For years he followed the show as a viewer, now he was standing in front of the television camera: Dennis Kasten from Gilching can be seen next Monday on “The Perfect Dinner” on Vox.
He only had one day to prepare.
Gilching - cooking is his passion. Even as a small boy, Dennis Kasten, from Gilching, looked curiously into mum's pots. “I've loved cooking since I was a child,” says the 42-year-old, who loves to enchant his family with lavish delicacies. “For some time now I've also been watching the program, The Perfect Dinner➔.” At some point he thought of applying himself to the Vox format, in which ambitious amateur cooks cook for each other at home for a week and then rate them. “I thought to myself: 'I can do that too. ➔ I also like to be in the limelight,” admits Kasten, who works in sales at the Swedish payment provider Klarna.
In November 2020, Dennis Kasten emailed the application form.
Nine months later and two days before his summer vacation, an agency reported that enough amateur cooks had been found for the greater Munich area.
“I was the first,” he says.
“I had to plan my menu when I was on vacation.” On Saturday evening he came back home with his wife and two daughters, and on Monday morning the television team was at the door.
"I only had time to cook through all of the dishes."
The Vox team was there all day, shopping, preparing and cooking. "
Dennis Kasten
The constant company of the camera was an unusual feeling for Kasten at the beginning. “It was very exhausting,” he says. “The Vox team was there all day, shopping, preparing, cooking.” Every little thing - even a curse - was recorded. In addition, there was the nervousness before the evening meeting with the other amateur cooks. “We didn't know each other before,” says the 42-year-old. The production company also did not reveal in advance whether a vegetarian, vegan or pescetarian was in the group. "I always thought in parallel and cooked an alternative dish."
His menu held boxes in the Italian style. “I like that and I like to cook,” he says. The Gilching Salsiccia-Spinach-Ravioli served as a starter, as the main course it served tuna with ratatouille, mashed potatoes and rosemary foam and for dessert there was puff pastry with mascapone cream and berries, with Dennis Kasten served a chocolate tart with orange.
The 42-year-old is not yet allowed to reveal how his dishes were received by the other participants.
"I can only say that the level was very high all week." From Tuesday to Friday he then visited the four other hobby cooks from Munich, Olching and Alling.
“I was the only man around, the rooster in the basket, so to speak,” he says.
However, at no time did he feel uncomfortable - on the contrary.
“We got along well from the start.
We never ran out of topics to talk about. ”Further meetings have taken place since the shoot in August.
"We are also planning a second dinner - but without points and cameras," says Kasten.
+
The rooster in the basket: Dennis Kasten with (from left) Patricia, Manuela, Nadja and Lara.
© TVNOW
For a long time, the thought of revealing a large part of his privacy to strangers and the television audience kept him from applying for the “Perfect Dinner” §, he says.
“I was afraid that all my closets would be rummaged through and gone through all the rooms.” However, the 42-year-old was able to say beforehand what is okay for the TV team and the guests and what is taboo.
"The guests were super pleasant anyway."
And what's next: Dennis Kasten had so much fun with the show that he has already applied to other TV cooking formats such as “Grill den Henssler”, “Die Küchenschlacht” or “The Taste”.
He doesn't have an answer yet.
"It usually takes a little longer."
The Gilchinger followed his TV appearance on “Das Perfekt Dinner” on Monday from 7 to 8:15 pm on Vox with his family and friends.
"They have already asked me if I will cook my menu then," says the Gilchinger and laughs.
"But I immediately made it clear that there was only pizza that evening."