MOM'S LITTLE BLACK BOOK | The Party Kitchen in Geneva

CHOP, COOK, CHOW

GENEVA–I am incredibly busy, but I love to entertain. I love to host game nights and parties whenever possible, but it seems that I never have time to cook anything fancy anymore, so I called upon Lori Smerz, a St. Charles resident, mother, and former high school Family Consumer Science teacher for help!  As the owner of The Party Kitchen in Geneva, honing the empathy to truly relate to time thwarted meal prepping, she taught our crew some tricks of the trade.

On a regular day, she is a substitute teacher; however, she provides customized parties, classes, lessons, camps, and after school enrichment activities otherwise with her free time!  She totally gets busy!

Laughter filled the air and aprons were donned as the group eagerly gathered around the well-equipped kitchen island, ready to dive into the culinary creations ahead. Under the guidance of our seasoned chef, we embarked on a journey of culinary discovery, learning the art of cheating to homemade quality!

First up on the menu were the calzones, mixing a variety of delightful fusions of savory and earthy flavors to create ham and spinach; as well as meatball calzones.  Using ready-made dough and meatballs, combined with fresh parmesan, spinach, basil, and a variety of spices, we learned the art of folding and glazing to golden perfection.  The end result looked like a restaurant made, high quality, beautiful pocket of yumminess.

No meal is complete without the perfect accompaniment of a freshly put together salad with all the right colors of vegetables, and the added bonus of the most delicious homemade dressing.  With a vibrant array of fresh herbs and spices at our disposal, we eagerly experimented with fancy cuts and designs and flavor combinations, creating a tangy vinaigrette that perfectly complemented the richness of the calzones.

Finally, it was time to indulge in a sweet treat with a twist – tiramisu dip.  We whipped together mascarpone cheese, cocoa, coffee and served it with delicate ladyfingers.  This classic Italian dessert was ready in minutes and tasted divine!

As the evening drew to a close, we gathered around the island and savored each bite and reminisced at the satisfaction of mastering our new simple techniques to a great meal!

Overview

The Party Kitchen

415 Stevens Street

Geneva, IL 60134

www.thepartykitchen.net

Hours:  See Website for Schedule

Price $:  Starting at $25/Class

ABOUT THE WRITER

Kristen Kucharski’s days are never dull, her kids are never bored! Over the years #MomsLittleBlackBook has explored hundreds of kid friendly things to do in our surrounding community and on the road. As her girls have grown and gone away to college, she continues to enjoy unique activities, excursions, day trips, weekend get-a-aways, and road trips while rediscovering my own passion for adventure with friends, girls nights outs, and date nights. In her words: “Life is a journey–might as well have fun along the way. Go, fly, roam, travel, voyage, explore, discover