Is this even worth it?

my mom went to one of those things, it may be the same. a "famous" chef was supposed to bring her in and teach her all he knew in 5 days. the chef was only there for part of the time, but left a very competent teacher in his stead. she came out seeing it as more of a fun experience then a learning experience, although she did actually learn some cool stuff. all in all she was glad she went but said she wouldnt go again.

 

pay to work?
You can do it for free, that is work. It's called stag-ing. (stodging). Pick a restaurant and call the chef or sous, explain your background and inquire about coming in to work pro bono. I do this on occasion, just for the opportunity to work for and see how other chefs are doing their thing.

One place that I was at, had a chef stay for a month, she worked every station for a couple of days.

There are culinary external programs available at schools as well as culinary cooking programs at cookware and gadget stores.

There is always the private lesson(s).
one) cooks normally don't make a lot of money, yes we will cook for money
two) what chef won't come over eat your food and drink your wine for a nominal fee.

Would your spouse enjoy this, or would she enjoy it more with you along her side?

(My wife can't stand being in the kitchen with me)

 

stuff like that will always cost.

If i had someone make such a offer to me, i would tell him to kiss my ****.

Not because of the cost, but because of the veracity of the chef to charge like a wounded bull for stuff ppl may already know.

The difference between someone who knows what their doing and someone who thinks that they are teaching is the magnitude of their ego.

each and every time.