I wish I had the discipline to actually use all the cookbooks I own. Seriously, I have so many! They’re fun to read, but then when I walk into a supermarket at the end of the day, I will most likely go for something that I know how to prepare without a recipe.
And if you’ve been reading my blog, you know that there’s so much good food in this city. Even the street food is amazing (not just fries with mayo anymore). So if I wasn’t one already, I’m afraid I’ve become a bit of a food snob here in London.
But then, as much as I’d like to go out for dinner and try new places every day, my budget won’t allow it and neither would my body (hello extra kilos).
Luckily, since yesterday there’s a new service that can help: The Recipe Kit. I was invited to their launch event where we got to try and make some of the dishes created by chef Olia Herculas. And it was so good! Olia worked at Ottolenghi (a London institution) and you can still see the Middle Eastern influences in her cooking. Making these recipes on an ordinary weekday would be a serious upgrade from my same old pasta dish.
The Recipe Kit is not the first food delivery service. But founder George Kazarian wanted to add ‘a layer of awesomeness’. It might take you a few minutes extra in the kitchen, but as a result you get to learn new techniques, discover ingredients that you won’t find in every supermarket, and explore new cuisines. I mean, how good does ‘candy beetroot salad with lamb lettuce and goats cheese’, ‘sweet potato salad with barberries and tamarind dressing’, or ‘poussin stuffed with couscous’ sound?
Every week you can select 3 recipes from 9 options on their website, and you’ll receive all the ingredients in the exact quantity needed for each dish. And on every recipe card they’ll recommend which drink and what music will perfectly complement your dish. How clever is that?!
So tonight I’ll be having Cape Malay beef bobotie, while listening to Januarie Februarie Maart (interesting choice in November, but works for me). The only thing that’s left is to see if I have all the ingredients to make a ‘Falooda’ to drink with it. Rose syrup, basil seeds and vermicelli…I’m sure a glass of wine will taste just as good this time.
PS: Thanks to tikichris for passing along the opportunity to attend this event.
