DESPITE HECTIC DAYS, HOME COOKING STILL ON THE MENU ORGANIC, PRE-CHOPPED OPTIONS AMONG NEW NICHES.

Byline: CAROL ROCK Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA -- Do you dust your kitchen or dirty it regularly?

With hectic schedules, dinner might mean a run through the closest fast-food emporium -- or something frozen popped into the microwave.

On the other hand, some of those hurried folks are finding themselves with another comfort -- a cookbook or recipe that promises better health, both physically and mentally.

Recent studies on obesity and the general health of Americans are starting to change the way people look at dinner. Low-fat and organic foods are in, fatty burgers and fries are on the way out.

That doesn't mean a backyard burger won't be featured at the neighborhood block party.

``Right now, barbecue classes are hot,'' said Dawn Walker, who teaches cooking classes in her Stevenson Ranch home.

``People want more home-cooked meals,'' she continued. ``A lot of people have expressed an interest in growing their own fruits and vegetables, too.''

Cooking classes have been a staple of Santa Clarita's parks and recreation programs for the last 19 years. Current offerings include desserts and cake sculpting, along with a long- standing Thai foods class.

A new approach to home cooking is Dream Dinners, with franchises in Valencia, Granada Hills and Pasadena -- and similar cleverly named enterprises such as Entree Vous, Dinner A'Fare and Supper Thyme.

Cooks make an appointment with the facility, which offers recipes and ingredients -- all pre-chopped and measured -- that customers select and bag for freezing and cooking at their convenience. The average customer takes home nine entrees that serve six people each and only has to buy side items such as salad greens to complete the dinner.

``It's our answer to bringing dinner back to the table,'' said Martha Shickley, owner of the Valencia Dream Dinners franchise. ``It's what I used to call Costco cooking, where you buy huge packages of food then spend all day dividing it up for dinners, except we do all the cutting, the prep work and clean up.''

Shickley created the 37th franchise in the chain, after being a customer of the original Dream Dinners in Seattle. Shickley serves up to 450 customers a month.

As a testament to how busy her customers are, one of her former employees has started a side business of being the shopper for those who can't come and bag their own items.

Mimi Hiller and her husband, J.B., own Cookbooks Plus, the only cookbook store in Santa Clarita. It's one of three in Los Angeles and the only one that sells both new and used books.

Customers can browse through their stash of 12,000 books and various kitchen implements.

``A lot of people are trying to eat fresh without chemicals,'' she said. ``We have people coming in for low-fat, more natural recipes. Of course, we want to eat better, but we don't want to suffer.''

In visiting with her customers, Hiller explores their interests before turning them loose in the stacks.

``I like to ask them why they are here and what they like to eat, kind of get to know them,'' she said. ``I've talked with mothers who want to find alternatives to baby food and a gentleman who likes to fish and needed some recipes. I sold him a stove-top smoker and he was so happy.

``So many young kids never got interested in food,'' she said, pointing out a section dedicated to introductory cooking. ``If you get them young, it stays with them. I remember wanting to cook so much, but my mother was afraid I would burn the food. I couldn't wait until I was out of college so I could move out and make dinner.''

carol.rock(at)dailynews.com

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CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Mimi Hiller owns Cookbooks Plus, the only cookbook store in Santa Clarita. It's one of three in Los Angeles and the only one that sells both new and used books.

(2 -- color) Cookbooks Plus owner Mimi Hiller likes to find out more about her customers' interests to match them with books they might like. ``He was so happy,'' she said of a frequent fisherman to whom she sold a stove-top smoker.

(3 -- color) Mimi Hiller pulls out one of thousands of cookbooks in her store, Cookbooks Plus.

Alex Collins/Special to the Daily News