Date on a plate

Could you meet the man of your dreams on a funky kosher cookery course?

Brave investigative journalist Jo Carlowe went along to find out how well Jewish matchmaking and cookery mix, at Date on a Plate run by out-there Jewish cookery writer Denise Phillips (pictured above on her worksurface). Here's how Jo got on...

 

Take three roughly chopped sweet potatoes, 200g of chestnuts, six single women, six single men, mix together, allow to simmer and see what happens.

 

This, in short is the principle of Date on a Plate - a concept that brings Jewish singles together via a cookery lesson and dinner party.

 

The process works: Denise Phillips, expert chef and cookery writer set it up in 2001 and three years later she'd met her husband - he was one of the attendees. At the time she'd been too busy steering the participants through her recipes, helping them chop onions and core apples, to notice that one of them would make good marriage material.

 

"He contacted me after the event," explained Denise. She'd been widowed in 1999 and it made sense for her to expand on her cookery school by adding a singles venture.

 

"I had been married for 15 years, I didn't know anyone single. I had young children and I needed to set-up work that would fit in with my lifestyle."

 

She had hit on a niche - Date on a Plate works particularly well for those who are newly single and who feel uncomfortable with the frenetic pace of speed dating or intimidated by the notion of regular one on one blind dating. There are events for 30-45 year-olds and for 40-55 year-olds. If you don't meet the man or woman of your dreams you at least come away with a belly full of food and some newly learned cooking skills.

 

On the day I attended, we were a mixed bunch. I ranked myself as a novice in the kitchen, and was not the only one.

 

"How did this appear?" said one bemused chap - he was holding a bowl full of crumble made from flour, sugar, oats, marg, cinnamon, coconut and baking powder.

 

"Er, you blended it in the food processor," explained Denise. In fact he had been the one to press the button. Others were more adept - one woman was fresh from attending an advanced cake-decorating course and no doubt left the evening with a new repertoire of recipes as well as a list of potential dates. 

 

But the beauty was that ability didn't actually matter. We were greeted with a glass of champagne and selection of crudités. Denise furnished us each with an apron, chopping boards, knives and the menu: sweet potato and chestnut soup, chicken with dates served with cous cous, followed by apple and plum crumble, coffee and petit fours.

 

Having jointly whipped up an impressive meal we removed our aprons, and relocated to the dinning room ready to sample our handiwork. The evening was carefully choreographed by Denise - who asked the men to circulate between courses - essential for ensuring that anyone too unpalatable is soon on their way, and that more tasty suitors at some point find themselves seated next to you.

 

At the end of the evening a list of email addresses is handed out - so that anyone who has found their match can get in touch.

 

"Emails exchange after every session," says Denise, "we've had several weddings out of this. It is a recipe that works!"

 

Date on a Plate costs £60 per class, inclusive of all materials, food and alcohol. To book email denise@jewishcookery.com. Checkout Denise's website, www.jewishcookery.com

See our Jewish recipes here 

See our Middle Eastern recipes here 

Find out more about Denise in our interview with her