Wednesday, March 14, 2007

I'm having an affair....

A Dinner A'Fair.

Cheesy name aside, I had mixed feelings when my roommate declared that he had signed up for a prepare-your-own-meals service. The premise is simple - you go to this website, login, and select which meals you want to prepare - you can chose up to 12. Then you drive to one of these locations where they have setup a cooking station just for you. All of the ingredients are raw - chopped vegetables, spices, sauces, beef, pork, chicken, fish, scallops, etc. To make your meals, you measure the ingredients into plastic bags and insert a small card with cooking instructions. After 2 hours and $140, drive home and insert meals into freezer.

This sounds great....for a person who perhaps is uncreative in the kitchen, never learned how to cook, or is too lazy to take the time and love required to serve up delicious home cooked meals. But that's not me. I love cooking. I love selecting the meat de jour, determining the perfect seasonings (usually includes Country Sweet sauce), researching new techniques and ingredients here and in here, slicing fresh vegetables, and eating the scraps all along the way. I had strong doubts that some gimmicky company could replace this satisfaction.

Well, a month into the program and 2 meal-making-sessions later, I am converted. I am eating as well if not better than I have ever eaten - and I get to eat 30 minutes earlier than usual. Last night it was beef Stroganoff. The night before, California turkey burgers with cilantro salsa. Before that, orange glazed sea scallops. Today I am defrosting chicken cordon blue. The meals are delicious. The meat marinates for days resulting in great flavor and tenderness, the recipes are creative and healthy, and the portions are perfect. I really have nothing to complain about - and you all know how much I love complaining about food that falls short of expectations.

Weddingfarts, please don't hate me - but my old-fashioned cooking days may be gone forever - replaced by this modern, efficient, delicious alternative. Sure, I'll still cook for special occasions...guests, weekend BBQ's, Passover, etc....but during the day-to-day grind I think I'm done. Wow, that sounds good to say. I have moved on. I am free.

2 comments:

sailor jacket said...

Holy moly, 2 hours and then you have 12 meals? I looked at the website and have concluded that we need to band together our resources and open a place like this in LA. We'll offer 10 meals in an hour and forty five minutes (you know, faster) and we'll be able to retire as billionaires before the fad dies out. I'm serious.

Adam said...

We'd would be able to make the best menu ever - all we'd need to do is browse through our past blogs. No pizza!!!!


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