Forget clicking through online profiles or throwing yourself into the fast lane of speed dating, the latest craze to hit the singles scene takes a tasty twist on courtship.
The night begins at a downtown eatery, Mengra Thai by Sasi (412 Richmond Street, W, Toronto), with a non-alcoholic cocktail mingling session. It may sound like an awkward way to start the evening, but once you get chatting -- especially with a planned seasonal menu of herb gnocchi, roasted lamb and apple strudel – you won't miss the buzz. The house rules: booze and knives don't mix. "Conversation is easily sparked," says Summerhill. "A task, such as putting a dish together, allows singles to concentrate on something else and therefore, their natural personality comes out."
After the welcome speech, everyone is split up into smaller groups. They are divided evenly between men and women, based on a randomly selected number. Each group has a separate workstation where they get to prepare their recipe. This is where the fun begins. Finding cooking tools, ingredients and deciding who does what is chaotic, but it creates many an opportunity to casually flirt and chat up whatever cutie you have your eye on.
Above all, don't sweat your skills. Whether you're a culinary connoisseur or a microwaving maven, Yeung is there to answer any questions and demonstrates the more difficult tasks -- such as tying a leg of lamb or rolling out gnocchi – so be prepared to surprise yourself. "I go around and work with each group on the recipe," explains Yeung. "One-on-one interaction is very important to the progression of the evening."
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