Gourmet Meal Delivery: What These Services Offer And What To Expect
Posted on: 13 January 2017
Gourmet meal delivery services are so popular that there are at least a half dozen different companies that provide this service now. You may be wondering what these services typically offer, and just how much effort and/or cooking ability is required. Here is more on that and what to expect if you decide to give one of these gourmet meal companies a trial run.
Delivery Windows of 24-48 Hours
Because all the ingredients in the box are delivered to you as fresh as possible, the delivery windows for most meal delivery services are between twenty-four and forty-eight hours. This avoids any possibility of food contamination or bacteria growth. You should plan ahead and expect to cook the meal on the day you receive it, or freeze and refrigerate everything to use in the next day or two.
Gourmet Meals for Two or Four
Most of the meals put together by these companies are for two to four people or two to four servings. Many of the ingredients are not typically things that kids are willing to eat or try, so the focus is on what adults would like to eat (e.g., dilled salmon and wild rice, chicken cacciatore, etc.). However, if you have adventurous youngsters or older children and teens with advanced palates, then you can order the bigger boxed meals. You get everything you need, in the exact amounts you need, to make the dishes from the included recipes and serve in the amounts listed.
Cooking Skills and Preparation Times
These gourmet meals are restaurant-quality, which means you cannot throw them together in the thirty minutes between basketball practice and dance class. You will need a minimum of twenty minutes of prep time for most meals with as much as an hour and a half for really complex meals. It is best to plan these meals on nights when there is nothing going on and you will be at home.
As for cooking skills, you do not have to be a master chef or even an amateur home chef to cook them. You do need to know how to dice, slice, chop, and puree according to the detailed recipes that are included, and it definitely helps to know how to saute, broil, bake, and/or boil meat, rice, and noodles. If you can do these basic kitchen skills and follow a recipe, you can make any of the gourmet meals these companies offer.
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