there’s no place like…camp!
i had a million firsts at camp too
Summer Camp. Known as the greatest place on earth, also happens to be the place that helped shape who I am. I attended Camp Tamarack in Northern Ontario for 17 whole years. During that time It was definitely my happy place. The seeds of a chef, musician, brother, leader and husband all took root during those collective years at camp.
My wife Tamar and I met at camp. My older brother Adam also met his wife at camp (hi Michelle!). My friends Rob and Lisa, Jeremy and Hilary, Mike and Mia, Dushan and Michelle, Jay and Jen, Tomer and Melissa all met at camp. And 30 years later, they’re all still together.
I had a million firsts at camp too.
Some were really really tough; heartbreak, blowups, pimples, Psoriasis and my first bout of profound grief. But there were amazing realizations too. I became closer with my siblings at camp. Six years separated my eldest brother Adam, and our youngest sibling Jennifer, but you’d never know it with the amount of time we hung out together. We’re still best friends today because of it. I also fell in love with the outdoors. I would go on extended canoe trips, where we would travel all day, eat food by campfire at night, and settle into our broken-down canvas tents to sleep – often getting rained on in the process. All of it was awesome.
I lived a lifetime of memories at camp. We were in a bubble and life was accelerated. “This is a place for skill development in a social environment” is what Howie, the former owner of Camp Tamarack, used to say. He was right. People would also say that having a two-month relationship at camp was equivalent to having a yearlong one in the city. Also true. And we all grew in strides because of it.
Years later, I led those same canoe trips and cooked for other campers, but with one big difference; the food this time around was WAY better. The tents still leaked, and the rain remained wet, but the food had definitely changed! And so had I. The immediate gratification I received when campers and staff tasted my food was euphoric. I was in heaven and would create my meals with on hand ingredients and the limited knowledge I had collected from watching TV shows like Wok with Yan and The Urban-Peasant. I realized then, that I’ve always loved cooking for people.
In my third year of university, I remember sitting in a very large lecture hall learning about the caste system in India, a very serious subject. Yet all I could do was daydream and wonder what I would do with my life, knowing it would have little to do with the degree I was acquiring in that moment. Then it hit me. CHEF! I want to be a chef. I want to learn how to cook. Properly. From that moment on my life had purpose and everything changed. Just like my days at camp.
the singing chef
The first time I ever sang was on stage, at camp. I sang Private Eyes by Hall and Oates and everyone got a big kick out of it. But more than anything, it was an opportunity to do something I had never done before. That’s another ‘first’ I experienced at camp – having my boundaries pushed while simultaneously fostering my love of music.
Later in life I had the opportunity to combine both my love of food and music when I became the ‘Singing Sports Chef’ on CBS Sportsline, while I was living in Florida and attending culinary school. But I digress. The point is, I’ve carried that passion into my present life and I’m always trying to pay it forward.
So, on April 7, 8 and 9th, I will be performing in three musical shows called Camp Fire Song . We are raising money to send kids to camp and I feel honored and fortunate to be performing with so many talented people, while giving back to something I passionately believe in.
Most of the cast has either gone to camp or have kids who have enjoyed the experience and they all realize the importance of this event. The impact camp can have on a child is incredible. Trust me, I know firsthand!
We are doing our part to provide this opportunity for as many kids as possible, so please feel free to check out the Facebook link for more info: www.unsungtickets.com
i’m 45 and i still go to camp!
Life has come full circle. I now go on canoe trips with my family and continue to eat better than those first few years at camp. But I haven’t forgotten the gratitude. Every year I take time to teach canoe tripping to camp staff across all of Ontario and I also teach folks how to cook from recipes that use amazing, inexpensive, light-weight ingredients – my version of ‘camping cuisine’. From Polenta with broccoli florets to vegetable Sushi and chocolate pudding. I approach cooking in the outdoors much like I do at home, using the best ingredients, with simple technique and little fanfare. Lots of recipes easily translate from the kitchen to the open-fire and one of my favourites has got to be, Vegetable Quinoa Chili.
I still get nostalgic when I visit different camps. I see the staff preparing for the summer and it brings back so many memories. Those experiences continue to shape me. And I love the idea that some of my recipes will become memories and experiences for others, and will be a part of their nostalgia for years to come.
