No fuss, no mess with “Dinner Tonight by Tara”

We’ve all heard the saying if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.

There’s an Orland Park woman who wouldn’t dream of getting out of the kitchen no matter how high the heat.

Tara Schneider is passionate about cooking. So much so she started her own business, “Dinner Tonight by Tara” serving as a personal chef creating delicious meals for intimate dinners, medium sized parties and larger gatherings for family and friends.

“I remember beginning to take an interest in high school,” Schneider said. “I would look at the recipes my mom had on index cards, recipes in magazines or in cookbooks. I still have some of my mom and grandma’s recipes in a little index card holder.”

Despite an interest in cooking, she went to Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri, to become an elementary school teacher. “My senior year I started working in a restaurant as a hostess and got the chance to work on the line a couple of times. I caught the bug!” she said.

Schneider graduated with a bachelor of arts in psychology but then had to break the news to her parents she wanted to switch career gears. They were a little concerned about her decision at first, but it didn’t take long for them to come around. “Now when I cook for them, they love it,” she said.

Armed with a degree from Pennsylvania Culinary in Pittsburgh, Schneider continued her career in the food industry before becoming a personal chef. “I love cooking in general. I’ll make anything,” she said. “You know those appetizers that look like they take way too long to make? Well, I love making those, too.”

Meals and menus are tailored to the needs of her clients, whether it’s gluten free, vegetarian or ketogenic—whatever the client needs. “The menus are all made based off their specific preferences,” she said. “It’s a very personal service for each individual client.” Schneider prides herself on using the freshest ingredients, which results in great tasting food.

In addition to dinner parties, Schneider will customize weekly and bi-weekly lunches and dinners for families. The client chooses the number of meals and for how many people. “I work with my clients to determine what’s best based on needs and requests,” she said.

Schneider offers free consultation to determine dietary needs and food preferences, recipe research and menu development. She also shops for the food items on the approved menu. Preparation of the meals is done in the client’s kitchen and she provides a printed menu with easy re-heating instruction. When she’s done making the meals, she cleans up the kitchen.

“You may have heard of the many meal delivery services out there,” Schneider said. “Many are good but they are different from this service. With “Dinner Tonight” there’s no prep work for the client and all meals are custom made based on dietary needs.” Pricing for the service varies and is based on the number of meals and number of people served. Once she learns more about the specific needs, Schneider provides a free quote. She also offers first-time users a discount.

“I love seeing people enjoy the food I’ve created,” Schneider said. “I enjoy the whole process from beginning to end—the planning, the shopping, prepping, cooking and the delicious final product. I just love cooking—and food!”

To learn more, visit Dinner Tonight by Tara, call (630) 487-8343 or write to Tara.