Want To Be a Chef...Or Just Eat Like One?

Good news for those who like to cook and eat! Restaurant Lorena's has a deal for you, and Chef Humberto Campos has a class.

Campos, a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, trained at the Ryland Inn in Whitehouse, NJ and later at the Stage House Inn. He was recognized this year as a "Star" in the book, Celebrity Chefs of New Jersey. Campos will demonstrate how to make a meal at Kings Cooking Studio in Short Hills on Tues., Sept. 13.

Then, during New Jersey's Restaurant Week, Sept. 18 - 25, Campos and his wife, the restaurant's namesake, Lorena, will offer a three-course prix fixe menu at $35. The restaurant is open Tues - Fri, 5 - 11 p.m. and Sundays from 5 - 9:30 p.m.

Campos, a fan of the Greek salad pizza at Village Trattoria, has seen his diners’ interest in the preparation of what they eat grow, as chef memoirs and “behind the scenes” books proliferate. “We see more interest in our open kitchen,” said Campos. “People ask more questions.”

Likewise, Campos himself has read a few such books, including Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential. “It’s reassuring,” he laughed. “Like reading my life.”

 As to his own selection as one of the chefs profiled in Celebrity Chefs of New Jersey, Campos was “absolutely surprised,” noting that many of the chefs listed under “Legends” were his previous bosses and mentors. “It’s a real honor,” said Campos, to be included in the book.

Campos explains that Lorena’s menu changes frequently. “Mother Nature is our inspiration,” he explained.

A next wave in cooking that Campos foresees is a return to comfort food. “Mom’s back in the kitchen,” he joked, with a nod to his own parents in the audience. Fittingly, his own motto, with which he signed copies of Celebrity Chefs of New Jersey, is “Keep it simple.”  The best ingredients possible and great service, he says, make for a memorable meal in downtown Maplewood.

Demonstration Meal Menu

• Organic Sweet Pea Soup with Bacon, Pearl Onions and Brioche Crouton
• Warm Crepe of Lump Crab with Mushrooms, a Fresh Herb Emulsion and White Truffle Oil
• Scottish Salmon Tartare with Sake, Wasabi Tobiko, Crème Fraiche and Fried Wonton
• Coffee Panna Cotta with Caramelized Banana

Click here to contact Restaurant Lorena's.

Click here to contact Kings Kings Cooking Studio in Short Hills