Whether you love to cook or are looking to get acquainted with that room in your apartment known as the kitchen, you can never have enough quick, simple recipes. My Gourmet Kitchen, an independently owned prep kitchen in Bucktown, makes it easier than ever to get excited about creating homemade meals again. It provides everything necessary to make a meal in minutes.

Upon arriving at the clean, bright space, guests dump their bags, don a chef jacket, wash their hands and peruse the menu to decide what they'll be preparing. Every month, My Gourmet Kitchen offers up a new menu of natural and organic (when possible) items. Choose among items like organic spinach and sun-dried tomato lasagna, all-natural New Zealand garlic- and herb-crusted lamb and pan-grilled flank steak with chermoula (an herb-and-oil-based marinade). With measuring cups in place, veggies perfectly diced and herbs within arms reach, participants follow a recipe and before they know it, have a customized meal ready to be taken home, heated and served. Full meals (serving 4-6 people) average about $25, and half-meals are also available.

My Gourmet Kitchen is great for busy folks, especially parents, who want to provide a home-cooked meal but don't have time for menu planning and food prep; it's also the perfect way to really impress that special someone, making it easy to conquer intimidating dishes, like the Asian-style tempeh loaf I created or the ginger shrimp potstickers my neighboring chef easily assembled.

Keep an eye out for an expanded menu with side dishes and a custom cookie station for the perfect meal-ending treats. Oh, and for those who really are pressed for time, the friendly staff will quickly whip up a meal for you or you can run in and grab something out of the freezer.

Average cost: $31+

Centerstage Reviewer: Maya Henderson