A “candlelit dinner” usually has candles on the dinner table. The meal is usually not cooked with candles, but that’s a joke that has been credited to English comedian Tim Vine. Vine wrote in The Biggest Ever Tim Vine Joke Book (2010):

“I remember once we had a candlelit dinner, so everything was undercooked.”


Wikipedia: Tim Vine
Timothy Mark “Tim” Vine (born 4 March 1967) is an English writer, actor, comedian and presenter, known for his quick-fire puns and his role on the BBC series Not Going Out until his departure in 2012. He has released a number of DVDs of his stand-up comedy and has written several joke books. In 2010 and 2014, Vine won the award for best joke at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. His winning jokes were: “I’ve just been on a once-in-a-lifetime holiday. I’ll tell you what, never again” and “I decided to sell my Hoover ... well it was just collecting dust.” He was the runner up in 2011, 2012 and 2013.

Google Books
The Biggest Ever Tim Vine Joke Book
By Tim Vine
London, UK: Century
2010
Pg. 117:
I remember once we had a candlelit dinner, so everything was undercooked.

Twitter
Damian Surtees‏
@Damian_Surtees
was thinking of having a candle lit dinner, only problem was it was all under cooked.
5:10 PM - 6 Jan 2010

Twitter
Mike Nicholson‏
@RedMike86
I cooked the wife a romantic candlelit dinner last night. Everything was under-cooked! http://myloc.me/3TcqD
1:29 PM - 16 Feb 2010

Twitter
A.G, THE DJ.‏
@Ayy_G
RT @Frankstah_Grime: I remember when me and my girl had a candle lit dinner....everything was under-cooked. - lool did you smoke a joke book
3:07 PM - 24 Aug 2010

Twitter
Paul H Visick‏
@PVask
Some vague memory of the Tim Vine Joke about trying a candlelit dinner, but it was very undercooked? #TimVine
3:52 PM - 11 Feb 2011

Twitter
David Purvis‏
@dp_ni
Her and me had a candlelit dinner last night....everything was under cooked!!
12:30 AM - 27 Jul 2011

Twitter
BetaRob‏
@Betarob1
Had a candle lit dinner last night… TBH, it was a bit under cooked :D
2:13 AM - 9 Dec 2011

Twitter
Joe Kirkpatrick‏
@_joekirkpatrick
Had a candle lit dinner, so everything was under-cooked
8:28 PM - 9 Apr 2012

Twitter
RICO‏
@A1_Theo
i remember me n my gf had a candle lit dinner...everything was under cooked
2:53 PM - 7 Oct 2012

Twitter
Dean Steele‏
@Dean81Steele
A candle lit dinner.. That mean everything’s under cooked? #confused
3:28 PM - 11 Nov 2015

Twitter
Simon Hazeldine‏
@SimonHazeldine
Joke of the day “I remember once we had a candlelit dinner, so everything was under-cooked,” - Tim Vine
2:18 AM - 19 Jul 2016

Twitter
Your Ex Wife‏
@Marionnpetite
I had a candle lit dinner last night. Everything was extremely under cooked
#sundaypunday
11:40 AM - 10 Sep 2017

Reddit—Oneliners
Last night my wife and I had a candle lit dinner so it was under-cooked.
submitted February 1, 2018 by wastoo