Sixty men to don aprons for Geneva fundraiser

What is it about the sight of a man wielding a ladle that gets female fundraisers so excited?

Maybe it's just getting a break from rattling the pots and pans themselves. Or because it is Mother's Day weekend, "and you have men cooking for you," said Terry Emma Burns, an organizer of the May 8 "60 Men Who Cook" charity event.

Participant Dave Oberg has a different take.

"I think some of the world's greatest chefs are men," he said. "I am the chief chef in my family."

Oberg, director of the Geneva History Center, will put his Sweet and Smoky Sloppy Joes to the test at the fundraiser at the Kane County Fairgrounds, 525 S. Randall Road.

Diners will sample appetizers, main dishes, side dishes and desserts and then vote for their favorites.

The evening will aid the Geneva Chamber of Commerce, the Geneva Lions Club, the Geneva Rotary Club and the history center.

"In this economic downturn, we are struggling quite a bit," Oberg said.

Tickets are $25 in advance, $35 at the door. It starts at 6 p.m. There will be a DJ, a cash bar and a raffle.

Tickets are available at genevachamber.com and the Geneva Chamber of Commerce office, 8 S. Third St.; the Geneva History Center, 113 S. Third St., Geneva; Hotel Baker, 100 W. Main St., St. Charles; and K. Hollis Jewelers, 147 S. Randall Road, Batavia.

Dishes include "Better Than My Husband" chocolate cake; several chilis; black bean gazpacho salad; and something called "beer balls."

Oberg said his dish is "the first thing I ever learned how to make," and that he's been perfecting his recipe for 20 years. "I like to cook, and you get to show off your creativity."