you'd like a little less kitchen work and a little more good eating, I'd suggest looking at one of the trips put together by Les Liaisons Délicieuses, a group in Washington, DC, with lots of experience in placing groups in Michelin-starred restaurants.