Ali Bytes: Bullet-sized strategies for modern living

For the sixth blog-off with Dudgington Post, the topic is Zucchini Blossoms. Have you ever cooked with these? Neither have I. While I enjoy cooking and eating quality food, when I add up the time and cost (and factor in eating alone usually after 10pm when I get home from school), I often opt for simple, picking up something from Whole Foods or eating out.

There is another dinner option - home cooking in someone else’s kitchen - a concept I first heard about from my former colleague Kevin who gave it rave reviews. Though I can’t promise these alternatives offer zucchini blossom recipes, I would bet you’ll be more than satisfied. Leave a comment if you’ve tried any of these.

1. Founded by chef Harriet Dupree Bradley in 2003 and based in KY, Entrée Vous’ mission is to “set the standard for quality of food in the meal assembly industry” and is guided by the principles of quality, convenience and value. “We’ve shopped for fresh ingredients, chopped, sliced, diced, seared off meats at our stove, blended marinades and simmered many sauces from scratch.” There are 3 ways to enjoy an Entrée Vous meal in one of 17 states they have shops: you can just walk in and pick your meal (”Fresh Take and Bake”), schedule a pick up order, or schedule a cooking session.
2. Interestingly also founded in 2003, by Ruth Lundquist and Darcy Olson in MN, Let’s Dish is now in 11 states with most of their shops in MN, VA and MD. Though they seem to offer essentially the same options as Entrée Vous, they do a handful of things better - at least online: much more clear pricing (an in-store session will cost $100 if you make 4 dishes), short
   videos explaining how it works, a Refer-a-Disher reward program and the ability to buy a gift card.
3. Though Corner Cuisine is a small business based only in Lorton, VA, it offers the same value proposition of the others: “In today’s fast-paced world, providing delicious home cooked meals for your family is not always easy. Now, your busy family no longer has to compromise between time and quality when it comes to dinner.” I couldn’t find out too much about this company except that it is an independent business designed and developed by Lorton residents.

This entry was posted on Friday, August 22nd, 2008 at 4:52 am and is filed under business, just for fun. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.