By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
April 16, 2003
Sandy Dvorak is living every woman’s dream. While she sits behind a screen getting her hair and makeup done, two men she has never met before are sweating over stoves trying to create a dinner she’ll love.
These men aren’t chefs, but rather Chicago singles hoping to win over her heart via her stomach.
Welcome to “Date Plate,” the new dating-cooking show on the Food Network that airs at 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays. The concept is simple: During each half-hour episode, two singles attempt to woo a member of the opposite sex by creating a two-course meal. They each get $50 to shop for groceries and two hours to cook it. Then both are paired with a professional chef who will help tweak their menus and guide them through the arduous process in which cooking is just half the battle–looking good while sauteing is just as important.
Unfortunately for them, what they don’t know is whether the person they’re cooking for is vegetarian, hates liver or only likes certain vegetables. They’re basically going by the personality that comes across on the taped video of Mr. or Ms. Right.
On Dvorak’s video, the petite, blonde massage therapist reveals she likes smart, funny guys. She also enjoys yoga to keep her fit and mellow.
“I’m a very passionate person,” she says.
So when the show rolled into Chicago to film on location at Thyme and Nine last week, the contestants had their work cut out for them. Contestant Vance Smith considers what she might be like before he gets behind the stove at Thyme. Since Dvorak is a massage therapist, he’s betting she’ll enjoy a sensual meal. He decides to make a Moroccan feast where she’ll eschew utensils and instead eat with her fingers.
Rival contestant Dan Lougheed decides to take another approach. Describing himself as a Polish Canuck, Lougheed decides to prepare a meal that’ll say something about himself. He’s going to use Polish sausage, Canadian bacon and clams in his feast.
While she’s waiting backstage for the taste test, Dvorak says, “I love food. I’m really hungry so I can’t wait to eat. I hope they’re not making anything I can’t stand, like Indian food, or liver. That would be bad.”
Luckily for them, she’s not averse to anything on either of their menus.
Bubbly hostess Kelly Deadmon pops on the set every now and again to film her stand-ups, taste the food and make sure everything’s going well. Though she claims to enjoy eating, her tall, slim figure belies this.
Asked if she ever gets hit on by the contestants, Deadmon rolls her eyes and nods yes.
“One guy asked if I was the consolation prize,” Deadmon says. “Another guy asked, ‘What if we want to go out with you instead?’ The other guy on the show said, ‘Haven’t you noticed she’s got a ring on her finger? She’s married!’ Most of them are very sweet and nice, though. They’re just there to have some fun, show off their cooking skills and hopefully win a date.”
Meanwhile, back in the Thyme kitchen, Smith and Lougheed are encouraged to ham it up for the cameras. Cooking less than 10 feet from each other, they trash talk, though–if truth be told–both look like they’d be happy to taste the other’s creation. Mugging for the cameras, they wield mighty culinary phallic symbols–a long, slender cucumber for Smith and a kielbasa sausage for Lougheed.
The show’s producer, Lori Stryer, shakes her head and says, “I somehow always get the phallic shows!”
The two chefs helping the guys through all this are a pair of Food Network regulars: Cheryl Smith and Cat Cora. Both are calm and incredibly patient with their charges as well as the cast and crew that hovers nearby. Never mind that there’s a time limit to cooking these meals. They also have to prod their men into cooking in a camera-friendly way, which means that they might have to stir with a hand they’re not as comfortable with because using the other will block the shot. Or they may not be able to stare down at what they’re doing because they’ll be reminded to keep their heads back a bit.
It’s not the natural way that anyone cooks. But hey, this is TV.
Cheryl Smith convinces Vance Smith (no relation) not to cut the head off the gorgeous white freshwater fish they’re preparing. Once he overcomes the gross-out factor of being eyeballed by a dead fish, Vance gets into the spirit of things and decides to name it “Frank.” Cheryl wonders whether naming dinner is such a good idea.
“When I agreed to be of this show, I didn’t realize how much help we’d actually get,” he says. “It was great.”
True. When the cameras aren’t rolling, the chefs take over much of the prep work. What it takes the men minutes to do, Smith and Cora, the spunky chef helping Lougheed, complete in seconds. When the contestants’ fingers get dangerously close to being chopped off, the two chefs hover nearby, ready to take over lickety split. They offer tips useful to all of us, such as using not just cilantro leaves, but also the stems because that’s where a lot of the flavor is.
Before Dvorak gets to decide which meal she likes better–and therefore selecting the winner–the chefs let me taste the creations. The dishes are delicious, especially considering they both include ingredients I don’t usually like. Smith’s Moroccan creation includes whitefish and avocados, with a yummy cucumber salad. I tend to dislike fish unless it’s spicy or served on sushi. But it was so light and flavorful that it completely won me over.
Lougheed’s dinner included sauteed chopped up clams and bacon bits, slices of Polish sausage and homemade pierogis–all topped with a tower of asparagus. I’m not a huge sausage fan, but the sauce drizzled over it was succulent and the dish was tasty.
If I had to pick one, I would’ve opted for Smith’s exotic Moroccan meal. But, sadly, the dates weren’t for me. They’re for Dvorak, who worries about hurting their feelings if she doesn’t like their meals.
“I’m a little nervous in a good way,” she says. “This is so much fun. I get to have a couple of fine meals and go on a date. I give these guys a lot of credit for doing this for me.”
Worried that the sweet blonde may hold back on air, Stryer encourages her to be honest.
“Say what’s on your mind and don’t worry about sparing their feelings,” she advises. “If they used a spice you don’t like, say it. If there’s a flavor you can taste that you love, talk about that.”
In the end, Dvorak chose … Come on now. You don’t think we’d spoil it for you, do you? The Chicago show will air on a future episode of “Date Plate.”
