The Clockwork Chef-in-the-box at your campground allows you to cook things without using adventures. It's like a regular Chef-in-the-box, only, you know, betterer. It lasts for about 380 to 400 uses (about 4 times the life of the regular chef) and when it explodes, it spits out about 8 or 10 dishes (about twice what the regular chef does).
Upon ascension, your Clockwork Chef-in-the-box is lost and must be re-obtained in your next incarnation.
Some food items can be obtained only from these explosions(or a regular chef explosion):
For those so inclined, probably the cheapest, fastest, and easiest way to intentionally blow up a chef is to make a bunch of plain pizzas. The ingredients can all be purchased cheaply from NPC stores.