Cooking for Dummies

I think Google is reading my blog. Or whoever it is who chooses the ads that show up in my Facebook feed.

The other day, Facebook recommended Blue Apron meal service. I typically ignore or outright hide the ads, but this one caught my eye (maybe it showed up with the “So and so” likes this page” message to back it up).

It’s not exactly a new concept, a service that provides all the food you’ll need for a week’s time. But Blue Apron takes a slightly shifted approach that actually has me considering it.

It’s not pre-made. Unlike the weight-loss versions that send boxes of frozen food you heat up when you’re hungry, Blue Apron delivers the actual ingredients you’ll need to make their recipes.

It’s pre-portioned grocery shopping. No more having to make a whole batch of something that you’ll inevitably eat for three days straight and still throw some out because you’re so sick of eating the same thing.

It’s a veritable cooking school. With a menu that changes weekly, you’re learning to make something new with every meal.

The simplest option is 3 meals per week, for two people. That’d be enough for all my own meals each week (two nights eating the same thing is better than five, any day). It’s just under $60/week for the service – more than I typically spend on groceries, but that’s because a lot of what I’m typically buying, I’m sad to say, is in boxes or cans or bags and low in both price and freshness. I imagine if every week I did try to stick to a hearty menu of protein and fresh ingredients, I’d spend that much. And I know I’d spend more than that if I ordered in every night.

I’m most intrigued by the guidance the service offers. No more sad pleas for recipe ideas. No more wandering the grocery store for inspiration, only to pick up the same bag of pasta, the same jar of sauce I always do. No more meals out of boxes or cans!

I’m out of town a bit next week, but I might consider giving it a try soon after that, when I’ll be around for a bit and, you know, need to eat.