FREEPORT - What shall I have for dinner?

It's an age-old dilemma, probably experienced since the Neanderthals first noticed the difference between blackberries and raspberries or managed to catch both a hare and a fish on the same day.

There are so many variables, of course. The question of ingredients comes in, as does their cost and the energy required to get them to the table.

Then there's the issue of time: Have you got enough?

Another variable is taste and desire. Ramen might be easier (and cheaper, and faster), but it pales in comparison to a pretty fillet of grilled chicken or a nice tuna steak.

And, lastly, of course, comes knowledge. At the end of a long day, it's so much easier to throw together something known than hunt out a new and untested recipe, and new ingredients, and pray the Sturgeon Braised in Cloud Water will be worth the time, money and effort.

This is the dilemma I find myself in a few times a week, at which point I usually find myself making yet another batch of pea or lentil soup, or giving in and supping on day-old grilled asparagus and a bowl of cereal.

So when Corey suggested we try out The Prep Kitchen Food Salon in Freeport, I was more than intrigued. And, given the fact that my cooking dilemma is universal, we figured we'd tell you how it went.

Corey had heard about the spot some time ago. It is a hybrid, she said, between a restaurant and a store. Monthly menus are posted (online too), 14 entree choices in all. You pick one or several (up to 12), and pay a fixed price. You then go from food station to food station, gathering the ingredients for each entree, already cleaned, cut up and laid out in a neat and orderly fashion. The food is then bagged and sent home with you, Corey explained, with a recipe, to be either frozen or cooked up into a meal in minutes.

The seeming ease appealed to me, but what got me hooked was actually the thought of getting to try out another person's recipes without the hassle of shopping, preparing, deciphering and then hoping it would turn out OK.

The price - $15 for one recipe and the ingredients to feed two (or three); $73 for six recipes - seemed acceptable. Not cheap, but not bank-breaking. And the point is not cheap anyway; it's fun, easy, different, good and not expensive.

So we went this Wednesday. The place was easy to find (491 U.S. Route 1, Suite 10) and once we were inside, owner Wendy Wren greeted us cheerfully, plied us with cookies and tea, and got us started.

I'd chosen the entrees the night before, using the shop's Web site (www.prepkitchenonline.com - the best way to get going). Two-to-three servings of Apple Honey Glazed Chicken and two-to-three servings of Sautéed Tilapia with Lemon Wine Sauce. Corey had signed up for the Beef Ragout and the Chicken Adobo. Wren handed us several recipe cards. We washed our hands, donned aprons and went to our stations.

The Prep Kitchen's setup is organized and easy to maneuver. Each recipe gets its own station. Each station contains only the ingredients you need, along with all the utensils and containers needed to complete it. My tilapia, for instance, was at a station that also held wine and chicken broth, small pads of butter cut up into the proper sizes, spices and cornstarch and some flour. Corey's Ragout station included the meat, some red wine, chopped onion, diced celery, spices and odds and ends.

Throwing together the meal was quick, since so much of the work had already been done for us. Wren stood by, answering questions and chatting with us until, when we were done, she handed us suggestions for side dishes and sent us on our way.

Back at home, later that same day, I took my tilapia out of the fridge and followed the instructions I'd been given. I rolled the fish in a coating of flour and spices, sautéed it in a pan while simmering the sauce in another. I heated up some frozen peas, my vegetable of choice, and then, within 15 minutes of starting to cook, sat down to eat.

The meal was terrific. I, though not a huge fish fan, had been drawn to the idea of the lemony-wine sauce, which tasted fabulous with the dill-and-parsley-crusted tilapia. Almost like a restaurant meal, only I'd made it - and learned a new way to cook fish to boot.

I had enough left over to eat it for lunch and dinner the next day. I haven't, as yet, tried the chicken. It's currently residing in my freezer for the next time I come home harried, hungry and in need of some healthy home cookin'.

I think Corey and I both will go back and do it again, only this time we'll make more meals. It's pricier than making a from-scratch roasted-chicken-turned-into-chicken-soup meal, but not by too much, and much less expensive than equally good dine-out or takeout. Kitchen time is about a quarter the normal amount. I only had three dirty dishes at the end of the night, including my plate, and no countertop mess to wipe up. Best of all, I've never cooked tilapia myself before, but I think I'll be eating it more often from now on.

Wren recommends you select your entrees and set up your pickup time on the Web site, to make sure she has the ingredients and everything's set up for you. You can just drop by too, but she may not have all the ingredients for what you want, and you'll have to wait a bit for the set-up if she does. Open hours are 2 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, 3 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, but she is available by appointment every day, and for more hours. Go to www.prepkitchenonline.com or call 865-6377.