Skip to main content

D. I. Y. dinner for the 1%

A few months ago, I noticed a very intriguing sign in a storefront window of an establishment under construction. The shop was to be called 'The Walk-In Cookbook'. Needless to say, my curiosity was peaked, but I resisted the urge to research the hell out of the topic and decided to wait until opening day to find out what it was all about.

Today, my patience was rewarded as I sauntered into the newly-opened establishment to take a look around. The Walk In Kitchen, it appears, is kind of like an Ikea for cooking. There are brightly colored posters that feature photographs of meals, accompanied by ingredient lists and the cost of said ingredients in 2 and 4 serving iterations.



There are also recipe cards, which double as shopping lists as you make your way around the store selecting from the attractively displayed produce and other food items. The layout resembles a professional kitchen, and you kind of get the feeling that a cooking class is going to start up at any minute. Except with this concept, you take the ingredients home with you and conduct the class yourself.

Now, all of this sounds really cool and innovative, and for a few minutes, you start to imagine yourself walking in after a long, hectic day and not having to think about what to make for dinner, and how much of each ingredient to buy. And then you look at the prices.  *gasp*

While I live in an affluent neighborhood, I really can't imagine that the idea of paying $24 for two servings of spaghetti marinara and meatballs that you have to cook yourself is going to be terribly appealing to many people. This area has a high concentration of very good, affordable restaurants, as well as many produce and gourmet markets at a variety of price points.  And while I might be willing to pay a premium for a small amount of that one ingredient that I happened to need in a hurry, I don't see myself paying that kind of premium for an entire meal's worth of items.

I hate to see any business fail, so I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for this establishment. But in the meantime, I'll be sticking to my budget gourmet lifestyle.

Labels:

Comments

Trini Orisha Gyal said…
That $24 spaghetti, better make me, not my wallet, thinner, with each serving for that price!!
August 17, 2013 7:58 PM
catlucas66 said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
August 18, 2013 11:24 AM
catlucas66 said…
What is there to prevent you from walking out with one of their recipe cards and going to buy the ingredients at a cheaper price somewhere else? The concept seems quite flawed for a few reasons.
August 18, 2013 11:25 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Phantom Debt

A couple of months ago, with the help and support of someone very dear to me, I became, for the first time in about 10 years, entirely debt-free. Of course, there should be high-fives and abundant celebratory toasts at this momentous occasion. But instead of being at peace, and revelling in my new found financial freedom, I seem to have become downright terrified of spending money. I can only compare this to the phenomenon that many amputees claim to have experienced, a sensation that the missing limb is actually still there! I still feel the weight of the appendage that I carried for over a decade. In fact, I've found myself checking my credit-card balance several times a week, each time believing that my burden would suddenly re-appear, and each time finding the balance at zero, and each time being strangely disappointed that there was no balance due. And I've taken to wringing my hands in anxiety over the 'extra' money in my bank account at the end of the month. Was
6 comments
Read more

They say ignorance is bliss.

And it WAS, for a while, but sooner or later, reality was bound smack me in the head (or a more southerly body part, in this case). The results of my follow-up exam are abnormal. So, in three weeks, I must submit to a colposcopy. For those who want extensive, clinical details about this procedure, click here . For those who do not, let's just say the doctor's going to poke around in my hoo-hah for a few minutes to see what the hell is going on down there. It's NOT cancer, they told me, but they need to see if it's anything of concern. So I'm just gonna chill, and put this out of my mind until the time comes. Yeah, right!
6 comments
Read more

Some Like it Hot

It all started out as a rather ordinary Saturday afternoon, as my sweetie and I decided to take advantage of one of the long-standing seasonal events in our area, and made our way to the Chile Pepper Fiesta at the Brookyn Botanic Garden.  Knowing that the fiesta is usually very popular regardless of the weather, we decided to get an early start, in order to avoid the inevitable crowds.  This turned out to be a wise move, as we were greeted not only by an entrance free of lines snaking around the block, but also by the lovely Pepper Sisters (later christened Belle Pepper and Holly P e ñ o by the loopy MC at the main music stage).   As far as sweetie was concerned, our first order of business was to secure some Brooklyn Chili and a good spot on the lawn, both of which were accomplished with minimal fuss, since the gardens were still fairly empty at this point. We lay around on the lawn enjoying what turned out to be a wonderfully warm day, listening to all the great music and clea
2 comments
Read more